How Did Sally Field React To Son’s Horror Film ‘Clown In A Cornfield’?

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 05: Actress Sally Field, Frendo the Clown and Director Eli Craig ... More attend the Los Angeles special screening of “Clown In A Cornfield” at Braindead Studios on May 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Robin L Marshall/Getty Images) Clown in a Cornfield director Eli Craig — the son of iconic actor Sally Field — is sharing his mom’s reaction to his new horror comedy. Clown in a Cornfield, which opened in theaters nationwide on Friday, is an adaptation of author Adam Cesare’s Bram Stoker Award-winning young adult novel from 2020. Adapted for the big screen by Craig and Carter Blanchard, Clown in a Cornfield follows teenager Quinn Maybrook (Katie Douglas) and her doctor fatherm Glenn (Aaron Abrams), who move to the farming community of Kettle Springs, Mo., to get a fresh start following the death of Quinn’s mother. Forbes ‘Clown In A Cornfield’ Director On Horror Comedy’s Catchy Title And Why He Avoided The ‘Terrifier’ Route By Tim Lammers But, as Quinn soon discovers, Kettle Springs has been a depressed town since its main business, the Baypen Corn Syrup Factory, burned to the ground. In a demented way to alleviate the burden on the shoulders of Kettle Springs, someone is dressing up as Baypen’s mascot — Frendo the Clown — and taking out his frustrations by slaughtering its teen residents in a grisly manner, which is not quite the welcome to the town Quinn was expecting. Rated R, the blood-splattered humor and horror fest also stars Kevin Durand, Carson MacCormack and Will Sasso. In a recent Zoom conversation, Eli Craig — who along with his brother, Peter, are the sons of Field and her ex-husband Steven Craig — said he gravitated to a decidedly different film genre than the one his mother is famous as a kid. Forbes ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Arrives On Digital Streaming This Week By Tim Lammers “I’ve always felt a little bit like the black sheep of the family,” Eli Craig said with a huge laugh. “She’s a dramatic actor who treats her work very, very seriously. And some of my work is a little farcical, right? I have a penchant for a bit of farce and humor.” Essentially, Craig — who directed and co-wrote the 2010 horror comedy cult classic Tucker and Dave vs. Evil — said he wants to make movies that don’t take themselves too seriously, but his mom likes to stick to her dramatic storytelling convictions. “Sometimes when I show her my work, she’s like, “I think you should take it more seriously,’ and I go, ‘But that’s not the point, mom. The point is, this is fun first and serious second,” Craig said. Eli Craig Says Sally Field Gave Him Suggestions After Seeing A Rough Cut Of ‘Clown In A Cornfield’ Sally Field, of course, is one of Hollywood’s most treasured performers. In addition to winning Best Actress Oscars for Norma Rae and Places in the Heart , she’s starred in dozens of classic films in her six decades in showbiz, from two Smokey and the Bandit films, Murphy’s Romance and Mrs. Doubtfire to Forrest Gump , Lincoln and The Amazing Spider-Man movies. On top of that, Field has had an amazing run on television, starring in such acclaimed series as Gidget , The Flying Nun , ER , Brothers & Sisters and Winning Time: The Rise of The Lakers Dynasty, as well as the legendary miniseries Sybil . Eli Craig said he’s paid attention to the inner workings of showbiz throughout his mom’s career and it has no doubt influenced his work as a filmmaker — but not in the way you’d expect. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 05: (L-R) Screenwriter Peter Craig, Actress Sally Field and Director ... More Eli Craig attend the Los Angeles special screening of “Clown In A Cornfield” at Braindead Studios on May 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Robin L Marshall/Getty Images) “She’s taught me so much about this business, but growing up as her son, it has given me a bit of the freedom to be disestablishment,” Craig said. “I like to fight against the establishment and be somewhat sardonic and sarcastic about the business. “Because I grew up in it, I just feel like making fun of everything and film gives me a way to satirize the business and also satirize the human condition in America, specifically right now,” Craig added. “So, I think mom gets a kick out of my films, even if she doesn’t fully understand my style.” Forbes Acclaimed Nicolas Cage Thriller ‘The Surfer’ Gets Streaming Date By Tim Lammers And what was Field’s specific reaction to Clown in a Cornfield ? “She saw a rough cut of it and she said, ‘I think you should cut the humor out,’” Craig said, laughing. ‘I said, ‘Mom, I can’t cut the humor out. That’s the whole point. I want the humor and horror.’ But she said, ‘This is the most suspenseful thing you’ve ever done’ and ‘Go fully go with the suspense.’ I find life to be both humorous and horrific at the same time, so I like to add those elements.” Clown in a Cornfield is playing in theaters nationwide. Forbes ‘John Wick’ Documentary ‘Wick Is Pain’ With Keanu Reeves Is New On Streaming – How To Watch By Tim Lammers Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/timlammers/2025/05/11/how-did-sally-field-react-to-sons-horror-film-clown-in-a-cornfield/