Woody Allen Essay Reveals Deep Creative Reliance on Diane Keaton,Amidst Ongoing Controversy
A newly surfaced essay by Woody Allen details a decades-long creative partnership and personal connection with Diane keaton,revealing he once crafted films solely for her approval and deeply valued her artistic judgment. The piece, recently published, offers a rare glimpse into Allen’s creative process and his admiration for Keaton’s diverse talents, while together resurfacing the complex backdrop of his controversial personal life and Keaton’s public defense of him.
Allen revealed he transitioned to making “movies for an audience of one, Diane Keaton,” adding, “I never read a single review of my work and cared only what Keaton had to say about it.” He lauded Keaton’s skills extending beyond acting, citing her work as a writer, photographer, collage artist, home decorator, and director. He specifically recalled her uncompromising aesthetic sensibility, noting she would critique even shakespeare if she believed he “gone wrong.”
The essay includes anecdotes, such as a Thanksgiving spent at Keaton’s Orange County home where Allen reportedly won 80 cents playing penny poker with her family. Allen described Keaton’s evolution from “a beautiful yokel” to an “award-winning actress and sophisticated fashion icon,” acknowledging their relationship eventually ended, attributing the reasons to mysteries “only God and freud might be able to figure out.” He concluded by stating, “A few days ago the world was a place that included Diane Keaton. Now it’s a world that does not. Hence, it’s a drearier world. Still, there are her movies. and her great laugh still echoes in my head.”
Keaton starred in eight of Allen’s 50 films, including “Annie hall,” “Manhattan,” and “Radio Days.”
The revelation of Allen’s reliance on Keaton’s opinion arrives amidst ongoing scrutiny stemming from his relationship with Soon-Yi Previn, the adopted daughter of his former partner Mia Farrow. Allen and Previn have been married for over two decades, their relationship beginning while Allen was still with Farrow. During a subsequent custody battle, Farrow alleged inappropriate behavior by Allen towards their daughter Dylan Farrow – allegations Allen has consistently denied.
These accusations resurfaced during the #MeToo movement, prompting Keaton to publicly defend Allen on social media. ”Woody Allen is my friend and I continue to believe him,” Keaton wrote, suggesting viewers review a 1992 “60 Minutes” interview.
In 2017, Allen presented Keaton with the AFI Life Achievement Award, stating, ”The minute I met her, she was a great, great inspiration to me. Much of what I’ve accomplished in my life I owe, without a doubt, to her. seeing life through her eyes. She really is amazing. This is a woman who is great at everything she does.”
