Many talented actresses have found success in romantic comedies, yet winning an Oscar often requires them to take on more serious roles. Diane Keaton, who sadly passed away this week at 79, took the opposite path and made it seem effortless. Her breakout role was in the critically acclaimed drama The Godfather, but that same year, she also played Linda in the film adaptation of Play It Again, Sam, a role she had originated on Broadway opposite Woody Allen. Throughout the 1970s, Keaton seamlessly moved between intense dramas and lighthearted romantic comedies, and it was the latter that earned her an Oscar for Best Actress, forever altering the genre.
She won the Oscar for Annie Hall, directed and co-written by Allen, in which she portrayed the title character in a bittersweet love story. Keaton and Allen had previously been romantically involved and remained close friends throughout her life. She once described Annie as an idealized version of herself, as seen through Allen’s eyes. While it might be tempting to think Keaton was simply being herself on screen, her performances—from The Godfather to her collaborations with Allen—show too much range to dismiss her talent as mere charm, though she certainly had plenty of it.
Annie Hall marked Allen’s shift from slapstick humor to a more naturalistic style. The film blends witty jokes, fantasy sequences, and a fragmented relationship memoir, all while offering sharp insights into a failing romance. Keaton, in turn, redefined the romantic comedy lead. She wasn’t the fast-talking screwball heroine of earlier eras or the glamorous but scatterbrained type popular in the 1950s. Instead, she combined elements of both to create a character that feels surprisingly modern, balancing boldness with moments of hesitation.
Consider the scene where Annie and Alvy Singer (Allen) awkwardly try to arrange a ride after a tennis game. Their conversation is quick but meandering, with Keaton capturing Annie’s discomfort before trailing off into a nervous “la di da.” This quirky sensibility is echoed in the next scene, where she drives recklessly through Manhattan while making casual small talk. Later, she confidently performs “It Had to Be You” in a nightclub.
These moments aren’t just random quirks. Throughout the film, Annie’s eccentricities have depth—her openness to trying drugs, her fear of lobsters and spiders, her resistance to Alvy’s attempts to mold her into someone more conventionally serious. At first glance, Annie might seem an unlikely Oscar-winning role; she’s the female lead in a story told from a man’s perspective, and the couple doesn’t change enough to make their relationship work. Yet Annie does evolve, in ways both visible and subtle—she just doesn’t become the partner Alvy wants. Many later romantic comedies borrowed her neurotic habits and unique style but often missed the essence of her independence.In pictures
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Perhaps Keaton was cautious of that trend. After her collaboration with Allen concluded, she stepped away from romantic comedies; in fact, Baby Boom is her only one from the entire 1980s. Yet during her hiatus, Annie Hall—the character more than the loosely structured film—became a blueprint for the genre. For instance, Meg Ryan’s rom-com career largely stems from Keaton’s knack for blending intelligence with a whimsical, scatterbrained charm. This cemented Keaton’s status as a rom-com icon, even as she portrayed more wives (whether content, as in Father of the Bride, or discontent, like in The First Wives Club) and mothers (such as in The Family Stone or Because I Said So) than single women finding love. Even when she reunited with Allen, they played a long-married couple drawn closer by amateur detective work—a role she embraced effortlessly and gracefully.
Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson in Something’s Gotta Give. Photograph: Warner Bros./Allstar
However, Keaton did score another major rom-com success in 2003 with Something’s Gotta Give, playing a playwright who falls for a womanizer with a preference for younger partners (Jack Nicholson, of course). The outcome? Her last Oscar nomination and the birth of a subgenre where older women (often portrayed by movie stars, no less) reclaim their romantic and social independence. Part of why her death feels so startling is that Keaton was still making these films as recently as last year, remaining a constant presence in theaters. Now, audiences are shifting from taking her for granted to recognizing her immense impact on the romantic comedy genre as we know it. If it’s hard to think of current actors following in Keaton’s footsteps like Meg Ryan or Goldie Hawn did, it’s likely because few performers of her caliber commit to a genre that has largely become streaming content in recent years.
Consider this: there are only ten living actresses who have received at least four Best Actress nominations, including Nicole Kidman, Jane Fonda, and Ellen Burstyn. It’s uncommon for such roles to come from romantic comedies, let alone half of them, as was the case for Keaton. Because her persona was so well-known, it might have been easy to overlook the depth and dedication she brought to a genre often celebrated for its star power. She certainly had that star quality and relied on it in films like the Book Club series (where she fulfills the Adam Sandler-esque fantasy by playing a character named Diane). But she also infused characters like Annie Hall, Erica in Something’s Gotta Give, and the more reserved Mary in Manhattan with a blend of humor and emotion that felt genuine, unlike the more artificial copies of Annie or Nancy Meyers’ characters (Meyers directed Keaton only once but became as linked to her later work as Allen was to her earlier films). Perhaps she carried the disillusionment from her Godfather roles into these parts, subtly grounding her later performances. Or maybe comedy is simply more complex to execute than drama. Whatever the reason, it’s no surprise she became synonymous with romance, despite her broader range. Keaton’s characters may have been tricky to define, but like the actress herself, they were effortlessly lovable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about Diane Keatons reign as a comedy queen from Annie Hall to Somethings Gotta Give
General Beginner Questions
Q Why is Diane Keaton called the ultimate comedy queen
A For decades she starred in a series of hugely popular and critically acclaimed romantic comedies defining the genre with her unique intelligent and relatable characters
Q What is her most famous comedy movie
A Her most iconic comedy is Annie Hall for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress It perfectly showcases her signature style and humor
Q What is Diane Keatons comedic style like
A Its often described as neurotic witty and charmingly awkward She plays intelligent independent women who are navigating the complexities of love and life with humor and vulnerability
Q Ive never seen a Diane Keaton movie Where should I start
A Start with Annie Hall to see her at her most iconic and then watch Somethings Gotta Give to see how she perfected the role of the mature successful romantic lead
About Her Key Films Characters
Q What made her character in Annie Hall so special
A Annie Hall was a departure from typical female leads She was quirky talked about her insecurities dressed in unique menswearinspired clothing and felt like a real complicated person
Q Besides Annie Hall what other classic comedies did she star in
A Some essential comedies include Manhattan Baby Boom Father of the Bride and The First Wives Club
Q How was her role in Somethings Gotta Give different from her earlier work
A In Somethings Gotta Give she played a successful accomplished playwright navigating romance later in life It showed that her comedic appeal was timeless and resonated with an older audience not just the young singles of Annie Hall
Q Did she only do romantic comedies
A No she has a diverse career in dramas and thrillers However
