Diane Keaton made a big impression from early on in her career. In 1977, she played Annie Hall in Woody Allen’s magnum opus of the same name. Fittingly, she won Best Actress for the role. Hell, she and Woody were even dating. But what made her so special? Indeed, you might be thinking, “I don’t actually know who this person is.” Nay, dear friend, you do know who she is: because Diane Keaton is you. It’s true. Everyone who has ever lived and loved awkwardly (which is all of us) has a little Diane Keaton in them. And no one has better uttered the nonsense syllables that accompany dumbfounded flirtation with a balding man in tennis shorts than she has.
But Diane Keaton isn’t simply the adorably awkward heroine of Annie Hall. Her resume is robust with film and TV appearances in everything from The Godfather trilogy to Reds to the 2003 rom-com romp Something’s Gotta Give.
What you might not realize is that Diane Keaton also secretly (even to her) set the stage for fashion in the new millennium. For starters, take a look at her Oscar acceptance speech.
She’s sporting a men’s blazer, a buttoned-up blouse with collar, a maxi skirt, and a high bun reminiscent of the year 1906. Head to the beloved Trinity Bellwoods Park on any day of the week, and you’ll find droves of gals paying silent and unknowing homage to Ms. Keaton.
Film and fashion aside, it is only fitting that Diane Keaton has taken on her newest role as an authoress in her book released last month, Then Again. The book recounts her own life as a starlet (and her relationships with Woody Allen, Jack Nicholson, and Warren Beatty). Still, most prominently of all, it examines her relationship with her late mother, Dorothy Hall, a creative type whose legacy lives on through some 85 diaries that Diane has kept dear to her. Perhaps the greatest thing about Diane Keaton (apart from the fact that she still dresses the way she did in the ‘70s), is that she was so close with her mom. If that isn’t sweet (and a reason to check out her book), then we don’t know what is.
Then Again is available for $18.81 on Amazon, and at your local bookstore.
