Diane Keaton handed away on October 11, 2025, and left behind a legacy of among the finest performances in film historical past. The legendary actress started her profession in 1966 and reached early fame as considered one of Woody Allen’s muses in his early masterpieces, Annie Corridor and Manhattan. Nevertheless, Keaton’s profession was a lot bigger than that.
Diane Keaton was a four-time Oscar nominee, successful for Annie Corridor, and she or he additionally earned 9 Golden Globe nominations, successful for Annie Corridor and One thing’s Gotta Give. She additionally made her identify in smaller films, such because the extremely underrated vacation film The Household Stone and the animated movie Discovering Dory.
Marvin’s Room (1996)
Diane Keaton’s third Oscar nomination got here for her efficiency within the 1996 film Marvin’s Room. On this movie, she starred as Bessie, a girl who has been caring for her father since he suffered a stroke. Nevertheless, when she learns she is dying, she tries to reconnect together with her sister (Meryl Streep) one final time.
Keaton was wonderful in her difficult function as a girl who had by no means been capable of stay her personal life however who gave herself to her father, whereas her sister left and by no means appeared again. Nevertheless, it was her chemistry with the solid, together with Streep as her sister and a younger Leonardo DiCaprio as her nephew, that carried the story.
Along with her Oscar nomination, Diane Keaton additionally acquired Critics’ Selection and Display Actors Guild Award nominations, although she did not take house any awards.
The First Wives Membership (1996)
The First Wives Membership was a 1996 comedy starring three unimaginable feminine leads, with Diane Keaton joined by Bette Midler and Goldie Hawn within the solid. The movie options the three actresses as just lately divorced girls searching for revenge on their husbands, who left them for young women.
The First Wives Membership was an enormous success, grossing $181 million on the field workplace, and far of that success was because of the three stars and their unimaginable chemistry. Whereas Keaton had earned an Oscar nomination that very same 12 months for Marvin’s Room, she earned a nomination from the American Comedy Awards for this efficiency.
Whereas the movie primarily acquired lukewarm critiques, it was the followers who pushed it to change into a success, and far of that was because of the comedic timing of Keaton, Midler, and Hawn. Critiques praised the director for “getting out of the way in which” and letting these three girls run free.
The Godfather (1972)
Diane Keaton’s function within the first Godfather film was necessary, particularly as one of many few girls in the primary solid. She performed Kay Adams, Michael’s second spouse and the mom of his two kids. She can also be very completely different from the opposite characters, an ethical lady from a Protestant household, quite than a Catholic gangster.
This made her who the viewers might have a look at Michael by, and see his eventual change from a battle hero right into a morally corrupt mafia don. Her love story and the eventual christening of their first child had been contrasted by her recognition that Michael was changing into his father in that closing scene, when she checked out him by the doorway.
Kay was a smaller character, however she was crucial and Diane Keaton ensured that she performed the lady with the respect she deserved based mostly on her place on this darkish and lethal world.
Wanting For Mr. Goodbar (1977)
On the lookout for Mr. Goodbar was considered one of Diane Keaton’s most risqué roles and earned the actress her second Golden Globe nomination for Finest Actress, her first within the drama class. Keaton stars as a younger faculty instructor who turns into a drug addict after beginning a relationship with a number of completely different males.
It is a darkish tragedy, as she makes a number of poor life selections that ultimately power her to determine how she desires to stay. When she lastly decides that she must make a change, it’s too late, and it’s Keaton’s efficiency that makes that last-minute twist ending such a horrible tragedy.
Critics praised Keaton’s efficiency, calling her “fearless” and saying that her efficiency and the movie’s ending will depart “audiences trembling.”
Manhattan (1979)
Manhattan wasn’t Diane Keaton’s finest efficiency in a Woody Allen film, nevertheless it was a implausible efficiency nonetheless. Allen stars within the movie as a twice-divorced comedy author who’s courting a 17-year-old (Mariel Hemingway), however ultimately falls in love together with his finest buddy’s mistress (Diane Keaton).
This is likely to be Woody Allen’s best-directed film, each in the way in which he shoots New York Metropolis in hanging black-and-white and within the solid’s performances. Becoming a member of Allen and Keaton within the solid are some unimaginable actors, together with Michael Murphy, Meryl Streep, and Anne Byrne. Keaton stays in prime type all through your complete movie.
Critics gave the movie a 93% score on Rotten Tomatoes and praised Allen’s tendency to mock himself. This additionally performed into Keaton’s efficiency, as she portrayed the extra subtle New York mental, all the time seeming just a bit higher than Allen deserved at each step.
Father of the Bride (1991)
Not all of Diane Keaton’s finest performances got here in award-nominated films. In 1991, considered one of her most beloved roles got here within the comedy Father of the Bride. The movie stars Steve Martin as George Banks, a father who struggles to come back to phrases together with his daughter’s announcement that she is planning to get married.
Diane Keaton has the necessary function of George’s spouse, Nina. She is rather more down-to-earth and calm than George, and it’s her efficiency that helps calm this father’s nerves as the marriage grows nearer. Keaton has mastered these roles, and it even labored brilliantly within the implausible vacation film The Household Stone.
Father of the Bride stays considered one of Keaton’s most iconic movies because of its giant cult following, and it has stood the check of time as a comedy traditional. The movie even acquired two sequels, with Keaton returning for each, together with the final one coming in 2020, 29 years later.
The Godfather Half II (1974)
Diane Keaton returned for the sequel to The Godfather in a smaller function, however one which had a fair larger impression on the story. Whereas the primary film had the love story between Michael Corleone and Kay Adams, this film confirmed the destruction of their marriage, which led to Michael’s ethical downfall.
What actually stands out in The Godfather Half II was one scene, probably the darkest scene in your complete Godfather franchise. This was the place Kay informed Michael she had an abortion on their third being pregnant. Since Michael was the third-born in his household, it was virtually like she was “killing” his legacy with the admission.
Diane Keaton’s efficiency delivered the precise correct amount of venom, and Michael’s response was horrifying, ending their marriage perpetually. This one scene led Michael to activate his household and even order his brother’s dying. Keaton’s efficiency is what made that closing, surprising scene work so properly.
Reds (1981)
Directed by Warren Beatty in 1981, Reds is a historic drama about John Reed, a journalist who chronicled the October Revolution in Russia in 1919. Beatty stars as Reed, whereas Diane Keaton stars as activist Louise Bryant. Jack Nicholson can also be within the solid as playwright Eugene O’Neill.
Whereas Reed is likely one of the key characters within the story, Purple is extra carefully targeted on Keaton’s Louise at first, as she goes from a fundamental journalist to a devoted feminist author, thought-about a radical on the time. Her relationship with Reed turns into sophisticated, marked by many highs and lows, resulting in the October Revolution.
This story follows two individuals with sturdy beliefs, keen to die for his or her causes. Whereas Beatty has the more difficult function, Keaton is simply as good in her efficiency. Beatty gained Finest Director on the Oscars, whereas he, Keaton, Nicholson, and Maureen Stapleton all earned appearing nominations, with Stapleton successful.
One thing’s Gotta Give (2003)
In 2003, Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton starred in a film that proved that romantic comedies with older actors may very well be simply as compelling, if no more so, than these with younger stars. Directed by Nancy Meyers, One thing’s Gotta Give stars Nicholson as Harry Sanborn, a rich man who solely dates girls below 30.
Nevertheless, this all adjustments when he meets Diane Keaton’s Erica Barry, a profitable divorced Broadway playwright and the mom of Harry’s newest girlfriend (Amanda Peet). Keaton is good in her efficiency, enjoying a girl with a profitable skilled life however who has all the time remained disenchanted in her romantic life.
Keaton has lots to do on this movie, as she carries the luggage of wanting to seek out love, however realizing that Harry won’t be the person for her. She can also be rather more mature than many rom-com characters, and her efficiency earned her a fourth, and closing, Oscar nomination, whereas successful the Golden Globe within the comedy class.
Annie Corridor (1977)
The very best film efficiency in Diane Keaton’s profession was considered one of her earlier roles. In 1977, Keaton starred within the Woody Allen masterpiece Annie Corridor. On this movie, Allen stars as Alvy Singer, a person who tries to determine why his relationship with Annie Corridor (Keaton) failed.
Diane Keaton was magnificent on this function, delivering a efficiency that made her some of the fascinating girls in Hollywood. She was excellent in a task the place she was the dream lady for anybody, and proved why Alvy Singer was so smitten and distressed when he could not appear to discover a option to join together with her.
Annie Corridor acquired widespread essential reward and has an almost-perfect 97% recent Rotten Tomatoes rating, with a lot of the reward going to Allen and Keaton’s performances. This was Diane Keaton’s solely Oscar win, and it was properly deserved as probably the greatest appearing performances of the Seventies.