By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
January 14, 1996
After portraying relatively passive women in “Forrest Gump” and “Mrs. Doubtfire,” Sally Field is back on the big screen as a gun-toting mama – literally – in “Eye for an Eye.” As Karen McCann, Field plays a successful career woman, wife and mother who decides to create her own justice when the man who raped and murdered her daughter goes free on a technicality.
Traveling with her youngest son Sam, 8, Field looks petite and comfortable in her suite at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Wearing loose black velvet pants and a snug hunter green ribbed turtleneck, the two-time Oscar winner kicks off her black flats and sips a cup of coffee as she talks about the suspense-thriller (at local theaters).
Q. No matter how many Oscars you win, some people will always identify you as the Flying Nun or Gidget. Do you mind?
Field: I don’t mind. I think (those characters) are still very much a part of my career, as far as most people are concerned. The difference these days is that people also are talking about the work I’m currently doing, so it doesn’t bother me at all. I’ve been doing this for something like 32 years now, and those roles helped me get my start.
Q. Obviously you and Kiefer were just acting, but your characters are enemies. Did the director keep the two of you separated between takes?
Field: (Laughs.) Kiefer is a wonderful performer and gave a no-holds-barred performance in a role that was the personification of evil. We watched him create this character and bring in new mannerisms and traits to the character, and he was really methodical about it. But off camera, he is a puppy dog – an absolute darling – so you sort of find yourself laying all over him, and you don’t hold onto his character for one minute once he’s “off.” He was wonderful to work with, and we always worked on the relationship between the two characters.
Q. I was very surprised that much of the violence is implied rather than depicted.
Field: That is why John Schlesinger is such a fine filmmaker. I’ve had so many people say, “The violence was so hard to watch!” And I have to remind them that you really didn’t see any graphic violence or nudity. He was so careful not to show very much and rather used filmmaking tools such as music and editing and my reactions.
Q. On a totally unrelated subject, I would think that an actor would be great at charades. If they gave prizes to great charade players, would you win a trophy?
Field: Yes! I’m very good at charades. But I don’t think you have to be a good actor to be good at that game – you just have to be really competitive. It’s one of the few things that if we play, everyone wants me on their team.
