Rewatching Twister: Our New Perspective

Though “Twister” wound up being one of the highest-grossing films of the year, Bill Paxton was concerned while filming that the critical response would ruin his credibility in the entertainment industry. “I knew critically they (critics) were going to paint a bull’s-eye on me when ‘Twister’ came out,” the then 42-year-old actor said in a 1997 interview with Telegram and Gazette.

This concern wasn’t particularly unfounded either. Given how chaotic the environment was on set, it isn’t hard to imagine Paxton felt uneasy about his ability to create a credible character within a film so unruly. Currently, “Twister” has a “fresh” Rotten Tomatoes score of 64%, with a dour audience score of 58%. “I see so many actors, they get to a certain prominence and then their next couple of movies are panned, and the next thing you know, they’re out the door,” he shared, specifically citing his friend Rob Lowe. “And it’s really sad.”

In reaction to this anxiety, Paxton began producing his next film, “Traveller,” while shooting “Twister,” even using his position to give cinematographer Jack N. Green his directorial debut. He also followed that up with another disaster film noted at the time to be a risky career choice — James Cameron’s “Titanic.”