Though she is only 27 years old, Elle Fanning has been in Hollywood for over two decades now. She followed in the footsteps of her sister, Dakota Fanning, as her first ever acting role was playing the younger version of Dakota’s character in the legal drama film I Am Sam. Her other earliest roles included parts in Daddy Day Care, The Door in the Floor, and Babel. While still a child, she had her first big starring role in 2008 when she played the lead character in the drama Phoebe in Wonderland.

Fanning’s bigger breakout part came three years later with Super 8. Though she has never been nominated for an Oscar and not often talked about in conversation with her A-list peers like Florence Pugh, Saoirse Ronan, or Zendaya, Fanning is one of the most actively working stars of her generation. She continues to be involved in big projects throughout her adulthood, with recent works including her part as Sylvie in A Complete Unknown and her role in the show The Great. Now, Fanning’s latest movie gives her a new record.

Elle Fanning’s Cannes Standing Ovation Record Explained

Sentimental Value Had A 19-Minute Long Standing Ovation

Fanning’s latest film, Sentimental Value, has given her a new record based on its Cannes reception. Though It Was Just An Accident ultimately walked away with the Palme d’Or, Sentimental Value was one of the best-reviewed films at Cannes. From The Worst Person in the World director Joachim Trier, the comedy drama explored ideas of family and filmmaking. In addition to Fanning, the film starred Renate Reinsve and Stellan Skarsgård. Sentimental Value received rave reviews, including a 10 out of 10-star review from ScreenRant‘s Graeme Guttmann, who said:

Trier captures so much while saying so little and, in many ways, Sentimental Value feels like the film he’s been building toward his entire career.

In addition to its positive reviews, Sentimental Value also got an extremely long, record-breaking standing ovation. At 19 minutes long, the ovation was the longest of any film in the festival this year, and the longest since Pan’s Labyrinth‘s record-breaking ovation in 2006. It also now ranks the third-highest for longest Cannes standing ovation of all time since this phenomenon started being timed, also falling behind the documentary Farenheit 9/11.

Sentimental Value is not the only Fanning film to receive an extended ovation at the Cannes Film Festival. Her movie The Neon Demon is ranked as having the no. 5 longest Cannes standing ovation, at 17 minutes long. This makes Fanning the only actor to date to be featured (once as a lead and once as a supporting star) in two movies in the top 5 longest Cannes standing ovations of all time. While this achievement cannot solely be attributed to Fanning, it is a testament to the projects she chooses to be involved in as well as her acting talent.

Elle Fanning Is Set To Become An Even Bigger Star

She Is In Some Other Anticipated Projects

Sentimental Value‘s reception could help catapult Fanning’s already accomplished career even further. With the movie’s glowing reception at the high-profile film festival, it is possible that the film will generate enough buzz to do well in the awards race several months down the line. Not all Cannes favorites end up crossing over to awards season, but several films (e.g. Anora, The Zone of Interest, and Anatomy of a Fall) that did well at the festival also garnered Oscar nods in recent years.

Even if Sentimental Value does not pick up nominations during awards season, the next couple of years are expected to be big for Fanning. Later this year, she will break back into big blockbuster work with Predator: Badlands, which is set for release in November. She was also recently cast in the anticipated The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. All of these films help cement Fanning as an even bigger star to watch out for, cementing the success of her multi-decade career even more than previous projects, thus elevating her star status.