It’s difficult to wrap one’s head around a world without Diane Keaton in it—but happily for us, in addition to a son and daughter, Duke and Dexter, Keaton is survived by a near-dozen books, including her best-selling 2011 mother-daughter memoir, Then Again, not to mention the kind of film legacy that most Hollywood stars can only dream of.
While Keaton’s prolific body of work and iconic sense of style are being celebrated all over the internet (I mean, how many sartorial imitations did her Annie Hall wardrobe launch?), the painful news of her death also presents an opportunity to catch up on performances from Keaton’s oeuvre that didn’t receive the same attention as the likes of The Godfather, The First Wives Club, and Something’s Gotta Give.
Below, find a roundup of seven iconic Diane Keaton performances to watch in honor of her incredible life.
Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977)
This Richard Brooks–directed drama, based on the best-selling 1975 novel of the same name by Judith Rossner, earned Keaton a Golden Globe nomination for her starring role as schoolteacher Theresa Dunn. Unabashedly sexual and intense, it’s just one of many astonishing showcases for Keaton’s range.
Reds (1981)
This epic historical drama—cowritten, produced, and directed by Warren Beatty (who also stars opposite Keaton)—tells the story of John Reed, the journalist and writer who chronicled Russia’s October Revolution in his 1919 book Ten Days That Shook the World. Keaton is magnificent in her role as journalist and suffrage activist Louise Bryant, tapping into the same vim that Keaton herself had for the causes she cared about.
Father of the Bride Part II (1995)
You’ve probably (okay, definitely) seen Father of the Bride, but Keaton is especially good in the film’s sequel, which finds her character, Nina Banks, unexpectedly pregnant at the same time as her daughter, Annie. The chemistry between Keaton and Steve Martin as nervous dad George Banks? Electric!
Hanging Up (2000)
Directed by Keaton herself, this film—based on Delia Ephron’s 1995 novel of the same name and adapted for the screen by Delia and Nora Ephron—stars Keaton, Meg Ryan, and Lisa Kudrow as a trio sisters and, poignantly enough, Walter Matthau, in his final film role, as their curmudgeonly father. While the film didn’t exactly receive rave reviews at the time of its release, it’s a portrait of the simultaneous beauty and pain of family life that’s well worth revisiting.
The Family Stone (2005)
There’s a reason that I watch this Christmas cult classic every single December, and that reason can be distilled down to two words: Diane Keaton. The actor’s performance as matriarch Sybil Stone gives what might otherwise be a mean-spirited film genuine heart. I can’t even think about Sybil defending her gay son against an interloping girlfriend (played by Sarah Jessica Parker) at the dinner table or crying over a photo of herself pregnant with her daughter Amy without bursting into tears myself.
Because I Said So (2007)
Keaton plays yet another worried yet loving matriarch (to great effect!) in this rom-com, starring Mandy Moore, Lauren Graham, and Piper Perabo as her daughters. Moore and Keaton play off each other beautifully in Because I Said So, and it’s also genuinely lovely to watch Keaton’s character, Daphne, finally find love after spending far too much time sidelining her own happiness in order to poke her nose into her kids’ business.
Book Club (2018)
Keaton brought such joy and fun to her role in this Bill Holderman–directed rom-com about a group of four friends who read Fifty Shades of Grey in their monthly book club and let the steamy book inspire major changes in their lives. One can only hope the film was as much fun to work on as it still is to rewatch!
