The Cannes festival unexpectedly awarded an Honorary Palme d’Or to John Travolta this Friday just before the screening of his directorial debut, Propeller One-way Night Coach (Come Fly with Me). “I can’t believe it, you told me it would be a special night but I never imagined it would be this,” the Hollywood star said visibly emotional and surprised to the Cannes general delegate, Thierry Frémaux, who presented him the award. “The movies I have liked the most in my life have always been the Palme d’Or winners. I can’t believe it, this is more than an Oscar,” Travolta stated amid applause from an enthusiastic audience awaiting the actor’s appearance at the Debussy theater while the chords of You’re the one that I want, the main theme from Grease, played.
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On that same stage, a selection of the most iconic films starring the 72-year-old American actor was shown, including the mentioned Grease, Saturday Night Fever, Pulp Fiction, Perfect, Look Who’s Talking and Face/Off. “Thank you for compiling all these images. Each one has its own story. And especially the soundtracks that go with them. They are my life,” he told Frémaux, with whom he shared a hug. Dressed in a white beret and glasses, Travolta was accompanied at the event by part of the film’s team, which includes his daughter Ella Bleu, who plays a flight attendant whom the young protagonist falls in love with. Precisely with his daughter, he will appear next year in the cast of Black Tides, a co-production between Spain and the United States directed by Finnish director Renny Harlin.
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The film adapts a novel published by Travolta himself in 1997 and reflects the actor’s passion, who is also a professional pilot, for aviation. Its story is inspired by memories of his childhood when he flew for the first time with his mother in late 1962 on a nostalgic trip to Los Angeles full of stopovers. Travolta acts as narrator, screenwriter, director, and producer of a very personal yet fun proposal that lasts only 60 minutes and premieres on Apple TV on May 29.
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The actor and filmmaker showed himself very humble and grateful for the reception in Cannes and recalled that when he spoke with Frémaux in November about his directorial debut, he did not even hope that Cannes would accept the feature film. But finally, it is included in the Cannes Première section. “When Thierry told me they were counting on my film, I started crying like a baby because I couldn’t believe it.” About whether he will repeat the experience of being behind the camera, he confessed that he is not sure because it has to be something he truly loves. Come Fly with Me is dedicated to his entire family, especially his wife, actress Kelly Preston, and his son Jett, both deceased. “This film exists thanks to them,” he said moved.
This is the second Palme d’Or awarded this year by the festival, after the one received at the opening ceremony by New Zealand director Peter Jackson, and there is still a third one, for Barbra Streisand, at the closing gala.
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