The eight best Diane Keaton movies that defined her brilliant career

Few actors have shaped American cinema like Diane Keaton. With her charm, quick wit, and unmistakable sense of style, Keaton changed how women were portrayed on screen. Long before “authenticity” became a buzzword, she made it her signature. Whether she was nervously laughing through a Woody Allen conversation, delivering fiery monologues in Reds, or navigating love and loneliness in middle age in Something’s Gotta Give, Keaton always played women who were complicated, clever, and real. And on October 11, 2025, the world lost that voice—Keaton passed away at the age of 79.

Her influence extends far beyond her filmography. She turned menswear into a feminist fashion statement, made vulnerability aspirational, and showed generations of women that ageing could be not just graceful, but stylish and self-assured. Across more than five decades, her roles have traced the evolution of modern womanhood—from the anxious independence of the 1970s to the romantic realism of the 2000s.

These eight films, spanning comedy, drama, and everything in between, capture the full spectrum of what makes Diane Keaton a true original: fearless, funny, and endlessly fascinating.

Annie Hall (1977)

If there’s one film that defines both Keaton and an entire cinematic era, it’s Annie Hall. Her performance as the neurotic, free-spirited Annie—complete with “La-di-da”s and wide-brimmed hats—won her an Oscar and redefined the rom-com heroine. Keaton’s Annie wasn’t polished or perfect; she was awkward, vulnerable, and endearingly human. The character mirrored her own sensibilities, from her boyish tailoring to her quirky speech patterns, creating a new kind of female lead—one who didn’t need to be idealised to be unforgettable.

The Godfather (1972) & The Godfather Part II (1974)

Before she became Annie Hall, Keaton was Kay Adams—the outsider in the Corleone dynasty. Her quiet strength in The Godfather brought a moral heartbeat to the brutal world of crime and power. In Part 2, her character’s disillusionment with Michael (Al Pacino) becomes one of the film’s most devastating emotional arcs. It’s a masterclass in controlled emotion—her eyes doing what most actors need pages of dialogue to convey.

Looking for Mr Goodbar (1977)

Released the same year as Annie Hall, this was Keaton’s sharp left turn—a dark, provocative drama that explored sexual freedom, loneliness, and danger in 1970s New York. Her portrayal of Theresa Dunn was fearless, raw, and way ahead of its time in its depiction of a woman seeking identity in a world that often punished her for it. It is one of her most underrated performances, and perhaps her most haunting.

Interiors (1978)

A world away from her comedic roots, Interiors revealed Keaton’s depth as a dramatic actress. As Renata, a poet struggling with family trauma and existential doubt, she exuded quiet melancholy. The film’s stripped-back intensity allowed Keaton to show her skill at expressing internal conflict—grief, jealousy, and longing—with subtlety rather than showiness.

Manhattan (1979)

In Manhattan, Keaton perfected the art of the “intellectual romantic.” Her character Mary Wilkie—neurotic, articulate, self-deprecating—felt like a mirror of the era’s changing emotional landscape. She captured the contradictions of modern relationships: wanting love but fearing vulnerability, craving connection yet protecting independence. 

Reds (1981)

Epic in scale and ambition, Reds was Keaton’s statement role as a dramatic powerhouse. Playing real-life journalist and activist Louise Bryant, she matched Warren Beatty scene for scene with intensity and intelligence. The film’s mix of politics and passion demanded range—and Keaton delivered. Her performance was fiery and nuanced.

Baby Boom (1987)

With Baby Boom, Keaton stepped into the role of an ’80s working woman caught between ambition and unexpected motherhood. What could have been a simple comedy became, in her hands, a reflection of shifting gender roles and work-life balance. Her trademark physical comedy shines, but so does her emotional depth. It’s a film that feels surprisingly modern even today.

Something’s Gotta Give (2003)

By the 2000s, Keaton had moved from playing ingenues to portraying women with the confidence and chaos of lived experience. As the playwright, Erica Barry, opposite Jack Nicholson, she gave one of her most beloved performances—funny, romantic, and beautifully real. Watching her cry, laugh, and fall in love again at 57 felt revolutionary in an industry obsessed with youth. The role earned her another Oscar nomination and cemented her as an icon for women of all ages.

Why she still matters

Across genres and generations, Diane Keaton has remained an original—never chasing trends, always shaping them. She brought intellectualism to romance, eccentricity to drama, and humour to heartbreak. Her characters—whether fragile, fierce, or fumbling—remind us that imperfection can be magnetic.

In an age of reinvention, Keaton never needed to reinvent herself; she simply kept being Diane Keaton. And that, more than any award or outfit, is her greatest legacy.

Lead image: Getty Images
 

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