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Showing posts with the label Diane Keaton

Diane Keaton

 Here's something I liked about Diane Keaton. Her creativity spilled out from the confines of the "actor" mold. She had that odd gift for clothing herself in surprising ways. And she wrote well; "Then Again" is a good book. My spouse wanted to watch "The Godfather" this weekend, but my own thoughts turned to "Manhattan Murder Mystery," my favorite Diane Keaton film. This appeared in the world at a time when I was still young enough to imagine a "blurred" line between fiction and nonfiction--the idea of the murder was "real" to me. As Keaton's character--like Jimmy Stewart's "Rear Window" photographer--gets obsessed, it's impossible not to feel for her. Keaton's desire for answers leads to the most entertaining sequence in the movie, in which her spouse, Woody Allen, tries to rein her in. "I forbid you to go there! I forbid it! ....Is this what you do  when I am forbidding??? " What a car...

My Gay Christmas II

  Another staple of my Christmas is a re-re-re-viewing of one of the worst films ever made, "The Family Stone." I can't get enough of this one. In "The Family Stone," everyone is upset because film icon Sara Jessica Parker clears her throat too much. She is about to marry into a particular family, but the throat-clearing is just a bridge too far. Also, she doesn't want to share a premarital bed with her fiance, and her bohemian in-laws-to-be respond by making fun of her. Finally, she doesn't know--or doesn't recall--that her "guy" has an allergy to mushrooms. Because of her various missteps, SJP finds herself relentlessly bullied. Oscar winner Diane Keaton actually rolls her eyes at SJP--several times--although Diane Keaton is, by various indicators, an adult. Oscar nominee Rachel McAdams speaks to SJP in grunts. McAdams also has a tantrum when SJP seems to point toward a Black man--unconsciously--while trying to play charades (her little p...