Re-examining The Shining: Shelley Duvall's role in the 1980 horror classic

Viewers revisiting Stanley Kubrick's The Shining during this Halloween season are noticing a shift in how the film's lead performance is perceived. While Jack Nicholson's portrayal of Jack Torrance remains memorable, critics and audiences are increasingly crediting Shelley Duvall with carrying the movie's emotional weight.

Duvall, who died in 2024 at the age of 75, was in her late 20s when she filmed the role of Wendy. The production was known for its demanding schedule, which included numerous retakes with Nicholson and Kubrick. These conditions left Duvall emotionally drained during the shoot. Her performance initially received mixed reviews and even earned a nomination for a Razzie Award, a distinction that was later rescinded.

The film premiered in 1980, based on Stephen King's novel. It has been nearly half a century since its release. In recent viewings, Nicholson's acting is described by some as clownish, with his character behaving like a B-movie monster. He is noted for smacking his lips, leering at the camera, and delivering catchphrases with relish. This flamboyant approach can feel distant from the horror genre's typical expectations.

In contrast, Duvall played her role with a grounded, subtle intensity. Her character, Wendy, is established early in the film as a woman trapped in a marriage with an unemployed former teacher and aspiring author. Her husband struggles with writer's block and alcoholism. He previously dislocated their son Danny's shoulder in a drunken rage. Duvall portrays a woman afraid of the man sleeping in her bed, rather than just the ghosts in the hotel.

The narrative positions Wendy as a competent figure who manages the practical aspects of life at the Overlook Hotel. While Jack sulks, Wendy tends to the heating system, communicates with forest rangers, monitors the weather, and cooks. This practicality makes her later actions believable. As Jack's behavior changes, Wendy arms herself with a baseball bat and keeps a closer watch on Danny.

In a key scene, Wendy knocks Jack out cold and drags his body down a flight of stairs to lock him in a freezer. The ghost of Grady comments on her resourcefulness, noting that she appears stronger than imagined. This dynamic places Wendy in the role of a protagonist who battles the haunting directly, similar to Sigourney Weaver in Alien or Linda Hamilton in The Terminator.

The screenplay, co-authored by Diane Johnson, sets up expectations for other characters to save the day, such as Danny with his supernatural powers or Dick Hallorann. However, the final scenes rely on Wendy's actions. Nicholson's character shouts threats and smashes doors but never manages to touch his wife or son. Duvall's Wendy stays one step ahead, maintaining control until the end of the film.