Tom Cruise is an actor who has had an incredible career. He’s been part of films that have been box office smash hits and he’s been nominated for Oscars. With his newest movie, Top Gun: Maverick, the actor returns to the role that helped make him a household name. And when the movie had its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, Cruise was welcomed as the star that he is.
While the Cannes Film Festival is still largely known as the festival for more highbrow films, in recent years it has been more than happy to show the blockbuster movies that are likely to make big money as well. Top Gun: Maverick’s premiere certainly had the look of a Cannes event, with everybody dressed in evening wear. And Tom Cruise was given a standing ovation before the movie was even shown.
Tom Cruise gets his own standing Ovation as he enters the theater. #cannes #TopGunMaverick pic.twitter.com/zDBSC1ArjkMay 18, 2022
And the applause was not the end to the accolades given to Tom Cruise that night. The Palme d’Or is the highest award that the Cannes Film Festival gives out. Each year it is given to the top movie of the festival, but for the last two decades an honorary Palme d’Or has also been given out to actors or directors as a way of celebrating their body of work. Honorary awards have been given to Clint Eastwood, Catherine Deneuve, and Jodie Foster among others. Tom Cruise became the latest to take home the special prize.
Surprise! Tom Cruise is awarded a surprise Palme d’Or. #cannes pic.twitter.com/eBTRFY5AQyMay 18, 2022
There’s really no argument that Tom Cruise doesn’t deserve such a high profile award. The man has been making movies for four decades and in that time he’s done everything from making global blockbusters like the Mission: Impossible franchise to Oscar worthy roles like Jerry Maguire and Born on the Fourth of July. He’s seen as both a great actor and a movie star. Not every actor is able to achieve both.
And based on the early critical reactions, Tom Cruise has another big movie in front of him. More than three decades after he made the original Top Gun, Cruise is back in the role and most critics think Top Gun: Maverick is something special. Whether it’s a great movie, or simply a movie with great practical action scenes, there is likely something that fans of Cruise will love about the new movie.
Of course, while Tom Cruise may have won a prestigious award for his body of work, that body of work is likely far from over. Cruise has at least two more Mission: Impossible movies to come. The eighth Mission: Impossible is in production right now. He’s also expected to make a movie that will be filmed at least partially in outer space. There’s no indication Cruise plans to slow down even a little bit.
