Why John Travolta Is Being Savaged for Comparing Himself to Six of the World's Most Successful Directors

John Travolta is facing ridicule in Hollywood circles after citing a string of legendary filmmakers as inspirations for his directorial debut, as critics argue the actor's first effort behind the camera falls far short of the standards set by the cinematic giants he namechecked.

Travolta, 71, has spent more than five decades in front of the camera, starring in films including Saturday Night Fever, Grease and Pulp Fiction, and, as OK! has reported, the actor recently stepped into the director's chair for the first time with Propeller One-Way Night Coach – an adaptation of the children's novel he wrote in 1997.

Travolta's hour-long film follows a young aviation enthusiast and his mother on a cross-country journey to Hollywood and features narration and a cameo appearance from Travolta.

His daughter, Ella Travolta stars as a flight attendant. The project was released globally on Apple TV on May 29.

A film production source told us: "John genuinely believed decades spent watching some of the world's greatest filmmakers at work had prepared him for directing, but the response has been far less enthusiastic than he anticipated. There is a feeling among some critics that mentioning names like Robert Altman, Mike Nichols and Quentin Tarantino has only invited comparisons that were never going to work in his favor."

The insider added: "A lot of people are openly mocking the idea that this film belongs in the same conversation as the work of those directors. The reaction has been brutal in some quarters because the movie has been panned by critics and people feel he dramatically overestimated how much observing great directors translates into actually becoming one."

In a new interview, Travolta explained he drew on lessons learned from filmmakers he had worked alongside throughout his career for his directorial project.

He said: "I feel that in the 50-plus years I've watched directors, I've watched great ones, I've watched good ones, I've watched OK ones, I've watched mediocre ones and I've watched bad ones, and you sift out what they did right, what they did wrong. I only used the successful actions of the great ones – Robert Altman, Mike Nichols, Quentin Tarantino, Tony Scott, John Woo, Brian De Palma."

Travolta continued: "It's funny because you let them do all the work for 50 years and you go, 'OK, this works, that works, that works, that doesn't work, that doesn't work,' and then you put it in a totality, and then finally you go, 'That's how you direct a movie, that's what should be done.'"

The actor also revealed he sought feedback from an established filmmaker before completing the project.

He said: "I showed an early cut to a very famous person who's also a director, and they gave me one note, which was excellent."

Travolta declined to identify the director.

According to another Hollywood source, it was Travolta's confidence in discussing his influences that triggered much of the backlash.

The insider added: "Nobody is questioning John's passion for filmmaking, but there is a perception that he has invited scrutiny by speaking so confidently about masters of the craft. When you invoke filmmakers of that caliber, audiences inevitably expect something extraordinary."

Travolta also insisted he was the right person to bring the project to the screen despite interest from others in directing or producing it.

He said: "Only I can connect these dots the way it should be connected."

The film marks the first time Travolta has directed a feature-length project after a career spanning more than half a century in Hollywood.