By Andreas Kessaris for Curtains Up!
“I’m a performer who chose my profession because I wanted to be loved by large groups of people. This sort of choice-actually, more an impulse than a choice-has led me here, right where I am today.”
-Diane Keaton (from Let’s Just Say it Wasn’t Pretty)
Few people in the entertainment industry have enjoyed the storied career of Diane Keaton. She had the good fortune of being in ‘70’s and ‘80’s Hollywood cinematic classic like The Godfather trilogy, Manhattan, Reds, and who can forget the iconic title character in Woody Allen’s Annie Hall, which earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress, (or my personal favorite, her role as Sonja in Love and Death…great comedic performances are all too often overlooked). Since that time Keaton has also become the model of a modern, independent woman. She discusses her views on life as an actress, businesswoman, and single mother of two adopted children in her latest book, Let’s Just Say it Wasn’t Pretty.
I never read her first effort, the bestselling memoir Then Again, so I was not sure what to expect. It received good notices and was named one of the ten best non-fiction books of the year by The New York Times, so I had a feeling she would be a good writer, but I was pleasantly surprised at just how good she is, (although at one point Keaton does use the phrase “awe-inspiring”…what kind of thoughtless editor would allow her do that?). Let’s Just Say it Wasn’t Pretty is not a traditional autobiography, but rather more like an existentialist rant with biographic elements and interesting anecdotes.
Keaton examines her opinions on beauty, both male and female, (I was taken aback by how insecure she is about her own appearance, especially for someone who was in serious relationship with Warren Beatty in his prime), and reflects on her life and experiences. And she has original things to say. The result is ultimately thoughtful, engaging, and refreshingly insightful and intelligent. Her stream of consciousness writing style is smooth and seamless and her maturity, sensibility, and down-to-earth manner make her likable and accessible. Good job!
Reading Let’s Just Say it Wasn’t Pretty I was reminded of two other books I had recently reviewed: Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson and I Don’t Know What You Know Me From by Judy Greer. The former was everything the latter two should have been. Lawson and Greer would be wise to study the smart and observant Keaton for a lesson on how it’s done.
