We don’t all want the spotlight. Some days, I just want to feel steady in my skin—competent, comfortable, and quietly put ...

Do Standing Ovations Signal the Decline of Cinema? Occasionally, as with Guillermo del Toro’s 2006 'Pan’s Labyrinth,' in-the-moment hosannas (a 22-minute eruption) correspond with lasting acclaim.

Paul Mescal, right, with his “History of Sound” director, Oliver Hermanus, at Cannes. After the premiere, the film received a nine-minute ovation. Or so it was reported. Monica Schipper/Getty ...