For Travolta, comebacks almost seem integral to his career plan, so often has he gone away and reappeared. Saturday Night Fever and Grease, then the leaden flop of Moment to Moment; in with Urban Cowboy, out with Perfect — and we’re still in the first decade of his filmography. After more surges and ebbs (the talking-baby movie, Look Who’s Talking was actually one of the high points), he took on Vincent Vega, the sweet doofus of a professional killer. Under Quentin Tarantino’s direction he got to dance with Uma Thurman and philosophize about French cheeseburgers. That role triggered Travolta’s longest winning-streak: Get Shorty, Broken Arrow, Michael, Face/Off and Primary Colors. After that, to maintain career consistency, he was almost required to make an expensive fiasco, and obliged with the Sci(entology)-fi Battlefield Earth. Then another recovery with Wild Hogs and Hairspray. Travolta’s yo-yo trajectory continues…
In some families, the girls resemble their dad, the boys their mom. It’s Jane Fonda who inherited her father Henry’s flinty screen persona. Peter, softer and seemingly less driven, had a high old time and, after achieving dopester icon status in The Wild Angels and Easy Rider, relaxed into a semi-retirement from meaningful screen roles. His work as Ulee the beekeeper in Victor Nunez’s 1997 family drama earned him a Golden Globe, a New York Film Critics Circle award and an Oscar nomination. It also reminded audiences of what a precise and principled actor Peter Fonda could be. Just like dad.
As we prepare for the Game of Thrones finale, we recognize Joffrey and nine other baddies who showed us that terrible, horrible things can come in small packages
