Justin Bieber in a movie with Diane Keaton would be weird casting news. Diane Keaton appearing in one of Bieber’s music videos is even weirder… but here we are. The Oscar winner plays Bieber’s grandmother in his “Ghost” visual, out today. In the video, following the death of his grandfather, Justin reconnects with his grandma, going out drinking and dancing and updating her dating profile — just the usual intergenerational pastimes for some people, I guess? I can’t imagine ever helping my grandmother with the ins and outs of Tinder. I also can’t imagine throwing back shots and dancing with her at her local bar. Justin and Diane aren’t really selling relatable content here, but it’s cute.
Vogue did a piece on the video, since Diane Keaton brought her own clothes and hats to set, because her eccentric style seems to be in the characterization of all her roles these days. But maybe Justin’s real-life grandma is an odd ball? Diane tells Vogue Justin was the one who called her up and she was down because she thought the song was “wonderful”. It is a heartwarming little song, with a simple message about settling for the ghost of someone because they’re no longer around. He could have easily done a basic video with a love interest who broke up with him but instead he cast Diane as his widowed grandmother whom he encourages to get back on the scene.
This is actually Ms. Keaton’s first music video. She also told Vogue she had the best time shooting with Justin and that it scratched a different creative itch because she had no lines. She could approach the acting in a more fluid, loose way, she’s never gotten the chance to act outside the constraints of someone else’s script. Someone as accomplished as Diane Keaton is still having firsts in her career and this time it’s thanks to a 27-year-old pop star. More importantly, how do her kids (who are both around Justin’s age) feel about her being in his music video? If my grandmother was shooting with Bieber, you better believe I’d be calling her for a debrief on her drive home from set.
Today Bieber also released his latest doc, Justin Bieber: Our World, which chronicles his life as he prepared for his 2020 New Year’s Eve concert. At one point in the doc, Hailey asks what his intentions are for 2021. Most notably, he says, “Hopefully we squish out a nugget”. I can’t say I’ve ever heard childbirth described as squishing anything out and certainly not by a woman. Gawker said “it sounds like he’s looking to take a tiny little poop” with his wife. That made me chuckle. Hailey was a little shocked at the thought of doing the squishing so soon, so Justin altered his timeline to hopefully trying for the nugget by the end of 2021. I think most of us are surprised they don’t already have kids, so after his new releases today maybe he’ll lay low for the rest of the year. Although, he’s heading out on tour February through June, so I don’t expect any Bieber nuggets until next Summer.
Here's Justin out for a hike yesterday in LA.
