Coming to the end of the year and remembering Diane Keaton’s singular presence in American film—an artist with that rare combination of intelligence, charm, and emotional honesty who could light up a screen without ever raising her voice. She starred in one of my favorite movies, “Reds.” That film has stayed with me for decades.
What grabbed me most was a deeply personal portrait of two journalists—John Reed and Louise Bryant—caught up in one of the most seismic political events of the modern era: the Russian Revolution. Diane played Louise with such urgency and conviction that you could almost feel the chaos of the world shifting around her. Warren Beatty matched her note for note as John, and yes, the real-life love affair between them added a spark you could never manufacture.
In the middle of all the turmoil, the crowds, the danger, the uncertainty, Reed and Bryant find each other again at a train station after being separated. That single encounter captured love, fear, relief, and the weight of history all in one shot.
Safe travels, Diane. And thank you—for that scene, that film, and everything you gave us.