Adam Sandler, George Clooney’s ‘Jay Kelly’ earns 8.5 minute standing ovation

George Clooney powered through both illness and bad weather on Thursday night as he arrived for the Venice Film Festival premiere of Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly.

Despite battling a sinus infection, as per Variety, and facing heavy rain, the actor was met with overwhelming appreciation as the film received an 8.5-minute standing ovation inside the Sala Grande.

Clooney was joined by his co-star Adam Sandler, who surprised fans by stepping out in a tuxedo instead of his signature casual wear. 

The two lead the Netflix feature as a Hollywood pair, Clooney plays an aging movie star while Sandler portrays his devoted manager, a man who has sacrificed his own life for his client’s career. 

Judging by the enthusiastic reception in Venice, the film could be on track for awards season attention.

In Jay Kelly, Clooney’s character is a veteran movie star confronting the realities of aging and his own personal reckoning. 

He sets off on a trip across Europe with his longtime manager, played by Sandler, as the pair reflect on their choices, relationships, and legacies. 

Baumbach co-wrote the script with Emily Mortimer, marking her first feature screenplay. The ensemble cast also features Laura Dern, Billy Crudup, Riley Keough, Greta Gerwig, Patrick Wilson, Eve Hewson, and Isla Fisher, though not all were present in Venice.

The film carries the tagline, “Everybody knows Jay Kelly, but Jay Kelly doesn’t know himself.” 

Clooney has described the role as one of the most challenging of his career. 

“When you’re an actor in my position, at my age, finding roles like this aren’t all that common,” he told Vanity Fair before the premiere. 

“If you can’t make peace with aging, then you’ve got to get out of the business and just disappear. I’m now the guy that, when I go running after a bad guy, it’s funny, it’s not suspenseful. That’s okay. I embrace all of that.”

Baumbach is no stranger to Venice, having premiered White Noise in 2022, Marriage Story in 2019, and the 2015 documentary De Palma. 

Clooney has also returned to the festival many times over his career, with films including Out of Sight, Good Night, and Good Luck, and most recently Wolfs in 2024.

For Sandler, however, Jay Kelly marks his first-ever Venice Film Festival premiere.

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