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?