Credit: Far Out / Alan Light
Wed 29 July 2026 17:15, UK
Just because an actor has a great time making a movie, it doesn’t mean that audiences are going to have a great time watching it, but at least John Goodman had fun on what turned out to be a saccharine exercise in mediocrity.
It’s still a better outcome than an actor having an awful time making an awful movie, because then nobody wins. Goodman has had a few experiences of that, too, so you can’t begrudge him for having fun, especially when the veteran character man’s default setting is usually rampant self-loathing.
There were several positives, in fact: he made a little bit of history by sharing a cast with a Hollywood legend in their final big-screen appearance, and he got to work with one of the best directors in the business, with the downside being that the latter forced him into a miserable time several years later.
While it had its fans, by Steven Spielberg’s impeccably high standards, 1989’s Always was a disappointment. It wasn’t a bomb, but it wasn’t a runaway hit, either, and despite being warmly embraced in some quarters, certain eminently knowledgeable folks would rank it among his very worst films.
Still, Goodman wouldn’t have known how it would turn out at the time, and being directed by Spielberg, who was himself fanboying over being granted the opportunity to helm Audrey Hepburn’s big-screen swansong, was a pinch-me moment that he was determined to make the most of.
“I was attracted to the film primarily for the opportunity of working with Spielberg,” the star acknowledged, and reuniting with Raising Arizona co-star Holly Hunter was another huge draw. “I noticed a different pulse on a Spielberg set, maybe because he’s such a genuine, unabashed movie fan.”
He vividly remembered sitting alongside the director on top of a crane during a stunt sequence, where the filmmaker smiled, shook his head, and said, “God, I love making movies!” That enthusiasm was infectious, and Goodman agreed that “it’s the greatest joy in the world to feel that way about your work; you hear that, and you want to give the guy everything you’ve got.”
Further reading: Cutting Room Floor
However, it wasn’t all sunshine and roses. During his first table read for Always, Spielberg proudly announced to everyone in attendance that he had found his Fred Flintstone for the upcoming live-action adaptation of the beloved cartoon, giving Goodman absolutely no say in the matter.
He played the part in Brian Levant’s family-friendly 1994 romp, but he loathed every second of it, and when it made enough money to be guaranteed a sequel, the actor begged his way out of having to reprise the role.
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