`Quintessentially Keaton'
in a while when I was doing a scene with somebody,” Keaton says. “And he'd say, `You know, Diane, someday you're going to be OK. But in the meantime, no.' ”
Keaton is aware that the younger actors on the set looked up to her for all the acclaimed work she's done in her career.
“Yeah, the elder stateswoman or whatever you want to call it,” she says, laughing as she adds, “Or just the elder woman.
“No, it couldn't have been more fun for me, and they were really into their roles and were fantastic. It was smooth sailing — I know that's not interesting, but it was smooth sailing, which is pleasant.”
Aselton says Keaton also put her at ease, a challenge given how much she adores her.
“Someone very early on was like, `Oh my God, you're directing Diane Keaton,' like dream come true,” Aselton says. “And I was like, `Yeah, no, I never dreamt that big. Like never even thought to dream that big.'
“And that's not me selling myself short, that's just being very realistic,” she says. “Diane is my idol, my icon. Like I have adored and worshipped her my entire life since I was a child.
“I watched `Baby Boom' at my eighth birthday party sleeper. So it's kind of a big deal.”
Once work began, though, all those jitters vanished.
“The great thing about Diane is that she is fun,” Aselton says. “And she loves to give people the business. Like she's just a goof. She'll be like, `Oh come on, boss, come on.' And then she'd be, `Can we fire her?'
“I think I got fired a couple of times, but then I also fired her, which was a fun give and take. “But she's delightful,” Aselton says. “Everything that we know of Diane as audiences, that we've loved over the years, is exactly what we get. She's so easy to talk to and grounded and interested.
“She's just, like, quintessentially Diane Keaton, and she's exactly, exactly what we would hope she would be.”