Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man turned out to be the most underrated portrayal of the character. While Garfield excelled in his role, certain plot elements used in both The Amazing Spider-Man movies received criticism. Surprisingly, the franchise faced disapproval from one of its own actors, Sally Field, who portrayed Aunt May. The Oscar-winning actress found her role, especially in the sequel, less than fulfilling.
Despite her reservations about the movie, Field committed to it as a favor to her first producing partner and friend, Laura Ziskin. The sequel grossed $709 million at the box office, but it was a critical failure, leading Sony to share the rights for the character with Marvel.
Sally Field Was Critical Of Her Role In Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man Film
Sally Field is an exceptional actress who won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, for Norma Rae and Places in the Heart. Field was hired to play the role of Aunt May in The Amazing Spider-Man films after being persuaded by her friend, Laura Ziskin. Ziskin acted as the producer for Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy as well as the Andrew Garfield starrer films.
Ziskin passed away in 2011 due to breast cancer, and The Amazing Spider-Man films were released posthumously. During an appearance on Howard Stern‘s show, Field revealed that the film was not her usual choice, but she agreed to it for Ziskin. While she enjoyed working with the other actors, she criticized the film for lacking three-dimensional characters. She even went so far as to diss the movie, calling it “sh*t”. Sally Field told Howard Stern:
“It’s not my kind of movie. But my friend Laura Ziskin was the producer, and we knew it would be her last film, and she was my first producing partner, and she was a spectacular human. It’s really hard to find a three-dimensional character in it, and you work it as much as you can, but you can’t put ten pounds of sh*t in a five-pound bag.”
Sally Field’s criticism of her role and the movie is somewhat valid. The talented actress had little to do in the film, other than motivate Spider-Man from time to time and handle his laundry. In comparison, Rosemary Harris had a more impactful portrayal as Aunt May. She captured the true essence of the character from the comics as a voice of compassion and reason for Peter Parker in difficult times.
Director Marc Webb Had Other Creative Intentions For Sally Field In The Role
While Sally Field’s role was not given justice, particularly in the sequel, director Marc Webb had ambitious plans for the character. Webb aimed for a portrayal distinct from Rosemary Harris and intended to leverage Field’s acting strength to create tension between May and Peter. Beyond the genuine affection she displayed, Webb believed Field could also skillfully convey May’s concerns about Peter. Webb shared his vision with Collider:
“When you cast someone like Sally, they come with a certain level of awareness and real genuine affection, which for Aunt May is an incredibly important thing to have. We all love Aunt May, but I wanted to create a tension between May and Peter. He’s got bruises on his face, and what happens in that moment? That can create some tension, but you want there to be love there. That’s what someone like Sally Field gives you.”
Despite her feelings for the film, Sally Field will always appreciate the opportunity to work on Laura Ziskin’s first and last films. The Amazing Spider-Man films are now available for streaming on Disney+.
