Cannes 2024: Meryl Streep to receive Palme d'Or
Friday, May 3, 2024 at 8:00PM 
As the 77th Cannes Film Festival approaches, more news emerges from Thierry Frémaux's office. The latest story concerns the Honorary Palme d'Or. While a rare plaudit in its genesis, the award has become a mainstay of the most recent festivals, with each edition involving multiple winners. Still, the number of trophies usually stops at two per year. Not so in 2024, when Cannes will give three Honorary Palmes d'Or. The first winner announced was George Lucas, who'll be 80 this month, and then came Studio Ghibli as the first awarded collective. Finally, we have Meryl Streep, who'll be a guest of honor at the Opening Ceremony and receive one of the highest honors in the film world…
This latest batch of Honorary Palme winners is an odd one within the festival's history. After all, the Croisette has rarely screened Studio Ghibli movies, and George Lucas has long stopped being the sort of name one would associate with this particular event. Then again, such productions as Solo have premiered on the French Riviera, outside any competition, so there's that. In Meryl Streep's case, the oddity is lesser, even if she's hardly the sort of actress who one sees at many festival red carpets. Nevertheless, the Oscar queen has been enmeshed in the Cannes competition and even won one of their prizes in 1988 for A Cry in the Dark. All these years later, it remains one of Streep's most fascinating turns, a biopic exercise so sharp it draws blood, defiantly alienating and unapologetic. She never asks for your sympathy and, in the process, earns the Cannes prize like few have done before or since.
One should also acknowledge the matter of nationality. Streep and Lucas are American, honored at a time when the festival organizers seem especially obsessed with Hollywood. Consider that, since the pandemic, nine entities have been recognized with these special Palmes d'Or. Seven of them come from Frémaux's favorite nation beyond France, including the aforementioned Streep and Lucas, plus Jodie Foster, Forest Whitaker, Tom Cruise, Michael Douglas, and Harrison Ford. It's an odd state of affairs since the Honorary Palme d'Or winners were a tad more international before, including filmmakers from France, Portugal, and Italy. Thank heavens for that Studio Ghibli pick, which feels like a breath of fresh air when you consider the big picture.
But those grievances aside, Streep's celebration makes one wonder what other actor prize-winners of Cannes past deserve an honorary Palme. Isabelle Huppert jumps out as an obvious answer, but there are plenty of other artists whose filmographies earn this sort of recognition. Hanna Schygulla and Barbara Sukowa are two Teutonic thespians who seem eminently worthy, while Maggie Cheung would be a fantastic choice from Hong Kong. Binoche is another French goddess, and Julianne Moore would satisfy Frémaux's Hollywood fixation. For a male candidate, consider Terence Stamp, Jack Nicholson, Tony Leung, or maybe Timothy Spall. With the festival's love for Sean Penn, it's honestly surprising he hasn't been thus honored.
If you could give any actor an Honorary Palme d'Or, who would it be?
A Cry in the Dark, Cannes, Meryl Streep, film festivals
Reader Comments (11)
Catherine Deneuve, anyone who worked with Fassbinder, Isabelle Huppert, Juliette Binoche, Shirley MacLaine, Julie Delpy, and Wong Kar-Wai.
Daniel Day-Lewis (never honored at Cannes, I believe)
Christian Bale (ditto)
Idea Claudio!
Why not a series on the actors and the performances who made the triplet at Cannes, Venice and Berlin??
I think that Sean Penn, Julianne Moore and Juliette Binoche are on the list.
I haven't seen her in anything since Let Them Talk and i'm desperate for her to show us what she can do now she's almost 75 but this honour will have to suffice,maybe she should work with a foreign auteur.
thevoid99 -- Catherine Deneuve was the third recipient of the Honorary Palme d'Or in 2005, following Woody Allen and Jeanne Moreau.
Frank Zappa—If his retirement holds, DDL would make a really interesting honoree since we can consider his entire film career from start to finish.
Gallavich -- That's a great idea, thank you. I believe there's Binoche, Moore, Penn, and Jack Lemmon,
Mr Ripley79 -- I'd love to see her work with some international auteur.
I know she'll win another Oscar, if not in the next few years, in her 80s. A second supporting trophy would make sense, but it would be cool if she got a third lead actress Oscar, especially if she beats Jessica Tandy's record.
But yeah, I hope she works with an interesting director soon.
I think Huppert has the triple crown as well - though her Berlin victory was a collective win for the 8 Women film. Does it still count?
I admire Streep a lot, but I wouldn’t say she has the most impressive filmography, especially since the 21st century. Her staying power is something to behold, but I can’t remember the last performance she gave that excited me.
David -- Oh yeah, I forgot about that collective win. You're right about Huppert.
I love Streep dearly, and I think her work still excites me. However, I'm rarely excited by the projects she chooses. Does that make sense?
Tony Leung would be perfect. I like the Terence Stamp idea too.
Would love for Streep and Day-Lewis to do a production of Long Day's Journey Into Night. Wouldn't that be extraordinary?
@michael R. Would you settle for the remake of LDJiN that has already wrapped filming? It stars Jessica Lange and Ed Harris. Let's not forget that a few years ago Lange was in the Broadway revival for which she won an Tony.