![\"John](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/John-Goodman-Actor-1990-Far-Out-Magazine-1140x855.jpg\")
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Credit: Far Out \/ Alan Light<\/p>\n
Wed 29 July 2026 17:15, UK <\/p>\n
Just because an actor has a great time making a movie, it doesn\u2019t mean that audiences are going to have a great time watching it, but at least John Goodman<\/a> had fun on what turned out to be a saccharine exercise in mediocrity.<\/p>\n It\u2019s 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\u2019t begrudge him for having fun, especially when the veteran character man\u2019s default setting<\/a> is usually rampant self-loathing.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n While it had its fans, by Steven Spielberg\u2019s impeccably high standards, 1989\u2019s Always was a disappointment. It wasn\u2019t a bomb, but it wasn\u2019t a runaway hit, either, and despite being warmly embraced in some quarters, certain eminently knowledgeable folks<\/a> would rank it among his very worst films.<\/p>\n Still, Goodman wouldn\u2019t 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\u2019s big-screen swansong<\/a>, was a pinch-me moment that he was determined to make the most of.<\/p>\n \u201cI was attracted to the film primarily for the opportunity of working with Spielberg,\u201d the star acknowledged, and reuniting with Raising Arizona co-star Holly Hunter was another huge draw. \u201cI noticed a different pulse on a Spielberg set, maybe because he\u2019s such a genuine, unabashed movie fan.\u201d<\/p>\n 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, \u201cGod, I love making movies!\u201d That enthusiasm was infectious, and Goodman agreed that \u201cit\u2019s 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\u2019ve got.\u201d<\/p>\n Further reading: Cutting Room Floor<\/strong><\/p>\n However, it wasn\u2019t 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n He played the part in Brian Levant\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/faroutmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/themes\/far-out-magazine\/img\/google-discover.svg\")
<\/a> The Far Out Beatles Newsletter<\/p>\n