The passing of Olivia Newton-John earlier this month was mourned by many, but especially by those of us who were raised on Grease. Newton-John played Sandy in the 1978 picture, which also starred John Travolta as Danny Zuko and is still widely regarded as a cinematic masterpiece. She fought breast cancer for a long time after being diagnosed with it in 1992; now, in her memory, AMC is screening Grease at a reduced price this coming weekend, with a portion of the earnings benefiting research into the disease. The news, which is thrilling for many reasons, was broken by AMC CEO Adam Aron on Twitter.
One apparent reason is that some of it is being donated to a charity in Newton-honor, John’s but the film itself is still popular long after its first run. For a noble purpose that hopefully will honour the Newton-John legacy, fans will get to experience Grease like never before. This weekend, numerous theatres in the United States will play Grease, Olivia Newton-1978 John’s smash single, in tribute to the singer’s memory, as tweeted by Aron. A portion of the $5 ticket sales will benefit breast cancer research through AMC Cares’ charitable contributions. Her performance as Sandy in Grease is one of my all-time favourite movie moments. I find comfort in singing “Hopelessly Devoted to You” or watching the movie when I’m down in the dumps since it always brings back the feelings I had when I first saw it.
Despite the film’s return to cinemas being spurred by a tragic event, it is still a celebration of Newton-contributions John to our culture; the impact of her performances will be felt for decades to come, and this is a lovely way to honour her memory.