Could someone please stage a Diane Keaton intervention? This terrific actor—who won our undimmed admiration in The Godfather and Annie Hall—must be steered toward better material (admittedly the Holy Grail for ladies of a certain age in Hollywood these days). Directors? Please exercise some restraint with Ms. Keaton: Less is always more. And while we’re at it, how about a moratorium on playing nightmare moms? Something’s Gotta Give was delightful, The Family Stone much less so, and Because I Said So simply embarrassing.
Keaton is Daphne Wilder, the well-intentioned but outrageously overbearing mother of three daughters. Concerned that her youngest, a free-spirited caterer named Milly (Moore), can’t find a mate, Daphne takes out a personal ad to screen prospective suitors and surreptitiously send them Milly’s way. A buttoned-down architect (Scott) is the favorite, but the tattooed jazz guitarist (Macht) is a dark horse. Mom and sisters check in on Milly’s progress, often mid-date, via cell-phone conference calls. Everyone here is a caricature, and the gaps are papered over with hyperactive shtick. I haven’t seen so many cakes dropped or smashed since I Love Lucy. (Opens Fri; Click here for venues.)—Tom Beer