Academy Award winner Diane Keaton is an acting institution. With a career spanning over fifty years, Keaton has starred in many iconic movies, from revered trilogies like The Godfather to beloved rom-coms like Something's Gotta Give. Versatile and reliable, Keaton always delivers entertaining and compelling performances, no matter the genre.
The actress is back on the big screen with Book Club: The Next Chapter, proving she is still among audiences' favorite performers. And while not all her projects are as acclaimed as others, many have received critical acclaim, as evidenced by their high scores on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
10 'Radio Days' (1987)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%
The 1987 dramedy Radio Days is a love letter to the 1930s-1940s golden age of radio. The film features several vignettes to paint a vivid and nostalgic portrayal of the time, using a working-class family from New York to frame the story. Radio Days features a large ensemble, with Keaton playing a small role as a New Year's singer.
A bittersweet love letter to the last days of radio, Radio Days is a funny but emotional trip to the past. With a seemingly endless parade of familiar faces and a sweet story about those precious golden days, Radio Days is an elaborate and rewarding look at an industry that most people can often take for granted.
9 'Manhattan Murder Mystery' (1993)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
The black comedy mystery film Manhattan Murder Mystery brought Keaton together with Alan Alda and Anjelica Huston. The story follows a married couple investigating their neighbor's death, who they believe was killed by her husband.
Safe but reliably funny, Manhattan Murder Mystery is among the most underrated mystery movies from the 90s and a perfect showcase for Keaton's comedic gifts. The actress is at her ditziest and most engaging, delivering a performance that earned her a Golden Globe nomination in 1994. And while the plot is nothing new and the mystery is far from surprising, Keaton and the rest of the cast keep things fresh and entertaining.
8 'Manhattan' (1979)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
Manhattan is among the most celebrated but controversial films of the 1970s. The story centers on a twice-divorced forty-two-year-old writer dating a seventeen-year-old high school student. However, things go south when he falls for his best friend's mistress, played by Keaton.
Poignant but questionable, Manhattan is another portrayal of middle age from one of cinema's ultimate neurotics. The film provides Keaton with one of her most selfish yet insecure characters, the ever-changing and aloof Mary. Manhattan is a weird and somewhat uncomfortable film, especially under the modern eye, although it has several interesting and thoughtful things to say about love and relationships.
7 'Finding Dory' (2016)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
Ellen DeGeneres reprises her most iconic role in the 2016 Pixar sequel Finding Dory. The story follows Dory as she goes on a dangerous journey to find her long-lost parents. Keaton voices her mother, Jenny, opposite the hilarious Eugene Levy as her husband, Charlie.
Praised for its thoughtful message, Finding Dory was a smashing critical and commercial success. The film is a loving exploration of family, enhanced by beautiful animation and a stellar voice cast. However, it never stops being funny, with DeGeneres, Levy, and Keaton doing some of their best work and proving why they are among cinema's funniest comedians.
6 'The Godfather Part II' (1974)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
Following the spectacular success of the first film, Francis Ford Coppola and Al Pacino returned for The Godfather Part II, with Keaton reprising her role as Kay Adams. The film follows two storylines: one centering on Michael's struggles to lead the Corleone family following an attempt on his life, and the other set in the past and chronicling Vito's rise to power.
Kay has a more active role in Part II compared to the original. As Michael becomes more ruthless, Kay realizes she might've made a mistake in marrying him. The role is supporting but meaningful and crucial to Michael's journey, with Keaton delivering a compelling portrayal of fear and regret.
5 'The Godfather' (1972)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
Keaton had her first major role in Coppola's 1972's masterpiece The Godfather. Set throughout a ten-year period, the film revolves around Vito Corleone, the head of a powerful Italian-American crime family, and his younger son, Michael, whose reluctant transformation from unwilling participant to ruthless mob boss provides much of the film's narrative. Keaton plays Kay Adams, Michael's second wife and mother to his children.
The Godfather is a cinematic triumph, widely considered by many as one of the all-time best crime movies. Keaton plays a supporting but pivotal role, acting as Michael's last connection with his former life before fully entering the Corleone business. Kay is a fascinating character, experiencing the Corleones' dealings from the outside, thus acting as a stand-in for the audience.
4 'Play It Again, Sam' (1972)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
Based on the eponymous 1969 play, Play It Again, Sam is a classic story of love and neurosis. The film centers on recently-divorced film critic Allan Felix, who clumsily adopts Humphrey Bogart's persona in the timeless romance Casablanca in a misguided attempt to connect with women. However, things get complicated when he develops feelings for his married friend Linda, played by Keaton.
Play It Again, Sam is both a love letter to Casablanca and an exploration of the male ego; Allan even sees visions of Humphrey Bogart as he attempts to deal with his growing feelings for Linda. A classic romantic comedy, Play It Again, Sam is a sweet film about the many complications of love and relationships.
3 'Annie Hall' (1976)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
Annie Hall is possibly Keaton's most iconic film. The actress plays the titular character, written specifically for her, in a story about a neurotic comedian trying to rationalize his breakup with the quirky and free-spirited Annie Hall.
Widely considered one of the all-time best movies and a seminal, game-changing entry into the comedy genre, Annie Hall is a cinematic institution. The film won Keaton the Oscar for Best Actress, with the role of Annie Hall becoming among the most iconic in American cinema. Keaton is the spark that keeps Annie Hall alive; the screenplay is brilliant, and Keaton is the perfect companion, crafting an unforgettable and layered portrayal of neurosis and aloofness that has stood the test of time.
2 'Sleeper' (1973)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Science fiction and slapstick meet in the 1973 wacky comedy Sleeper. The plot concerns Miles Monroe, a store owner frozen in 1973 and awakened 200 years later in a dystopian world ruled by an incompetent police state. Keaton plays Luna Schlosser, a woman who falls for Miles and seeks a rebellious resistance group after he is captured.
Endlessly funny and ridiculous, Sleeper is the rare dystopian movie that's actually quite funny. The plot is fast-paced and slightly absurd, a love letter to the slapstick style of Chaplin and Keaton enhanced by a pair of committed leading performances. Like many of Keaton's other roles, Luna is free and open-minded; however, there's a sense of hedonism involved, with Keaton delivering one of her most carefree performances.
1 'Love and Death' (1975)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Keaton stars in Love and Death, a satire of Russian literature, playing Sonja, who, along with Boris, engages in elaborate philosophical debates. The two then become embroiled in a complicated patriotic scheme during the Napoleonic era.
Love and Death is among the best comedy films of the 1970s, not to mention the funniest. Keaton is in her element, with a screenplay that plays to her strengths as a comedian and performer. Love and Death might not be among her most famous films, but it should be; it's a clever and hilarious satire that will have audiences in stitches.