Kevin Bacon’s John Hughes Film That Almost Revived His Career But Failed to Connect

For nearly four decades, Kevin Bacon has been one of Hollywood’s most recognizable figures. He was so prevalent in the ’90s that the party game ‘Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon’ was created around him. Today, he is celebrated as a respected character actor known for his supporting roles, villains, and unique characters. However, his career has not always followed a straightforward trajectory, and the tale of the film meant to revive his career is a captivating piece of ’80s history.

In the late 1980s, Hollywood viewed him as the next leading man. He emerged alongside the Brat Pack stars, and expectations were sky-high. What transpired next is a classic example of an actor diverging from the path the industry had laid out for him.

Bacon made his feature debut in ‘National Lampoon’s Animal House’ in 1978, then gained prominence with ‘Diner’ and became a household name with ‘Footloose’ in 1984. The dance drama was a massive hit, even landing him on the cover of People magazine. Studios were eager to build a career around him.

However, Bacon was uncomfortable with the heartthrob label. He intentionally selected unconventional projects that contradicted that image, a choice he later described as a career slump of his own making. While contemporaries like Tom Cruise, Sean Penn, and Rob Lowe soared to superstardom, Bacon turned down blockbuster hits that defined the decade.

Instead of starring in films like ‘St. Elmo’s Fire’, ‘Top Gun’, or ‘Young Guns’, he opted for ‘Quicksilver’, ‘White Water Summer’, and ‘End of the Line’. The latter barely made an impact, grossing only $42,000 at the box office. By 1988, his chances of becoming an A-list star were dwindling.

That’s when a lifeline appeared. John Hughes, fresh off a series of hits, offered him the lead role in ‘She’s Having a Baby’, a deeply personal project inspired by Hughes’ own early experiences in advertising and family life. Bacon portrayed Jake Briggs, a young copywriter narrating the story alongside Elizabeth McGovern, with Alec Baldwin in a supporting role.

On paper, it seemed like the perfect opportunity for a comeback. Hughes had just delivered one hit after another, and Bacon even made a cameo in ‘Planes, Trains & Automobiles’ as a taxi racer, an idea he pitched himself to be part of Hughes’ circle. That film was released in November 1987 to enthusiastic reviews and strong box office performance.

‘She’s Having a Baby’ debuted in February 1988 but faced a very different fate. Paramount reportedly lost confidence in it and released it into a market still dominated by holiday hits like ‘Good Morning, Vietnam’, ‘Three Men and a Baby’, and ‘Moonstruck’. It grossed around $16 million in the U.S. against a $20 million budget and received mixed reviews, with Roger Ebert giving it 2 out of 4 stars.

The failure was disappointing for both parties. For Hughes, who was known for teen comedies, it was an attempt at something more mature that didn’t resonate, marking a turning point in his career. For Bacon, it represented his last significant chance to be a conventional leading man at that time.

What makes this story even more intriguing is Bacon’s unwavering support for the film. He has expressed pride in it, considering it one of his best works, and has even labeled it Hughes’ finest film. His loyalty reflects how much he believed in the project.

Bacon’s career didn’t end there. In fact, this slump pushed him toward more compelling roles. He later recounted having doubts about taking on ‘Tremors’, a film about underground worms, yet that movie became a cult classic in 1990.

Following that, he starred in ‘Flatliners’, ‘A Few Good Men’, ‘Apollo 13’, ‘Mystic River’, and ‘Hollow Man’, showcasing his diverse range. The journey from near-obscurity to respected veteran suggests that missing out on superstardom may have allowed him to develop a more enduring career.

In retrospect, ‘She’s Having a Baby’ seems like a film that was either ahead of its time or simply misunderstood, depending on who you ask. While it didn’t save Bacon’s career as many had hoped, it did help shape his determination to follow his instincts.

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