`FAMILY' MATTERS DIANE KEATON AS A MOTHER-IN-LAW? YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED.Byline: Glenn Whipp Film Writer Diane Keaton knows a thing or two about close-knit families, having grown up in one herself, so it wasn't much of a stretch for her to play the mother in the new home-for-the-holidays comedy, ``The Family Stone.'' Keaton took her role seriously, going so far as to fix Sarah Jessica Parker with a few death-ray stares during filming. Parker plays the tightly wound outsider who's engaged to Keaton's golden-boy first-born son (Dermot Mulroney Dermot Mulroney (born October 31, 1963) is an American actor. Biography Early life Mulroney was born in Alexandria, Virginia to Ellen, a housewife and amateur actress originally from Manchester, Iowa, and Michael Mulroney, a law professor at Villanova ). ``She kept Sarah Jessica on her toes,'' writer-director Tom Bezucha says. ``In fact, that's probably putting it lightly. I think there were times Diane just plain scared and intimidated in·tim·i·date tr.v. in·tim·i·dat·ed, in·tim·i·dat·ing, in·tim·i·dates 1. To make timid; fill with fear. 2. To coerce or inhibit by or as if by threats. her - all in the service of the movie, of course.'' Bezucha, 41, had always envisioned Keaton in the role, partly because he has always adored a·dore v. a·dored, a·dor·ing, a·dores v.tr. 1. To worship as God or a god. 2. To regard with deep, often rapturous love. See Synonyms at revere1. 3. the actress, who will turn 60 in three weeks. Before he became a filmmaker, Bezucha wanted Keaton to be a spokeswoman for his fledgling clothing business. He never did meet her. ``It took 20 years, but I finally did get to dress her,'' Bezucha says, smiling. Here, Keaton talks about her siblings siblings npl (formal) → frères et sœurs mpl (de mêmes parents) , a few of her favorite (Christmas) things and the moment in ``The Family Stone'' that she considers to be the best of her career. Q: You're one of four kids. Did you or your brother or sisters ever bring anyone home to get the family's approval? A: That wasn't our family. Nobody brought anybody home. We'd never infringe in·fringe v. in·fringed, in·fring·ing, in·fring·es v.tr. 1. To transgress or exceed the limits of; violate: infringe a contract; infringe a patent. 2. on our own close-knit group. Q: You guys were tight? A: Tight and very charming. All my siblings are extremely charming. They suffer for their charm. Q: How so? A: You pay a price for charm - an inability to have trusting, intimate relationships An intimate relationship is a particularly close interpersonal relationship. It is a relationship in which the participants know or trust one another very well or are confidants of one another, or a relationship in which there is physical or emotional intimacy. . The charm is like a defense. So we're all charming and my mother was a great audience. And I don't think we've ever gotten over it. That was it for us, all the Hall kids. We don't let our guard down. Q: Is that why you never married? A: Definitely. Only one of my siblings is married, my sister, Robin. My brother was briefly married. We didn't fall into things. Never. We're too sensitive. As someone once said to me, ``That person is so sensitive, they're insensitive.'' I'll always remember that because I thought that was so smart. Sensitive to the point of narcissism narcissism (närsĭs`ĭzəm), Freudian term, drawn from the Greek myth of Narcissus, indicating an exclusive self-absorption. In psychoanalysis, narcissism is considered a normal stage in the development of children. . Q: You mention that your mother was a great audience. Did she nurture that performing instinct in you? A: My mother was my enabler. She was my listener, my audience. In some way, she was subconsciously sub·con·scious adj. Not wholly conscious; partially or imperfectly conscious: subconscious perceptions. n. The part of the mind below the level of conscious perception. Often used with the. prepping me for a different life. I was never the big sister in the traditional kind of way. I never played that role where you have to baby-sit, and my mother never made me take over those wifely chores. ``I don't want to do them, so you do them. It's your destiny in life.'' Never. Q: Is there a little bit of your mother in this mother you play in ``The Family Stone''? A: You know, even though this woman has nothing to do with my mother, I feel like it is an homage to mothers, to all those women out there who didn't have careers but had fulfilling lives. I feel like they never get their credit. Their accomplishment is never applauded. They just sort of lived their lives fully and disappeared. Q: There's a photo of you that is prominently displayed at the end of the movie. It was taken by your mother ... A: It's the best moment I've ever had on film. My favorite My Favorite is an independent synthpop band from Long Island, New York. They released two CDs: Love at Absolute Zero and Happiest Days of Our Lives. My Favorite broke up on September 14, 2005, when singer Andrea Vaughn left the band. moment. This movie will always be special to me because of that photograph, that they panned over to it and lingered on it. I was just watching that photograph, thinking, ``Well, you're never going to be better than that. Ever.'' Q: How so? A: Because it's all about my mom. I did nothing. I was just my mother's daughter. I was just this ordinary young woman at that particular point in my life, and my mother took this photograph of me, her daughter. And it's not my favorite photograph, you know. I was actually disappointed when Tom (Bezucha) picked it. But it was illuminating when I saw it.'' Q: Where do you spend Christmas? A: It's pretty much that we go to my mother's house in Corona Corona, city, United States Corona (kərō`nə), city (1990 pop. 76,095), Riverside co., S Calif.; inc. 1896. The city developed as a primary citrus fruit producer and shipping center. There is also light manufacturing. del Mar Del Mar is the name of several places in the United States of America:
Q: After your dad died, you came back to Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. to be close to her, right? A: To be closer to my mother, to my siblings, to recapture the essence of whatever that was. My father died when he was just 68. That had a huge impact on my life. Q: In one interview you said that adopting your first child, shortly before you turned 50, was an outgrowth of that time. A: It started me thinking along those lines. I realized how important my family had been to me. They enrich the experience of life. They take you out of yourself. I guess in some ways, it was kind of an arrogant decision on my part, to adopt a child at that age. ``Of course, I can do that.'' But I never had the impulse when I was younger. My background told me to be a little wary of intimacy on any level with anyone outside the family. Q: Which made kids a long-shot. A: Motherhood wasn't going to be something I just threw myself into. Nothing in my life was that way in regard to relationships. Q: I imagine the closeness you have with your own siblings played some part in adopting a little brother for your daughter. (Keaton's daughter, Dexter, is 10. Her son, Duke, is 2 1/2.) A: Absolutely. I wanted Dexter to have a sibling sibling /sib·ling/ (sib´ling) any of two or more offspring of the same parents; a brother or sister. sib·ling n. . I knew it would make her life so much richer. I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. how I would have gotten through life without my sisters or brother. Q: Since ``The Family Stone'' is so awash Awash (ä`wäsh), river, E Ethiopia, rising near Addis Ababa and flowing c.500 mi (800 km) to a swampy lake near the Djibouti border. The Awash Valley is important agriculturally and has hydroelectric plants. in Christmas, a couple of holiday questions. Favorite Christmas movie? A: ``Meet Me in St. Louis.'' I always get teary-eyed when Judy Garland sings. Always. Q: Favorite Christmas song? A: I love carols. I used to go caroling as a kid. I was a member of the choir. In our movie, I liked when there was a little moment between Sarah Jessica Parker and Luke (Wilson) when they were on the bed singing, ``Repeat the sounding joy!'' Man, ``Joy to the World.'' That's just fantastic. It's too bad we sing it just one month a year.'' Glenn Whipp, (818) 713-3672 glenn.whipp(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 4 photos Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) Relatively crazy Diane Keaton has plenty to draw on for `The Family Stone' (2) New fiancee Meredith Morton (Sarah Jessica Parker) and matriarch Sybil Stone (Diane Keaton) size one another up as golden-boy Everett Stone (Dermot Mulroney) looks on nervously in ``The Family Stone.'' (3) Director Thomas Bezucha and Diane Keaton on the set of the family relationship comedy. (4) Parker, left, Mulroney and in-laws-to-be Craig T. Nelson Craig T. Nelson (born Craig Richard Nelson on April 4, 1944 in Spokane, Washington) is an American actor. He has appeared in numerous motion pictures. He starred in three television shows, Coach, Call to Glory and The District. , Keaton and Rachel McAdams  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. .
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