Sally Field has been working in the industry since the mid 1960's. She began her career in television with short-lived series like, Gidget and The Flying Nun. Sally Field was working consistently, but became a household name in the '80s when she starred in the critically acclaimed film, Norma Rae, as the title character, earning her an Academy Award for Best Actress for her work in that film.
Sally Field has played some pretty iconic characters over the last fifty years and doesn't seem to be slowing down. In 2019, Sally Field was honored in the annual Kennedy Center Honors, just one of the many awards and recognitions she's earned from her work. Here are some of her best performances, ranked by Rotten Tomatoes.
Steel Magnolias (1989) - 68%
This female-led comedy drama is about a group of women living in a small town in Louisiana. Sally Field plays M'Lynn, mother to Shelby, played by Julia Roberts.
At the beginning of the film, it's Shelby's wedding day and with the help of their friends, Shelby and M'Lynn excitedly get ready. Shelby has Type 1 diabetes, though, which means it would be risky for her to have children. When Shelby dies shortly after giving birth, M'Lynn struggles to accept her daughter is gone. Sally Field was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in this film.
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) - 71%
In this comedy, Sally Field plays Miranda Hillard who has recently separated from her husband, Daniel Hillard, played by Robin Williams.
Daniel, unable to accept his new life away from his family, disguises himself as an old Scottish woman named Mrs. Doubtfire and applies to become the nanny for his children in this disguise. When Mrs. Doubtfire's true identity is revealed, everyone is devastated, especially Miranda.
Forrest Gump (71%)
This award winning feature film is about the life of a fictional man named Forrest Gump who against all odds, went on to do extraordinary things with his life and affect American history without intending to. In the film, Sally Field plays Forrest's mother, Mrs. Gump.
Mrs. Gump loves her son unconditionally and motivates him to believe in himself. Forrest quotes his mother a lot throughout the film -- especially that saying about life and boxes of chocolates -- because she always seemed to have the best advice and words of wisdom for any situation.
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) - 73%
The Amazing Spider-Man is the start of the first Spider-Man reboot. It starred Andrew Garfield in the title role and Emma Stone as his iconic love interest Gwen Stacy. Here, Sally Field plays Aunt May, whom everyone -- in and out of the film -- loves tremendously.
Sally Field has a natural warmth to her personality and brings that into almost every character she plays, which works perfectly for Aunt May's character. It seems like a no-brainer that such a genuine and kind actress would play such a sweet and iconic superhero character. However, Sally Field trashed the movie in a later interview, saying that there was only so much she could do with a flat character like Aunt May.
Brothers & Sisters (2006-2011) - 79%
This television series aired for five seasons on ABC and stars Sally Field as Nora Walker, the matriarch of the wealthy Walker family. At the start of the show, Nora is dealing with the death of her husband and the very recent discovery of his infidelity.
Nora has a lot of support from her children, who also bring their own drama to the series. Brothers & Sisters was very well received over its five seasons and gained quite a few Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.
Smokey & The Bandit (1977) - 80%
This '70s road action film is about two bootleggers who accept the challenge to drive four hundred cases of Coors beer from Texarkana to Atlanta in twenty eight hours. Other truckers have attempted this task and have failed, but Bo "The Bandit" Darville (played by Burt Reynolds) and his sidekick Cletus "The Snowman" Snow (played by Jerry Reed) think they can get the job done.
That is until they pick up Carrie aka Frog (played by Sally Field), who really throws a wrench in their plans. Hijinks on the freeway ensue as Bo and Cletus try to beat the deadline while dodging the relentless county sheriff Buford T. Justice (played by Jackie Gleason).
Hello, My Name Is Doris (2015) - 89%
In this quirky romantic comedy, Sally Field plays the title character Doris, who falls in love with a much younger co-worker, John, played by Max Greenfield. Doris, feeling empowered by some self-help tapes she's been listening to, decides to actively pursue John, despite the odds that it will actually work.
Sally Field delivers a charming and adorable performance as the leading lady in this film, and got a lot of praise for this role.
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993) - 87%
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, is a classic adventure, family feature film about two dogs and a cat who go on an adventure together when they stray to far from home and must find their way back.
In this film, Sally Field voices the role of Sassy, the appropriately smart-mouthed cat. The film is a remake of the 1966 feature film The Incredible Journey, which was actually based on Sheila Burnford's novel of the same name.
Norma Rae (1979) - 89%
This critically acclaimed film won Sally Field an Academy Award for Best Actress the year of its release. In the film, Sally Field plays the titular character, Norma Rae, who works in a factory in a small town in North Carolina.
Norma Rae realizes that she and her co-workers are all suffering from health problems due to the poor conditions in the factory. In response to this, Norma Rae fights to unionize her place of employment so she and her co-workers can receive better treatment for their labor.
Lincoln (2012) - 89%
Sally Fields plays opposite Daniel Day Lewis in this biographical feature film about Pres. Abraham Lincoln, directed by Steven Spielberg.
In the film, Daniel Day Lewis plays the title role and Sally Field plays his wife and First Lady, Mary Todd. The films focuses on the four months leading up to Lincoln's assassination and everything he accomplished, both as a President and as father and a husband.