Academy Award-winner Diane Keaton plays a beautiful singer who changes the life of her obnoxious next-door- neighbor (Michael Douglas), in Castle Rock Entertainment's new romantic comedy, “And So It Goes.” The film will be shown exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas nationwide starting Sept. 24.

In the film, there are a million reasons not to like realtor Oren Little (Douglas), and that's just the way he likes it. Willfully obnoxious to anyone who might cross his path, he wants nothing more than to sell one last house and retire in peace and quiet -- until his estranged son suddenly drops off a granddaughter he never knew existed and turns his life upside-down.

Clueless about how to care for a sweet, abandoned nine-year-old, he pawns her off on his determined and lovable neighbor Leah (Keaton) and tries to resume his life uninterrupted. But little by little, Oren stubbornly learns to open his heart - to his family, to Leah, and to life itself.

"I've known Diane over the years and have always been a huge fan, but I'd never worked with her," director Rob Reiner says. In the film, Leah is a singer, so though various names had been tossed around to play the character, Keaton's beautiful singing voice made her the perfect choice for the part.

"Plus, I've always thought of her as an incredibly gifted comedian," Reiner adds. "And she's also really sexy. And for a film like this, you have to find two people who are in that age range that also have a romantic quality - that you believe that there's a romantic, sexual part to them."

Keaton was drawn to the project from the beginning. "Everything was appealing to me with this project. I got to play opposite Michael Douglas, the script, the chance to sing. When I was young, I had a fantasy that I wanted to be singer, and I thought that I was going to try to be in musical comedies, but to have this given to me - the opportunity to sing four songs in the movie - is just a dream come true. But to be sixty-eight years old and to be in a romantic comedy where I get to kiss the guy? To me, that's beautiful. And the subject matter: love, life, second chances, opening up, letting go, discovering something you never expected."

Not only was the opportunity of working with Douglas and Reiner a major selling point, but Keaton also felt a connection to her character. "Leah is somebody that I aspire to be: kind, caring, maternal. But she's also strong, and she has strong values, and she stands up for them. She's also insecure and sensitive, and she cries a lot. But she's open to people."

Douglas and Keaton had a mutual admiration for one another before they ever started working together, which turned into a friendly affection as the shoot wore on. "Michael Douglas is a pro, and I'm a complete slob, so it was really a nice mix. I really like playing around with him; I like teasing him a lot. It really made the set fun for me. And he can take a joke, and he can also dish it out, too. It was a great warring effort." She adds, "The movie's funny. The main thing you can say about the movie, the number one thing, is comedy. It's a comedy, and Michael Douglas was born to play this part."

"Diane was the exciting unknown for me, because we had never worked together before," Douglas states. "She's so quirky and unpredictable - you never know exactly what's gonna come out of her mouth. She might vary a line if she finds something's better, which was always great." The veteran actor also found Keaton's work style fascinating. He adds, "She listens to music through a pair of earphones right up until the moment they say, 'Roll - action.' Then she just takes them off. . . and she goes."

Best Actor Oscar-winner Michael Douglas stars in Castle Rock Entertainment's new comedy “And So It Goes” as Oren Little, a once-successful real estate broker whose wife passed away several years earlier after a protracted battle with cancer. Now, an unexpected arrival leads him to open his heart -- to his family, to romance, and to life itself.

Also starring Diane Keaton, “And So It Goes” will be shown exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas nationwide starting Sept. 24.

In the film, there are a million reasons not to like realtor Oren Little, and that's just the way he likes it. Willfully obnoxious to anyone who might cross his path, he wants nothing more than to sell one last house and retire in peace and quiet -- until his estranged son suddenly drops off Sara (Sterling Jerins), a granddaughter he never he had.

Clueless about how to care for a sweet, abandoned nine-year-old, he pawns her off on his determined and lovable neighbor Leah (Keaton) and tries to resume his life uninterrupted.

Over time, Sarah's need for love and affection bring Oren and Leah closer and allow them to see different sides of one another. Initially solely consumed with the prospect of selling his family home to fund his retirement, Oren soon discovers Leah is more than an extra set of hands to help with Sarah. And Leah learns that Oren's hardened exterior might be just that, with a humanity inside worth trying to break through to. Together, Oren and Leah tackle the funny, joyous, awkward and sometimes intense moments that have become their new reality.

The film marks Douglas' second film with director Rob Reiner at the helm. "I love working with Rob, especially since we had worked together on `The American President,'" the actor says. "There's a comfort factor - you don't have to go through the introductions. There's shorthand. And Rob trusts his instincts. He doesn't like to do a lot of takes, likes to move things along. And he knows everybody's lines. On 'Action,' he just goes into another world. He puts his nose up to the monitor and watches everything really, really closely. And he has a stellar history with comedies."

Douglas was attracted to the project not only for the opportunity to work with Reiner again, but also by the script and the qualities of his character. "Mark Andrus is quite a writer. He's got a wonderful quirky tone, and he writes these really interesting, well-defined characters. I could tell it was a great love story with a good sense of humor."

His character, Oren, had particular appeal. "I'm always attracted to characters that are not very attractive, but ultimately come around," Douglas notes. "I enjoy the challenge of trying to get the audience onto my side."

The production also had another advantage; it was filmed in suburban Connecticut, not far from the actor's home in Westchester. "I had just done `Behind the Candelabra' and `Last Vegas'. So the idea of filming at home was great. It was just a 25-minute drive to get back to the house and see my kids every night. That was very attractive."

From acclaimed director Rob Reiner (“The Bucket List,” “When Harry Met Sally”) comes the uplifting comedy “And So It Goes” starring Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton. The film will be shown exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas nationwide starting Sept. 24.

In the film, there are a million reasons not to like realtor Oren Little (Douglas), and that's just the way he likes it. Willfully obnoxious to anyone who might cross his path, he wants nothing more than to sell one last house and retire in peace and quiet -- until his estranged son suddenly drops off a granddaughter (Sterling Jerins) he never knew existed and turns his life upside-down.

Clueless about how to care for a sweet, abandoned nine-year-old, he pawns her off on his determined and lovable neighbor Leah (Keaton) and tries to resume his life uninterrupted. But little by little, Oren stubbornly learns to open his heart - to his family, to Leah, and to life itself.

"I basically make the same movie over and over again," Rob Reiner laughs. "The woman is always more advanced and more developed and emotionally able. And the man is like an idiot running around, trying to figure it all out, until he realizes that he should be with the woman." And so it is with “And So It Goes.”

The idea for the film came about during the press junket for Reiner's 2007 hit, “The Bucket List,” starring Jack Nicholson. "Every single journalist asked the same question," the director recalls, "'what's on your bucket list?" Reiner's longtime producing partner, “And So It Goes” producer Alan Greisman, remembers the classic Nicholson answer. "He thought for a minute and then he replied, 'I sit in my living room with my feet up on the coffee table smoking a cigarette, and I ask myself: is there time for one more great romance?' I went up to Rob and said, 'This is a great idea for a movie.'" The gears began to turn, and the subject of a new picture was hatched. Explains Reiner, "That struck me - people finding each other at a certain point in life, a later point in life."

Scribe Mark Andrus (“As Good As It Gets”) came aboard to develop a script for the film. "The main idea," says Reiner, "is about people who have decided that they're done, they're not going to be involved romantically again. And somehow they find each other." Under Andrus' pen, the plot expanded to bring in broader themes about second chances in life - not just in romance, but also in career choice as well as for families in conflict.

Therein lies a great humanity beyond the comedy - which in turn helped to attract great talent. Recalls producer Mark Damon, "I first read `And So It Goes' on a flight to Toronto. Between my laughter and my tears, I realized I was reading an exceptional script that could make an exceptional film in the right hands and with the right cast. With a pedigree of Academy Award nominees and winners, I knew this would be a film I would be proud to be involved with, proud to produce, and proud to distribute. Rarely had I been so sure about a film's prospects, and as soon as I got off the plane, I called Rob Reiner and Alan Greisman of Castle Rock, and told them 'I'm in.' Rob has a sure hand as a director, actors love him, and he gets wonderful performances out of them. It was exciting to see him bringing the promise of this script to life on the big screen."