Mandy Moore has come a long way since her days of singing about candy.

Not only does Moore hold her own alongside Diane Keaton in Because I Said So, but she also steals some scenes, most notably the one where she describes how an orgasm feels to her mother, played by Keaton.

Daphne (Keaton) is the typical overbearing single mom of three daughters who all take on typical roles: the wild child, the stable one and the baby of the family.

Milly (Moore) is the youngest and the one most like her mother. Maggie (Lauren Graham of “Gilmore Girls”) is a psychologist and the oldest of the girls, and Mae (Piper Perabo) is the sex kitten of the family who holds the record for the most orgasms.

With her two oldest daughters married off, Daphne puts all her energy into finding a life partner for Milly. With her 60th birthday approaching, Daphne is even more determined for Milly not to end up like her: single.

Daphne creates an online dating profile for Milly (without her knowledge, of course.) Daphne thinks she has it figured it out when she finds Jason (Tom Everetta), a smart, charming and wealthy architect. As expected, Milly begins dating Jason.

Like most well-meaning mothers trying to live their children’s life, Daphne’s plan backfires when Milly falls for Johnny (Gabriel Macht), a tattooed musician. Milly begins dating both men and Daphne continues to try to, fix things, but it never quite works out.

Things become even more complicated when Daphne falls for Johnny’s father Joe (Stephen Collins of “7th Heaven”). Even with all the complications, Daphne continues to do what she believes is best for Milly. Of course what she believes is best and what actually is are two different versions.

Daphne continues to cajole Milly into choosing Jason and, as expected, this only angers Milly and creates a divide between her and her mother. Daphne thinks she is pushing Milly closer to Jason, but she is actually just pushing her daughter farther away from her. This leads to the question, when is it time for a mother to let go? It takes Daphne a good part of the movie to realize her time came long ago.

What the movie lacks in originality it makes up for in casting. Granted, the characters all fill the typical chick-flick roles, and yes, Keaton has done the overbearing-single mother thing before in Something’s Gotta Give. Still, considering Moore’s past credits include Chasing Liberty and How to Deal, this is her best role yet. She even manages to outshine Graham who is known for her quick wit in “Gilmore Girls.”

Because I Said So is a movie about the relationship between a mother and her daughter, and mothers and daughters are probably the only ones who will enjoy the movie. It won’t receive any critical acclaim, but it’s a touchy, feel-good comedy that benefits from a solid cast.

Contact ALL reporter Brittany Moseley at [email protected].