Bronwen K. Bradshaw, Arts & Entertainment Editor  

On October 11, 2025, Oscar-winning actress and fashion icon, Diane Keaton, passed away at the age of 79. From Annie Hall to Something’s Gotta Give, Keaton was a trailblazer in cinema, with her quirky personality and comedic spunk. Keaton made herself into a household name over her long-standing career.  

One of my favorite films of Keaton’s has always been The First Wives Club—the 1996 film stars Keaton, as well as Goldie Hawn and Bette Midler. The film is about three college friends reuniting after the death of their friend. As the three friends catch up, they all realize that their husbands have left them for younger women, and thus, justice ensues. Due to Keaton’s passing, I decided to rewatch The First Wives Club and see how the ‘90s film holds up today. 

The film begins with four friends in college, toasting to their friendship and their lives. The scene cuts to Cynthia (Stockard Channing) crying in her home. She decides to jump off the balcony of her penthouse after reading that her ex-husband is engaged to a younger woman.  

The film continues, showcasing the lives of Brenda (Bette Midler), a single mom; Elise (Goldie Hawn), a famous actress and producer; and Annie (Diane Keaton), who is separated from her husband. The news hits that Cynthia is dead, revealing the gut-punch reactions of the three women.  

At the funeral, Keaton’s character Annie spots her friends Brenda and Elise. The women grab lunch and drinks, discussing their lives after college up to the present. At first, the women are surface level with their remarks. When discussing Cynthia’s death, Elise projects her understanding of the situation, with Brenda and Elise affirming that the same thing has happened to them: their husbands have left them for other women.  

This scene is probably one of my favorites in the film. They are chatting, drinking, and laughing with each other even though they are discontented with their lives and relationships. The sense of womanhood is vibrant in this scene, even when the women unintentionally come after each other with a joke. The discussion is heartfelt and establishes the three women as a group, each with differing personalities that make each woman stand out as a character.  

Through the rest of the film, the women work together to fight against the men who broke their hearts. Brenda finds out her ex-husband, Morty, is a crook and has been using stolen merchandise to stock his store. Elise begins removing all the possessions she bestowed on her ex-husband, including his entire office furniture and his Lamborghini, liquidating the assets to split between them. Annie and the three women meet Annie’s daughter at a lesbian nightclub, where Annie employs her daughter to help with their plan to take down Aaron. 

As the women progress with their plan, the three of them realize that the plan is bigger than them, wanting to broaden their plan to help other women facing injustice. Elise owns a building downtown, and the women begin construction of a women’s crisis center, dedicated to their late friend Cynthia. The film ends with a triumphant rendition of “You Don’t Own Me” by Lesley Gore. The women are dressed in chic white outfits and dance down the street, arm in arm.  I love that the film didn’t end with the simple “revenge on the ex-husbands”; it made it something more—a big accomplishment: a center to help all women. It shows that women’s togetherness is abundant and showcases the brilliance of women supporting each other. 

After watching this film again after many years, the film still holds up as a comedy-gold, enriching film that puts women at the center. Keaton’s portrayal of Annie was remarkable, showing the progression of Annie’s confidence from the beginning to the end of the film. She is funny and bright and lights up the screen with her signature smile.  

In an interview with Andy Cohen, Bette Midler reminisced on her time with Keaton on the set of First Wives Club, stating, “And I’ve seen a lot of people come close, but nobody has ever done the true spirit that [Keaton] used. It was just— she’s an extraordinary, extraordinary personality.”  

Goldie Hawn also remarked on Keaton’s passing in an Instagram message. Hawn described how blessed she was to work on The First Wives Club with Keaton. “You’ve left us with a trail of fairy dust, filled with particles of light and memories beyond imagination,” Hawn said.  

Indeed, there will never be another Diane Keaton, but her magic lives on in The First Wives Club and her many glorious films that fans will watch and remember for many years to come.