So the film buff in me knows that the esteemed Ms. Keaton played a notable role in the Godfather franchise and that she is Annie Hall (duh!). However, keep in mind that I am in my 20’s and I was not introduced to Diane Keaton until a little gem-of-a movie called Baby Boom. I love this woman because nobody plays wacky like her and the slightly off-beat side of me relates to her best in her roles as the lovable neurotic. It is in these roles that Diane shines as the high-achieving, working woman who can’t escape the inevitable monkey wrenches thrown into her love life. Rather than taking the cliched scripted route of drowning her sorrows in booze or becoming a floozy, Diane’s characters have a penchant for wailing at the top of their lungs until there is a resolve to their anguish. Remember that famous “I’m sorry” monologue from The First Wives Club? And who could forget Erica Barry’s many breakdowns in Something’s Gotta Give?
Though often cast as a comedic passive-aggressive, Keaton is such a skilled actress that her characters always have a refined quality about them thus making it difficult to totally take their woes seriously. Indeed, you sympathize with her characters’ frustrations but at the same time root for them knowing that they are bettered by their sufferings and will come out stronger than before. Simply superb!
THE MOVIE SHRINK 