Marvin’s Room Ending Explained: Diane Keaton’s Oscar-Nominated Turn and Leonardo DiCaprio Make This 83% Rotten Tomatoes Drama a 2025 Must-Watch
Stacked with Meryl Streep and Leonardo DiCaprio, the 1996 drama Marvin’s Room showcases Diane Keaton in an Oscar-nominated gut punch that sits at 83% on Rotten Tomatoes. As Bessie, she’s spent years putting family first—until a reckoning tests how far that love can stretch.
There is a reason people keep circling back to 'Marvin's Room' when they talk about Diane Keaton. With the news of her passing, this little 1996 drama is suddenly the movie everyone is recommending again, and honestly, it still plays.
The movie in a nutshell
Keaton anchors the story as Bessie, a woman who has quietly built her life around taking care of other people. When she is diagnosed with leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant, she reaches out to her estranged sister Lee (Meryl Streep) for the first time in almost two decades. Lee shows up with her two sons, but none of them are matches. The medical plot gives the film its stakes, but that is not what it is really about.
As the sisters spend time together, Lee starts to actually see the life Bessie chose and everything she gave up. The movie does not go for a big, tear-jerking finale; it settles into something gentler and truer. By the end, the family is back under one roof, Lee steps into the role of caretaker, and Bessie gets a sense of peace. It is bittersweet, but the emotional math adds up.
Keaton vs. Streep (and DiCaprio and De Niro)
This is one of those projects where a stacked cast actually helps. Keaton plays the heart and center of the film, keeping it grounded even when things get spiky around her. Streep brings the edges and volatility as Lee, and the two performances really lock together. Leonardo DiCaprio, still very young here, plays Lee's troubled son Hank, and Robert De Niro shows up as Bessie's kindly, distractible doctor. Keaton's work earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, while Streep picked up a Golden Globe nod. It is a rare case of a prestige ensemble doing exactly what you want a prestige ensemble to do: elevate, not overwhelm.
Why it still hits in 2025
Time has only made the themes feel more relevant. Illness, family duty, forgiveness, the messiness of caretaking — none of that goes out of style. Keaton brings warmth and vulnerability without sentimentality, which is harder than it looks and exactly why the film lingers. Tributes are pouring in; one fan post on X from October 11, 2025, called out a moment from the film as the perfect snapshot of who Keaton was onscreen: living equals loving, and the giving part mattered as much as the receiving.
'Diane Keaton was one of a kind. Brilliant, funny, and unapologetically herself. A legend, an icon, and a truly kind human being. I had the honor of working with her at 18. She will be deeply missed.'
- Leonardo DiCaprio, via People
Fast facts (and a couple neat details)
- Title: Marvin's Room
- Release year: 1996
- Director: Jerry Zaks
- Writer: John Guare, adapting Scott McPherson's play
- Main cast: Diane Keaton (Bessie), Meryl Streep (Lee), Leonardo DiCaprio (Hank), Robert De Niro (Dr. Wally)
- Setting: Florida
- Runtime: 98 minutes
- Music: Score by Rachel Portman; theme song 'Two Little Sisters' by Carly Simon, with Streep on backup vocals
- Awards: Keaton nominated for the Oscar (Best Actress); Streep nominated for a Golden Globe
- Box office: Around $30 million on a $23 million budget
- Ratings: 83% on Rotten Tomatoes; 6.7/10 on IMDb
- Streaming (U.S.): Free on Kanopy and hoopla right now
Diane Keaton recently passed away at 79 after a long battle with health issues, but her work here feels as alive as ever. If you have not seen 'Marvin's Room' in a while, this is the one to cue up.
What is your favorite Diane Keaton performance? Drop it below — I am genuinely curious where everyone lands.