In reflecting on the recent passing of Diane Keaton, I was struck with the range and breadth of her films, despite the reputation she had by some as an “airhead actress.” This class will be the opportunity to do an in-depth viewing of five films by Diane Keaton, looking at her films much as a “classic text” and examining her roles. We see what the critics say, but also draw our own conclusions seeing these films as a retrospective. The films will include her classics, Annie Hall (1977), Crimes of the Heart (1986), Baby Boom (1987), First Wives Club (1996) and either Something’s Gotta Give (2003) or And So It Goes (2014). Films will be found on streaming services. The film will address questions like: Why do we love Diane Keaton? What makes a great actress? What does an audience (or us) look for in a film anyways? What can we get out of watching old movies? The participants will be required to view the films the week before each week’s discussion. There may be some brief readings about Keaton’s life and works.

The format will be discussion of the film of the week.  Preparation time will be the time it takes to watch the film and read occasional articles.