Diane Keaton (1946-2025)

[GaryC]

I remember Crimes of the Heart being a film I followed as soon as I heard it was in production (as well as Keaton, Sissy Spacek and Jessica Lange co-starring and Bruce Beresford directing were pluses for me) and I saw it on opening day in London. I haven't seen it since, so it's certainly due a revisit.

Reds was the performance of hers that had the most impact on me first, as I was old enough to see it on first release. I wasn't old enough for Godfather I and II when they came out, and didn't see her films with Woody Allen until the mid-80s. Shoot the Moon I saw on TV and that may be what I watch as a tribute, given that it's available to stream in the UK and it's been a long time for me. (Looking for Mr Goodbar isn't, and I don't own it on disc.)

[The Curious Sofa]

Looking at her filmography, I have to admit that the only 21st century movie of her's I saw is Something's Gotta Give and that wasn't by choice. By then she exclusively starred in a type of comedy for which I'm not the audience. Can anyone make a case for some of her later work? She did a movie with Lawrence Kasdan but that looks sappy and got terrible reviews.

[colinr0380]

I quite like Hampstead, which turns up on the television a lot. Though it is kind of firmly in that odd couple meet cute tradition of 'quirky Middle class England' rom-coms along with things like This Beautiful Fantastic, where its a bit too glossy to feel realistically impactful. But sometimes that can be a comfort in itself! Its interesting to think of it as a hangover of the Four Weddings/Notting Hill tradition that has aged up two decades along with its audience.

Its also something where, whilst Keaton's main character structures the film (and gives an American audience a recognisable identification figure) eventually she has to become more of a supportive witness to the Brendan Gleeson character's story (understandably so, given that its whole 'based on a true story' premise is coming from his character) with it even turning into a bit of a courtroom drama in the final section!

[The Curious Sofa]

Cheers, I have been considering this one, not least because for much of my London life I lived not far from Hampstead Heath.

[beamish14]

Looking at her filmography, I have to admit that the only 21st century movie of her's I saw is Something's Gotta Give and that wasn't by choice. By then she exclusively starred in a type of comedy for which I'm not the audience. Can anyone make a case for some of her later work? She did a movie with Lawrence Kasdan but that looks sappy and got terrible reviews.

Nancy Meyers’ films are unwatchable. It was painful to experience Because I Said So in a theatrical setting. It’s a shame that she spent much of her latter career appearing in low quality material

[Swift]

5 Flights Up is apparently the only movie of hers I've seen from this century. She and Morgan Freeman play a couple selling their long time New York apartment and reminiscing over their time there. Can't remember too much about it but it was a pleasant afternoon of a movie.

[The Curious Sofa]

Spoiler

Looking at her filmography, I have to admit that the only 21st century movie of her's I saw is Something's Gotta Give and that wasn't by choice. By then she exclusively starred in a type of comedy for which I'm not the audience. Can anyone make a case for some of her later work? She did a movie with Lawrence Kasdan but that looks sappy and got terrible reviews.

Nancy Meyers’ films are unwatchable. It was painful to experience Because I Said So in a theatrical setting. It’s a shame that she spent much of her latter career appearing in low quality material

Checking out Meyers' filmography made me realise I never even saw Something's Gotta Give, I mixed it up with It's Complicated.

[The Curious Sofa]

5 Flights Up is apparently the only movie of hers I've seen from this century. She and Morgan Freeman play a couple selling their long time New York apartment and reminiscing over their time there. Can't remember too much about it but it was a pleasant afternoon of a movie.

I was faintly interested when I saw the trailer but then it got middling to negative reviews and I skipped it. Maybe I'll just give up on 21st century Diane Keaton and rewatch Love & Death instead, which I adore but have not seen in at least a couple of decades.

[domino harvey]

She was in one of the best films of the 21st century, the Young Pope

[The Curious Sofa]

I'm still not buying the whole "TV series are films" thing but that I did see and it was good.

[hearthesilence]

Nancy Meyers’ films are unwatchable. It was painful to experience Because I Said So in a theatrical setting. It’s a shame that she spent much of her latter career appearing in low quality material

Unfortunately this is indeed 100% accurate. The '80s were still a mixed back despite some fine work, but after a couple of commendable films that reunited her with some of her greatest collaborators (The Godfather Part III and Manhattan Murder Mystery), no film she appeared in approached her best movies from those previous decades. But Elephant is still one of my favorite films from the '00s, and it's no small accomplishment that she got it made.

[The Curious Sofa]

The First Wives Club was where it all went wrong. I currently keep seeing the dance scene from it posted all over social media and it makes me cringe every time.

[beamish14]

The First Wives Club was where it all went wrong. I currently keep seeing the dance scene from it posted all over social media and it makes me cringe every time.

The dinner scene in The Family Stone re-traumatized me again

[thirtyframesasecond]

Not many women get to direct mainstream films, but based on her work, The Parent Trap's probably the best of those.

[hearthesilence]

The First Wives Club was where it all went wrong. I currently keep seeing the dance scene from it posted all over social media and it makes me cringe every time.

The dinner scene in The Family Stone re-traumatized me again

At least they're not claiming Father of the Bride is a great American classic rather than a mediocrity, completely oblivious to the great film it was based on. (That's what happened with You've Got Mail when Ephron died.)

[Aunt Peg]

Diane Keaton is/was so popular, and yet beyond Pauline Kael there seems to be variously little, or no, or not enough, institutional and critical recognition of some of her best work (Shoot the Moon, The Good Mother, Crimes of the Heart, etc.).

Shoot the Moon, The Good Mother, and Crimes of the Heart all flopped, and great performances in underperforming films rarely receive recognition. That said, Shoot the Moon had passionate defenders at the time, was nominated for several awards, and is remembered as one of Alan Parker's best works and one of the most underrated movies of its time. It's featured in Produced and Abandoned, a compilation of reviews in which major critics choose the films they consider to be the most underrated. As far as divorce dramas go, I'd certainly pick it over Kramer vs. Kramer.

Crimes of the Heart wasn't a box office flop though, a box office disappointment yes but not a flop. It only cost $8 to $10million to make (I know Wikepdia states $20 but I think that is wrong as it was widely known at the time to have been made on a modest budget and Keaton/Lange/Spacek were all only minimum salaries and only made extra $$$ once the film made its budget back). Also, the $22 gross is US only. Maybe Wikepdia is in fact correct but I remember well the budget for Crimes being $10 million at the most.

At the time of it's release Blue Velvet & Crimes of the Heart where the only two films from DEG to make money but were certainly not breakout hits. Ironically, DEG also released their big budget productions Tai-Pan and King King Loves which were panned and flopped big time.

Crimes of the Heart also did gain some awards traction. It received 3 Oscar nominations: Actress (Spacek), Supporting Actress (Tess Harper) & Screenplay Adaptation. The film was also nominated for a Best Picture Golden Globe (Comedy/Musical category) and Best Actress (Spacek) which it won. Spacek also won the New York Film Critics Circle award for Best Actress and publicity in her acceptance speech that she wouldn't have been there without Diane & Jessica. I think Spacek had the edge of Keaton & Lange because she was primarily known for drama and critics were taken aback by a very rare comic performance, whereas Keaton & Lange were already well established for comedy and dramatic roles, particularly Diane.

[Aunt Peg]

I remember Crimes of the Heart being a film I followed as soon as I heard it was in production (as well as Keaton, Sissy Spacek and Jessica Lange co-starring and Bruce Beresford directing were pluses for me) and I saw it on opening day in London. I haven't seen it since, so it's certainly due a revisit.

Reds was the performance of hers that had the most impact on me first, as I was old enough to see it on first release. I wasn't old enough for Godfather I and II when they came out, and didn't see her films with Woody Allen until the mid-80s. Shoot the Moon I saw on TV and that may be what I watch as a tribute, given that it's available to stream in the UK and it's been a long time for me. (Looking for Mr Goodbar isn't, and I don't own it on disc.)

I was obsessed with Crimes of the Heart. I loved the play and thought the casting of the first was spot on. I think I saw it during its first run over about 3 months about 8 times and I've rewatched over and over again on VHS, DVD and now Blu Ray. I never tire of it and the 3 leading ladies are simply sensational in it. I also think that it is my all time favourtie music by George Delerue. Bruce Beresford has a real knack for bringing plays to life in cinema and making the cinematic: Don's Party, Crimes of the Heart & Driving Miss Daisy - I'm not a fan of The Club though.

I've also found that Beresford play adaptations have all aged really well which I can't same the same for so many other adaptations from the 50s to the 00s which I liked at the time but have found rather stilted today.

I am rather late to post on the passing of Diane so am doing so now.

I was utterly shocked yesterday morning when I clicked onto the Sydney Morning Herald to read the years. I was and still am really gutted. She has long been one of my favourite actress with one of the best filmographies around. Aside from her work with Woody Allen (all brilliant) and the Godfather trilogy, we have Looking for Mr. Goodbar, Reds, Shoot the Moon, The Little Drummer Girl, Crimes of the Heart, The First Wives Club, Something's Gotta Give & the very underrated And So It Goes. I should mentioned that I really loved her in Marvin's Room and The Young Pope but note the film/series itself.

Despite the quality of any film she appeared in Diane always had chemistry with everyone she worked with. She always seemed to work as part of a team rather than a 'look at me' and her ability to play in various genres was noteworthy. And all her performances were so effortless. She was a natural through and through and a true original.

And whilst Meryl Streep is widely regarded as the greatest actress of her generation (and by some of all time) I do think that Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon & Sissy Spacek have far more iconic films and performances in their filmographies than Streep.

[The Curious Sofa]

Crimes of the Heart wasn't a box office flop though, a box office disappointment yes but not a flop. It only cost $8 to $10million to make (I know Wikepdia states $20 but I think that is wrong as it was widely known at the time to have been made on a modest budget and Keaton/Lange/Spacek were all only minimum salaries and only made extra $$$ once the film made its budget back). Also, the $22 gross is US only. Maybe Wikepdia is in fact correct but I remember well the budget for Crimes being $10 million at the most.

I'll happily admit that the budget of Crimes of the Heart is not among the trivia I have memorised, so I did go by Wikipedia.

While Lange has done comedy, most notably winning an Oscar for Tootsie, unlike Keaton, I think of her as a primerely dramatic actress. Even in Tootsie she doesn't really give a comedic performance, she is the straight-woman to Hoffman's Tootsie. At that point, the only performance of her's I think of as a comedic performance is in King Kong and don't mean that as an insult. I think she is genuinely funny and sweet in it, of the three blondes in Kong's paw she is my favourite. Her work was unfairly dismissed, mistaking her for the ditzy blonde she played, nearly sinking her career before it got properly started.

It's a shame Keaton abandoned drama by the late 90s and its a mystery to me why she acted in so many bland comedies. She's clearly someone with taste, as getting the risky Elephant off the ground shows. But maybe that's all she got offered or she strongly believed that's where her strenght lies. And no doubt, her work in all those films I've skipped, was good.

[Aunt Peg]

I happily admit that the budget of Crimes of the Heart is not among the trivia I have memorised, so I did go by Wikipedia.

While Lange has done comedy, most notably winning an Oscar for Tootsie, unlike Keaton, I think of her as a primerely dramatic actress. Even in Tootsie she doesn't really give a comedic performance, she is the straight-woman to Hoffman's Tootsie. The only performance of her's I think of as a genuine comedy performance is in King Kong and don't mean that as an insult. I think she is genuinely funny and sweet in it, of the three blondes in Kong's paw she is my favourite. Her work was unfairly dismissed, mistaking hwr for the ditzy blonde she played, nearly sinking her career before it got properly started.

It's a shame Keaton abandoned drama by the late 90s and its a mystery to me why she acted in so many bland comedies. She's clearly someone with taste, as getting the riskybElephant off the ground shows. But maybe that's all she got offered or she strongly believed that's where her strenght lies.

Lange also appeared in the comedy How to Beat the High Cost of Living (1980) - though little seen because the film is very minor.

I agree she was the 'straight-woman' of Tootsie but I suppose I'm influenced by what by Pauline Kael's wrote in her review of Crimes of the Heart where she mentions that we are used to seeing Keaton & Lange as funny women but not Spacek so her performance came as some a welcome surprise. And to be fair as great as all the three sisters roles are and are brilliantly played Babe has the slight edge because she is so off the air and the play does get propelled by her actions to shoot her husband for which the reasons why are slowly revealed. That gives Spacek an edge over the co-stars but Spacek was certainly right in saying she would have not have won NYFC award without Diane & Jessica.

I also recall the reviews for Crimes were mixed but raves for Spacek in particular. Keaton copped the lesser praise with comments like 'Annie Hall goes South' which I personally found very unfair. There certainly is a awkwardness about Keaton's performance but that was because Lenny was so awkward and lacked self confidence - Keaton used body language to great effect to portray Lenny. It really is great work from Keaton. Funny how some critics that don't like something always use the easy way out to critique rather than try to articulate what they think is wrong. I can recall a couple of reviews for Keaton's performance in Reds as Annie Hall goes to Russia. ](*,)

Diane only gave one performance like Annie Hall and that was in Annie Hall.

One of the most screwed up criticism all three performances in Crimes from somebody writing from either Films or Films and Filming magazine at the time who bemoaned the 'fake Southern accents'. Just their opinion but Sissy Spacek used her own voice (Texan accent). The only film up and including Crimes of the Heart that Spacek ever used an accent was Coal Miner's Daughter where she mimicked Loretta Lynn's Kentucky accent to perfection (hell, her singing even sounded like Loretta Lynn's singing).

[The Curious Sofa]

And whilst Meryl Streep is widely regarded as the greatest actress of her generation (and by some of all time) I do think that Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon & Sissy Spacek have far more iconic films and performances in their filmographies than Streep.

I always thought labelling one actor or artist as "the greatest" is inherently flawed, why pick when different actors have different talents to love them for. I didn't care for Streep for a long time, finding her mannered and too technical and it was Death Becomes Her that made me warm to her. And you are right, these other actresses have more great movies under their belt than Streep. There is nothing that equals Annie Hall, Atlanic City or Badlands in Streep's filmography.

[The Curious Sofa]

I saw Crimes of the Heart once on TV a long time ago and I think I liked it, but I don't remember it well.

[Aunt Peg]

And whilst Meryl Streep is widely regarded as the greatest actress of her generation (and by some of all time) I do think that Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon & Sissy Spacek have far more iconic films and performances in their filmographies than Streep.

I always thought labelling one actor or artist as "the greatest" is inherently flawed, why pick when different actors have different talents to love them for. I didn't care for Streep for a long time, finding her mannered and too technical and it was Death Becomes Her that made me warm to her. And you are right, these other actresses have more great movies under their belt than Streep. There is nothing that equals Annie Hall, Atlanic City or Badlands in Streep's filmography.

Couldn't agree more and then also throw in Manhattan, The Godfather 1 & 2, Interiors, Carrie, Coal Miner's Daughter, 3 Women, The Straight Story, In the Bedroom, Pretty Baby, Thelma & Louise and the greatest cult film every made The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Also Sigourney Weaver for Alien & Aliens, Glenn Close for Fatal Attraction (flawed but a still beloved cultural phenomenon) & Dangerous Liaisons. There are others too....

[The Curious Sofa]

I think Streep primarily picks roles, while Spacek keeps going for filmmakers or projects she believes in. Keaton and Sarandon did as well up to a point, but the second half of their careers is far less interesting than the first (they still did some great work on TV, whatever you may have thought of Feud, Sarandon's Bette Davis was the best thing she'd done in a long time). Spacek on the other hand has just made film with Lynne Ramsay and one with David Lowery (and of course Robert Redford) not too long ago.

[Aunt Peg]

Diane also directed a number of cinema features and TV films. I have seen Heaven (1987) a real odd-ball but endearing documentary and Unstrung Heroes (1995) a beautifully realised family drama featuring what is perhaps Andie MacDowells best performance. Both are worth seeking out.

[Michael Kerpan]

Unstrung Heroes really was lovely. One of the relatively small handful of American "slice of life" movies I love a lot.