Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1490579
71 • SAG-AFTR A SPECIAL ISSUE 2023 • sagaftra.org and fans — and even Field herself — she took a leap of faith into the action-comedy genre the following year in Smokey and the Bandit, a project famously known for not having much of a shooting script but that did have the world's most popular movie star, Burt Reynolds, in the driver's seat. It also got her onto the big screen, right where she wanted to be. Two more Reynolds collaborations followed and, in 1979, despite objections from studio bosses — and after every major actor in town had rejected the part — director Martin Ritt asked Field, his first choice, to take on the role of brassy textile-mill-worker-turned- unstoppable-union-activist Norma Rae. The Oscar (and Cannes award) for Best Actress was her prize, and a whole new world of opportunities now beckoned. During the 1980s, Field was a staple on the big screen, appearing in dramas and romantic comedies opposite some of Hollywood's top leading men, such as Paul Newman (Absence of Malice), James Garner (Murphy's Romance) and Tom Hanks (Punchline) — the latter two produced by her company Fogwood Films — but it was Places in the Heart that returned her to the award stage. Written and directed by Robert Benton and featuring John Malkovich and Danny Glover, Heart brought Field her second Academy Award for Best Actress, for which she delivered her now-famous heartfelt and gleeful acceptance speech that ensured From top, Places in the Heart (1984) with Danny Glover; Steel Magnolias (1989) with Julia Roberts; Soapdish (1991) with Cathy Moriarty & Whoopi Goldberg; Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) with Robin Williams COLUMBIA TRISTAR /PHOTOFEST TRISTAR /PHOTOFEST TRISTAR /PHOTOFEST 20TH CENTURY FOX/PHOTOFEST 71 • SAG-AFTR A SPECIAL ISSUE 2023 • sagaftra.org