Diane Keaton was more than just a movie star. She was a presence – funny, thoughtful, a little eccentric and always unmistakably herself. With her death at the age of 79 on Saturday, Hollywood has lost one of its most original voices, an actress who brought honesty, intelligence and warmth to roles she played.
Much will be said about her unforgettable performances in Annie Hall and The Godfather, but Keaton’s career was far richer than those popular titles. Across five decades, she took chances, playing women who were messy, curious and real – characters who didn’t always have the answers, but faced life with humour and heart.
Here are five of her lesser-known films that show the full range of her talent, from her early years to her final chapters on screen.
Interiors (1978)
After Annie Hall made her a household name, Keaton reunited with Woody Allen for something completely different. Interiors was Allen’s first foray into drama – a stark, slow-moving family story inspired by Ingmar Bergman – and it gave Keaton one of her most restrained and haunting roles.
She plays Renata, one of three sisters struggling to come to terms with their parents’ separation and their mother’s emotional breakdown. Gone is the charm and chatter of her comic characters, instead, Keaton delivers a quiet, internal performance, full of sadness and suppressed longing.
The film divided audiences at the time, but Keaton’s work stands out for its subtlety. Her portrayal of Renata – a woman paralysed by guilt and duty, trying to find meaning in the wreckage of a family that has lost its centre – remains one of her most overlooked performances, proof that her range extended well beyond comedy.
Reds (1981)
If Annie Hall made Keaton a star, Reds proved she was an artist. Warren Beatty’s historical film about journalist John Reed and the American radicals of the early 20th century gave Keaton one of her richest, most layered roles. She plays Louise Bryant, a writer and activist who becomes Reed’s lover and intellectual equal and a woman torn between political idealism and personal longing.
Keaton’s Louise is fierce, witty and uncompromising, a modern spirit caught in a world of revolution and repression. The film’s three-hour sprawl might seem daunting, but Keaton’s performance gives it a heartbeat and humanity. She was nominated for an Oscar for a portrayal that captures both the romance and the loneliness of a woman trying to live freely in history’s shadow.
Marvin’s Room (1996)
In the 1990s, Keaton leaned into roles that reflected a new stage of her life – women facing ageing, illness or family estrangement. Marvin’s Room, adapted from Scott McPherson’s play, is one of the most moving examples.
Keaton stars as Bessie, a woman who has spent 20 years caring for her ailing father (Hume Cronyn). When she’s diagnosed with leukaemia, she reaches out to her estranged sister (Meryl Streep) for help. What follows is not melodrama, but a tender reckoning about forgiveness, sacrifice and the quiet dignity of choosing compassion.
Keaton earned an Oscar nomination for the role. Her role as Bessie is luminous – a woman whose goodness is not naive, but hard won. In a film that could have turned saccharine, she anchors the emotion with restraint and grace, embodying the rare kind of sincerity that defined her later work.
Morning Glory (2010)
As the industry aged around her, Keaton didn’t fade into reverence or retreat. Instead, she embraced self-parody – and Morning Glory captures her at her most playfully self-aware.
In this newsroom comedy, she plays Colleen Peck, a former beauty queen turned jaded morning show co-host, paired with a gruff Harrison Ford under the management of a frazzled young producer (Rachel McAdams). The film may be about generational clashes in broadcast media, but Keaton steals every scene with her comedic timing and fearless physicality.
She sings, banters and performs slapstick stunts without vanity, reminding audiences that she never took herself too seriously. Beneath the humour, though, is an undercurrent of resilience – the same spark that made her early roles so magnetic. Morning Glory isn’t a prestige drama, but it’s a showcase for a veteran performer who knew exactly how to wink at her own legend.
Hampstead (2017)
Late in her career, Keaton found a niche in gentle, mature romantic comedies that paired her with unlikely leading men – from Jack Nicholson to Andy Garcia. Hampstead, a British film inspired by a true story, is one of the sweetest of these later outings.
She plays Emily, an American widow adrift in London’s genteel Hampstead Village, who discovers a hermit (Brendan Gleeson) living in a shack on nearby land. Their relationship, part friendship, part romance, unfolds slowly without cynicism.
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Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
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UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
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Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Scoreline
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The five pillars of Islam
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
Related
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
PSG's line up
GK: Alphonse Areola (youth academy)
Defence - RB: Dani Alves (free transfer); CB: Marquinhos (€31.4 million); CB: Thiago Silva (€42m); LB: Layvin Kurzawa (€23m)
Midfield - Angel di Maria (€47m); Adrien Rabiot (youth academy); Marco Verratti (€12m)
Forwards - Neymar (€222m); Edinson Cavani (€63m); Kylian Mbappe (initial: loan; to buy: €180m)
Total cost: €440.4m (€620.4m if Mbappe makes permanent move)
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
