7 Actors Who Tried To Be Directors (And Totally Failed)

5. Sally Field

Sally Field is one of the most beloved actresses of her generation, and to an entire younger generation of viewers is probably best known as Momma Gump. However, Field has also directed two movies, a little-known TV movie called The Christmas Tree, and then her only theatrical directorial effort to date, 2000's Beautiful. The movie revolves around a young woman's (Minnie Driver) desperate efforts to win a beauty pageant, but was widely lambasted by critics, earning a mere 16% on Rotten Tomatoes. A common criticism of the movie is Field's inability to stick to a clear tone, as the story tries to be both a frothy satire of pageant culture and a more serious-minded coming of age story. What's more, the commentary about an increasingly superficial society felt dated even in 2000, and Mona is a fickle, difficult character to warm to, as much as Driver tries her hardest to make her likeable. Despite seeming like a good fit for Field's sensibilities, she suggests here that she doesn't have the lightness of touch needed for more sensitive dramatic material. She has yet to direct anything since.