FemaleFirst Exclusive with Diane Keaton

13-12-2005 00:00

Diane Keaton, 59, plays Sybil Stone, the strong mother to five grown-up children in The Family Stone. (note: UK release, December 16th, 2005).Keaton did not become a mother herself until she was 50. She adopted daughter Dexter in 1996 and son, Duke, in 2001. She reports that she had been far too busy on her successful 35-year acting career.Keaton enjoyed the height of fame in the 1970;s when she became the biggest female name in Hollywood. She was part of The Godfather film legend, with her role as Kay Adams, sucked in to the Corleone family. But a personal relationship with director and writer, Woody Allen, shaped her future. He wrote the 1977 hit film Annie Hall especially for her - and it won her an Oscar for best actress. In The Family Stone, Keaton's character welcomes her visiting family back to the house at Christmas. But there is an undercurrent of tension, as she is covering up a secret illness. Her eldest son (Dermot Mulroney) also has a high-powered, controlling new girlfriend (Sarah Jessica Parker) and the usual peaceful holiday is much disrupted.The film, a bittersweet comedy, is about the quirks and problems of family life. Diane Keaton gives her verdict on the new movie, her own family life and the latest gossip about a supposed affair with 41 year-old actor Keanu Reeves.

Do you like your character in The Family Stone?
I admire her. She lived her life and she loved her life and I see nothing wrong with that. At the same time she had five children, which is something everyone should admire. She is a fun women who doesn't know when to shut up and likes to stir. She has had an incredible life as a mother, which is a part of her character I was drawn to. I have two children and I know how tough motherhood can be.What do you find most difficult about motherhood?
The idea of letting go. It takes a tremendous amount of grace to let your children go. You know you have to do it, but when the time comes I know I will find it such a struggle. You just want the ability to watch over them all the time, but that's not healthy, so you let them make their mistakes.

Did this movie make you think about your own mother?
At this point in my life I do think about my mother a great deal. She is 84 and I love her dearly. I feel so differently about her now I am an adult and have children of my own. I think when you are growing up you see your parents as people who are there to look after you and help you achieve your goals. Now I have grown up I don't just think of her as a mother, but as a person full of vitality. I think about who she was before I was around and what she wanted from life.You adopted both of your children. How did it feel becoming a mother so suddenly - and at such a mature age?
When I adopted I immediately had to change as a person and become more giving. It made me realise very quickly that I was completely self involved. I am an actress after all! I didn't have anyone to tell me how well I was doing, or if I was doing it right, which I was used to. I just wanted to say, how am I doing? Do they like me? I was like Sally Field at the Academy Awards, (Field won a best actress Oscar in 1984 for Places in the Heart). Do you remember her saying:' You like me, you really like me'. Poor Sally, but I know how she feels. We do all want to be liked.

A lot of the movie takes place in the family home. What do you think of your character's taste in furnishings?
I hated it. I thought It was a big, fat mess. There was so much clutter, like she could not stand to throw anything away. It was as though everything in her life was treasured, which is sweet in a way. I have no interest in living that way. You have to let go of things my opinion.

What is your home like?
I'm renting at the moment because I recently sold my place, so I am constantly house hunting. I love the Spanish colonial architecture in southern California. I am a true Californian, born and raised. Whenever I was away I always looked forward to coming home. You can be in the desert or the snow there, it is so diverse. I always buy old houses and do them up, I think they have more character. I feel as though I am saving them.