.+.ADOPTING WAS THE SMARTEST THING I'VE EVER DONE.+.
Article By Merle Ginsberg
Photographs by Firooz Zahedi
Ladies' Home Journal - January 2004

COVER

 
Diane Keaton has dazzled for decades in roles that have captured women's shifting place in the world.  Here, the Oscar winner talks about her new comedy and why being a mom is now her top priority.

Diane Keaton is endearingly oblivious to many things:  the weather, the time, the sun beating down on another day in Los Angeles' eternal autumn heat wave- but then, who'd expect her to be otherwise?  The Los Angeles-born actress, who will be 58 this month, has built a prosperous career out of the Annie Hall persona Woody Allen cast her in 27 years ago:  neurotic, funny, flaky, and rainy, all with bohemian flare.  Even offscreen, she's got on another one of her Keatonesque "Outfits" with a capital "O":  a black wool jacket buttoned to the throat, black jodhpurs, a black pleated wool skirt, a tan wool cloche and signature wire-rim glasses.  To call it 'the layered look' wouldn't begin to do it justice, particularly piled on her still-svelte frame, and no one gets teh humor of this better than Keaton, especially on a 95-degree day.

"I've always been a fashion victim," she says, laughing, which she does frequently, and often at herself.  "I'm an addict to beautiful things.  It's a form of self-expression, the fashion thing.  It's very personal, very deep.  Besides, I'm always cold.  I think I have cold blood, like a snake," she says, as she slips into a corner booth at The Polo Lounge in The Beverly Hills Hotel- a spot she particularly loves.  She poses a question that could also be asked of the historic restaurant we're in:  "Why should I change now?" and then orders the famous McCarthy salad with shrimp instead of chicken, to suit her semi-vegetarian diet.

While her acting track record is impressive by any Hollywood measure- she has starred in movie classics from The Godfather to Reds- Keaton's creative energies have exploded in recent years.  She has directed movies including Unstrung Heroes and Hanging Up, and she recently executive produced Gus Van Sant's pseudo-documentary about a high school shooting, Elephant, which won the top award at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival.  Still, she remains humble, even self-deprecating.  I'm constantly amazed that people like Meryl Streep, Leo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro or Jack Nicholson want to work with me," she says, nibbling on flat bread.  "What do they see in me?"

Writer and director Nancy Meyers, who has worked with Keaton on four films, obviously sees lots of very good things.  Meyers worked with Keaton on Baby Boom, then on the two Father of the Bride movies, and most recently on Something's Gotta Give- Columbia Pictures' big, Christmas-season box-office romance.  In it, Keaton stars as a middle-age, divorced, critically acclaimed playwright who has a love affair with her onscreen daughter's much older boyfriend- played by Nicholson, a notorious chaser of young women, onscreen and in life.

Q:  When Nancy Meyers wrote this movie, she had you and Jack Nicholson in mind for the lead roles.  Do you think she was toying with your real-life images?

A:  Oh, you mean Jack as a womanizer and me as neurotic and uptight?  Yeah, I would say that could be true.

Q:  The intensity of the sex scene between you and Nicholson is going to incite a whole lot of discussion.

A:  Yes, it's nice to see a good middle-age, healthy sex scene.  Let's face it, people my age and Jack's age are much deeper, much more soulful, because they've seen a lot of life.  They have a great deal of passion and hope- why shouldn't they fall in love?  Why shouldn't movies show that?  It's so uplifting and real.  There are so many people with rich inner lives out there and it's great to see them onscreen as they are in real life, fully alive and passionate and hot.

Q:  You met Nicholson when you were involved with Warren Beatty in the early 80s, and worked together on Reds in 1981.  Had the two of you stayed on contact?

A:  I hadn't seen Jack in about 20 years.  I wondered what he would be like now.  He's become such a big star, an icon, really.  I had a lot of fear about it.  But I have a policy about fear:  It cripples the soul, so you just have to fight it.  Now that I did this movie with him, I will always love Jack Nicholson.  I mean, we had to kiss for like, hours!  One day on the set we were just kissing and kissing till we were sore!  I'm glad it was with him- Jack's so comfortable with sex and with himself, he made me more comfortable.  We had a lot of laughs.

Q:  You've had the opportunity to do love scenes with a lot of great guys.

A:  Mel Gibson was one of the greatest.  When we were shooting Mrs. Soffel, and he played my lover, I was in heaven!  I loved looking at Mel's face.  It was so beautiful, it was kind of hard to believe.  That face, saying such wonderful things to me, it was really the perfect way to have an affair with Mel Gibson.  In real life it would have been more complicated.  This way, it was just a pure love situation.  I love having the opportunities to be in these perfect love stories.

Q:  There's a moment in Something's Gotta Give when Nicholson's character sees you naked in your bedroom doorway.  Was that a body double or was that really you?

A:  Yes!  That's really me, naked.

Q:  How long were you there naked?

A:  Not long.  We just had to scream and yell back and forth at each other.  It was like E.T. and the kid- Drew Barrymore.  That's one of my favorite movie scenes.

Q:  Were you nervous about doing it?

A:  It wasn't fun to do, but who cares at this point?  It's such a done deal.  I wouldn't do a nude scene in Hair in 1968, and it was a big drama.  But then I did do it for Looking for Mr. Goodbar in 1977, because the material really did demand it.  In Something's Gotta Give, the nudity was in the service of a joke, a joke on me, so I couldn't take it too seriously!  It was a no-brainer.  I probably should have dieted or gotten a trainer or something for it, but I just didn't care that much.  you spend so much time when you're young looking in the mirror, it's just not productive, and I won't let myself do it anymore.

Q:  Today's actresses can't seem to wait to take their clothes off.  What do you think of that?

A:  Everyone needs to do what's right for them.  It just didn't feel right to me when I was young.  If a young girl is confident, well she's got more nerve than I did at that age.

Q:  Like Britney Spears?

A:  I have no beef with Britney Spears.  She's a cute girl, a good dancer, and not a bad singer.  I think her records are kind of cute.  It's just that when she starts talking about politics that I get a little concerned.  I'm political- a lifelong Democrat- and I believe this country is all about everyone voicing their opinions and having no fear of speaking out, but I also think you should be educated on the big subjects.

Q:  It seems like you had great chemistry with France McDormand, who plays your sister in Something's Gotta Give.

A:  Isn't she hilarious?  I love Frances.  She's so right on the money.  She's so unflinchingly honest- in her work, in her life- she has no fear.

Q:  You have two very handsome men in love with you in this movie- Nicholson and Keanu Reeves.  And you looked very hot in a slinky black dress for your movie date with Reeves!

A:  Hot, huh? [laughing]  I just don't see it.  But I did like that dress!  Keanu is such a sweetheart.  He's still so sweet and shy and humble.  I'm so glad he got this part; he gets to show a whole different side of himself in this movie, a very charming, light side.  He could be the next Hugh Grant after this role.  Can you imagine a guy like that asking me out?

Q:  Come on, you mean you've never been involved with a younger man?

A:  Me?  No, never was.  Not my thing.  I'm way too self-conscious for that.  Besides, I've always liked men my own age- or older- men whom I could look up to and respect.  

Q:  You've often said that the thing you don't like about being an actress is having to be picked- or chosen.

A:  Yes, I do hate that.  It makes me feel so vulnerable.  I always thought actresses who are beautiful must have more choices.  But then I read that Michelle Pfeiffer and Julia Roberts- true beauties- feel that they haven't always had that much control over their careers either.  I'm sure beauty like that brings its own set of problems.  I've always felt fairly plain.

Q:  You might see yourself that way, but you've been with some amazing men.

A:  Yeah, that's true.  But no more.  I'm done.  Older relationships are harder; there are so many more complications.  And in m family, we make it even more complicated because we put up walls.  You reach a certain point in your life when it's about other things.  So, now I'm staying away from love stories- except in the movies.

Q:  Speaking of past loves, what do you think of the possibility that Woody Allen might be writing a big tell-all book- for quite a hefty sum?

A:  It doesn't concern me.  The romantic part of our relationship is ancient history.  We've been friends for 20 years.  I wouldn't have had the career I've had without Woody Allen helping me find my humor.  I thought I was going to be a musical actress- I'm not really that funny.  I can't tell a joke.  Woody would write jokes for me and they'd fall flat.  He'd watch and say, "Okay, you can't tell a joke.  I'll rewrite that."  So he wrote funny situations for me instead, and they suited me.  He's so smart; so much smarter than you'd ever even think he is.

Q:  It must have felt good to stand up for him during the Soon-Yi, Mia Farrow affair.

A:  Look, no one needs to stand up for Woody Allen.  He's a much stronger person than the characters he portrays in movies.  He can take care of himself.  All I said was that he has been a true and honest friend for 20 years.

Q:  Now, you've said you're rampantly against plastic surgery- but you've also said you always change your mind about everything.  Have you changed your mind yet?

A:  No.  Wish I could.  I'm stick in this idea that I need to be. . .authentic.  That's just who I am.  My face needs to look the way I feel.  I'm not going to be negative about women or men who've had plastic surgery- whatever works for them.  It's a personal choice.  I'm sure it's very empowering for some women who do it.  For me, it's the opposite- I would feel like it took some experience away.

Q:  Just before you turned 50, you decided to adopt a little girl [Dexter, now 8] and be a single mom.  What prompted that?

A:  I had been very ambitious when I was younger.  I was a workaholic.  I had a number of good relationships with me, but when I didn't et married, I started to think, Okay, this isn't going to happen for me.  Then when my father died in 1990, I realized how important my family has been to me.  Going through life with people who are close to you enriches the experience.  It takes you out of yourself; it allows you to live without self-consciousness and improves the quality of your life.  Just focusing on yourself can be really destructive and empty.  A shared personal history is a treasure no one should go through life without.

Adopting was the smartest thing I've ever done.  I adore being a mom.  I know it's probably easier for me than many other single mothers.  I can afford help and can usually bring my kids to the set with me.  I'm very lucky that way.

Q:  A few years after adopting your daugther, you decided to adopt a little boy [Duke, now 2].  How has parenting a boy changed you?

A:  It's definitely changed the way I look at grown men!  He's totally vulnerable and affectionate and sweet.  But the main reason I did it is because I wanted Dexter to have a sibling.  I new it would improve the quality of her life.  My siblings are so important to me; they've had a larger effect on me than anybody else.  I don't know how I would have gotten through life without my sisters.

Q:  What do you think you will tell Dexter about boys and dating when she gets a little older?

A:  I'll tell her to like who she is with a man, instead of it being all about getting- or even giving.  It's about liking who is is when she's with him.  I think that's pretty profound.

Q:  You seem to have really come into yourself in your 50s- diversifying your career, adopting- and also to a great place of self-acceptance.  You were so critical of yourself when you were younger.

A:  Warren Beatty always told me I'd be a late bloomer.  He was right, I guess.  I was much more shy when I was younger.  There are a few good things about getting older.  I'm Capricorn, the Goat; we just keep climbing slowly uphill.  That doesn't sound too exciting when you're younger, but it's working for me now.

Q:  Do you think it's that we're just easier on ourselves as we get older?

A:  It's important to forgive yourself for your transgressions.  I realized a couple of years ago that I had to give myself permission to be impractical.  I was born that way, and that's the way it is.  There are worse things to be.  Impracticality is better than being mean or rude or violent or unhinged.

Q:  I think this age really comes you, and your career is just getting richer and richer.

A:  Nobody is more surprised than I am about the good roles I'm getting!  There are thousands of actors and only a handful work all the time.  Susan Sarandon and Meryl and Goldie and Bette all seem to work a fair amount.  Being a movie star is a rare job.  Nobody gives you any guarantees that you'll get to do it forever.  It's a very lucky and privileged position to be in.

Q:  Does your history inspire you as much as your future?

A:  I love visiting my mother and poring over her old scrapbooks filled with memories and tidbits.  Memories inspire me.  I love to look over the pages of a life and see all the wonderful moments.  You've got to make the most of every one.  you realize that so much when you get older.  I want to be a doer.  I've done a lot of thinking in my life and I've probably thought, well, way too much.  Too much thinking can turn negative on you.  Why concentrate on yourself so much?  That's a young person's game.  I don't want to spend that much time in the mirror- literally or figuratively.

THE END