All Of It – Remembering Diane Keaton’s Best Performances

Host: Alison Stewart
Guest: Maddie Whittle, Programmer at Film at Lincoln Center
Date: February 9, 2026

Overview

This episode of "All Of It" pays tribute to the legendary actress Diane Keaton, who passed away in October 2025. The discussion centers around her remarkable range, iconic roles, and the upcoming retrospective "Looking for Ms. Keaton" at Film at Lincoln Center. Host Alison Stewart and guest Maddie Whittle guide listeners through Keaton’s career, exploring both her on-screen versatility and her cultural impact. Listeners call in with personal anecdotes and favorite performances, highlighting the affection and respect Keaton inspired across generations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Diane Keaton's Legacy and the Lincoln Center Retrospective

[01:17–03:00, 07:57–10:46]

• Keaton’s career spanned five decades, beginning in New York theater, continuing through film, and garnering her major awards (Oscar, Emmy, Tony nomination).
• The Film at Lincoln Center retrospective “Looking for Ms. Keaton” (Feb 13–19) will screen her works from "The Godfather" and "Annie Hall" to later performances.
• Maddie Whittle highlights Keaton's ability to be “the moral center” of the Godfather films—her presence “forms the moral center of those films… even as a young person, it was legible.” (Maddie Whittle, 03:05)

Keaton's Range: Comedy, Drama, Vulnerability, and Strength

[03:00–05:07, 17:43–20:46]

• Keaton’s performances were consistently “imbued with complexity,” whether as the introspective Kay Corleone or the effervescent Annie Hall.
• Whittle observes that “it’s hard to even articulate technically what she’s doing… so organic and so lived in… so specific and fully inhabited.” (Maddie Whittle, 03:52)
• The remarkable fact that "Annie Hall" and "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" came out in the same year (1977) is cited as evidence of her ability to excel simultaneously in radically different genres.

Audience Memories and Personal Encounters

[05:07–08:18, 11:23–12:51]

• Listeners call in with touching stories, such as Martin from the Bronx, who encountered Keaton twice and was struck by her kindness and willingness to be photographed.
  • “She was so kind... Not at all [did she mind the photo], she stopped for a couple of minutes... How kind is that?” (Martin, 05:21)
• Peter from Manhattan reflects on Keaton’s “sense of the moment and of being alive... over a 50 year career” and Meryl Streep’s tribute: “you’ve given us so much pleasure.” (Peter, 06:28)
• Stephanie from Connecticut recommends Keaton’s narration of Joan Didion’s "Slouching Towards Bethlehem," particularly the essay “On Self Respect.” (Stephanie, 11:23)
• Scott from Huntington praises Keaton’s “brilliant comedic” timing, specifically mentioning "Love and Death":
  • “Can we stop talking about sex? It just cracks me up. And I will always smile when I think of Diane Keaton…” (Scott, 11:59)

Thematic Cohesion Across a Career

[08:18–10:46]

• Whittle identifies Keaton’s unique form of authorship, noting how “through it all Diane Keaton told a coherent story... thinking through the condition of womanhood in this second and third wave feminist moment.”
• Even historical roles (e.g., "Reds," "Mrs. Soffel") are seen as commentaries on contemporary womanhood.

Deep Dive: Notable Performances

“Looking for Mr. Goodbar” (1977)

[13:44–17:43]

• Whittle describes the role as one of Keaton’s most layered, calling her character “in many ways kind of an enigma, kind of a contradictory set of qualities. And yet she coheres through Keaton’s performance.” (Maddie Whittle, 15:44)
• The film’s darkness and complexity are noted as pushing boundaries for depictions of women’s sexual autonomy.
• Clip features a heated, assertive moment:
  • “I am my own girl. I belong to me. Now get out of here.” (Diane Keaton as Theresa, 17:11)

“Shoot the Moon” (1981)

[20:46–24:03]

• Whittle calls Keaton’s role “incredibly subtle and vivid.”
  • “What really grabbed me… is just this sort of brutal honesty… you get to go along with her character on the highs and lows of being liberated from a bad marriage, but also having love for her husband and concern for her children…” (Maddie Whittle, 21:07)
• The performance is praised for its emotional breadth—liberation, grief, anger, and resilience.
• Clip: An emotionally charged argument with Albert Finney highlights the authentic, lived-in dynamics of Keaton’s characters.

“Crimes of the Heart” (1986)

[24:29–26:33]

• Keaton plays one of three sisters, alongside Jessica Lange and Sissy Spacek, in a film adaptation of Beth Henley’s play.
• Whittle credits Keaton’s theater background for the “immediacy” and live-wire unpredictability in her acting.
  • “There’s a quality to her screen acting that sort of approximates this feeling of watching someone in the room with you…” (Maddie Whittle, 24:55)
• The chemistry with her co-stars is described as “electricity... that I can only describe as theatrical.”

“Something’s Gotta Give” (2003)

[26:33–29:36]

• Keaton becomes an emblem for women entering a new life stage:
  • “She’s gorgeous in that film, too... a poster child for a generation of women entering a new stage of life, still having desires, having dreams, having a life force...” (Maddie Whittle, 27:02)
• The white turtleneck sweater scene with Jack Nicholson is described as “the visual impact” of the film’s zeitgeist status.
• Clip: Keaton and Nicholson’s banter exemplifies her blend of humor, vulnerability, and authenticity:
  • “I’ve never been the dumb girl before. It ain’t so great.” (Keaton as Erica, 29:10)
  • “Truth doesn’t have versions.” (Keaton, 29:34)

Keaton’s Enduring Influence

[29:36–30:18]

• Maddie Whittle names “Shoot the Moon” and “Looking for Mr. Goodbar” as her favorite performances, noting the ongoing “magic” Keaton brought to her roles.
• Alison Stewart and Whittle reflect on Keaton's lasting resonance with audiences:
  • “She comes across as a woman—A woman I know.” (Maddie Whittle, about “Shoot the Moon,” 23:35)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Maddie Whittle on Keaton’s Godfather role:
  “Her performances are imbued with this complexity, even on a small scale… She really forms the moral center of those films.” (03:05)
• Martin, caller:
  “She didn’t care. She was so kind… How kind is that?” (05:21)
• Peter, caller, quoting Meryl Streep:
  “You’ve given us so much pleasure. And I think that is the highest compliment you can pay to any public figure, especially an actress with her extreme artistry.” (06:41)
• Stephanie, caller:
  “She actually narrated Joan Didion’s book… Particularly special, especially my favorite, the essay on self-respect.” (11:23)
• Maddie Whittle on Keaton’s method:
  “There’s a quality to her screen acting that sort of approximates this feeling of watching someone in the room with you… could read the same line a hundred times and would always… find something new in that line.” (24:55)
• On “Something’s Gotta Give”:
  “She’s absolutely gorgeous… She really… was a poster child for a generation of women entering a new stage of life…” (27:02)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Keaton’s Early Career & Retrospective Intro: [01:17–03:00]
• Complexity of Keaton’s Performances: [03:00–05:07]
• Caller Stories – Community Reflections: [05:07–08:18]
• Actor as Author—Keaton’s Cohesive Career Narrative: [08:18–10:46]
• “Looking for Mr. Goodbar” Insight & Clip: [13:44–17:43]
• Comedy vs. Drama—Range in 1977: [17:43–20:46]
• “Shoot the Moon” Analysis & Clip: [20:46–24:03]
• Theatrical Roots & “Crimes of the Heart”: [24:29–26:33]
• “Something’s Gotta Give” and Later Work: [26:33–29:36]
• Wrap-Up—Favorite Performances: [29:36–30:18]

Conclusion

This episode stands as an affectionate, multidimensional look back at the artistry and humanity of Diane Keaton, amplified by personal stories, sharp analysis, and a celebration of her indelible style and range. The impact of her work on screen and off, and the ways she modeled vulnerability, strength, complexity, and wit, made her not just a performer—but a cultural touchstone for generations.