But there was a surprise amongst the nominees this year... Diane Keaton for Worst Actress in Because I Said So. Could this be? Diane Keaton, an Oscar-winning actress who gave brilliant performances in Annie Hall, Looking for Mr. Goodbar and Marvin's Room, shined alongside Woody Allen in his early films and has had a successful film career well into her 60s, nominated for WORST actress?
2007 was not a good year for Keaton. Last year we got Because I Said So and Mama's Boy. Keaton has always had a unique appeal on the screen, but in the last year, terms such as "shrill" and "annoying" were being used to describe her performances. I admit I saw Because I Said So last year in theatres, only because my friends wanted to see it and nobody was interested in my film choices. It wasn't as bad as I expected, but it still sucked. Keaton should have known better -- when Mandy Moore is playing your daughter, you know your film is in trouble (what was the last good Mandy Moore film? Is there a good Mandy Moore film?).
I found Keaton's performance as Moore's overbearing mother overdone, and yes, shrill. The script was terrible, for sure, but her performance was overindulgent and she gave into her excesses at every opportunity. I know it's harder for actresses in their 60s to find good roles, but Keaton generally has good taste. She still looks fab, and she has has given some great performances in the past few years. How about 2003's Something's Gotta Give or 2005's underrated The Family Stone? So, perhaps this was a simple misstep in a mostly sparkling career.
However, 2008 is not looking much better. Keaton's latest movie, Mad Money, is bombing in theatres. I haven't seen it yet, but judging from the previews, it looks like a stinker.
I hope Keaton finds a role worthy of her talents. For a woman who has had such an impressive career, it's unfortunate that she finds herself amongst nominees like Lohan and Jessica Alba.
La-di-dah!
