It’s ironic that we think of romcoms when we think of the late, great Diane Keaton, who was single her entire life and once said of marriage: “I don’t think I had it in me.” The fact she was so convincing was part of her comedic brilliance.
We have a tendency to see dramatic actors as serious and professional, while writing off comic actors as lightweights. Nothing could be further from the truth. Comedy takes timing, wit, pathos, intelligence and open vulnerability. And no one personified that better than Keaton.
In the 1970s, she made her mark as an offbeat style icon with her kooky, neurotic characters and inspired young women to don hats, men’s ties and vests. What they really wanted was to be Keaton, an independent woman who didn’t hide her neurotic charm and electric spirit. She also shone in a few dramas, one of which was one of the most celebrated films of the 20th century. Decades later, Keaton reanimated fans with her portrayals of older women who wrote their own love stories — quite literally in the case of Something’s Gotta Give in 2003.
What better way to honor her than by keeping her joyful spirit alive through romance recommendations? Here are a few inspired by Keaton’s classic films. If you haven’t watched the original, treat yourself. Times have changed, but Keaton’s screen presence is eternal.
The Godfather and The Godfather Part II (1972 & 1974)
We generally don’t think of Keaton when we think of The Godfather, and although her part was small, it was also haunting. In the final scene, she confronts her husband, Michael Corleone, played by Al Pacino, and demands to know his involvement in a murder. Pacino denies any involvement, and as Keaton exits, the capos who committed the murder pass her to bend the knee before the new godfather.
Only a dark mafia romance will do here, and Run Posy Run by Cate C. Wells is the perfect book. The mafia boss Posy married just discovered her ugly past, and she has to get out before it’s too late. Too bad that Dario doesn’t let go of what is his. Now she must pit her analytical mind against his ruthless cunning. Will love be the winner?
Annie Hall (1977)
Keaton was already known for starring in Woody Allen’s comedies when she co-starred in this beloved classic about a neurotic New Yorker who falls in love with a kooky innocent from the Midwest. Throughout the film, Allen attempts to figure out where he went wrong in his relationship with Keaton using techniques that hilariously break the fourth wall. Keaton is a sort of gossamer presence, never really obtainable and yet endlessly lovable.
In the film, Allen rewrites their breakup and imagines a happier ending. For a romance with a similar flavor, including neurotic New Yorkers and an unusual format, you can’t go wrong with Attachments by Rainbow Rowell. As internet security officer, Lincoln has the unenviable job of going through employee emails. When he comes across the correspondence of two women, Beth and Jennifer, he finds himself drawn into their witty exchanges and personal stories. By the time he realizes he’s falling for Beth, it’s way too late to introduce himself. Or is it?
Father of the Bride (1991)
The original movie Father of the Bride (1950) starred Spencer Tracy and a radiant young Elizabeth Taylor and was as iconic for its time as the star-studded remake starring Keaton, Steve Martin, Martin Short, BD Wong, Kimberly Williams as the bride and a very young Kieran Culkin as the mischievous little brother. Keaton had the thankless role of Nina Banks, mother of the bride, and it took a mighty actress to act as ballast to the over-the-top zaniness personified by her male co-stars. In fact, when an interviewer asked who was sexier, Martin or Short, she quipped, “They’re both idiots.”
If Keaton as straight woman in the comedic sense seems unusual, she was about to enter her mother era both on film and in real life and gifted us with mothers of every texture and value in the years to come. Abigail and Alex Save the Wedding by Lian Dolan isn’t exactly a romance novel, but it perfectly evokes the spirit of Father of the Bride. After an unexpected turn of events, two very different mothers attempt to save their children’s wedding despite vastly different lifestyles and points of view. What could possibly go wrong?
Something’s Gotta Give (2003)
If you had to decide between Jack Nicholson and Keanu Reeves, who would you choose? Keaton plays a fabulously successful playwright with a home in the Hamptons. When her 20-something daughter brings Nicholson to the beach house for an intimate evening, Keaton and her sister, a college professor played by Frances McDormand, unexpectedly show up. Keaton and Nicholson immediately clash. He’s a record executive who only dates women under 30; she’s an independent woman who has made it on her own.
When Nicholson has a heart attack in Keaton’s house, she saves him. Once he’s released, his cardiologist, played by Keanu Reeves, recommends he stay in town for the next couple of weeks while he recovers, and Keaton offers her house. They make an unexpected connection and have a brief affair, after which he scampers off without looking back. Keaton is devastated, and between her bouts of bawling, writes a hit Broadway play. Reeves reveals that he has a crush on her and asks her out. When the play premieres, Nicholson is faced with a devastating comedic version of himself and must reconcile with how he has treated women. After apologizing to all the women he ever dated, he flies to Paris, where Reeves is about to propose to Keaton. How you feel about the ending has a lot to do with what you consider a happily ever after.
A perfect companion romance is Gray Hair Don’t Care by Karen Booth. (Does the hero on the cover bear a resemblance to Reeves, or is that just us?) When Lela finds herself divorced at 47, she reconnects with her college crush and, in a fit of daring, sleeps with him. Unfortunately, she reveals her feelings during a moment of pillow talk, and Donovan, who is allergic to feelings, skips out the minute she falls asleep. Three years later, Lela flaunts her gray and is the head of a beauty brand he’s forced to negotiate with as a marketing director. Now completely immune to his charm, Lela has Donovan longing for a second chance.
