A cinematic icon: The five most underrated Shelley Duvall performances
Throughout the 1970s and ‘80s, Shelley Duvall was one of the most compelling and recognisable stars in Hollywood. However, on July 11th, 2024, Duvall sadly passed away in her sleep at the age of 75. She is remembered for her captivating screen presence, appearing in many popular films where she proved herself to be a true talent.
The actor began her career after she bumped into Robert Altman by chance. She was persuaded to appear in his film Brewster McCloud, even though she was not an actor, simply because she had such an unforgettable energy. She radiated with such a distinctive presence within every scene while eventually shooting the movie, and Altman knew that he’d struck gold. She became one of his most regular collaborators as a result, appearing in several movies of his, such as Nashville and 3 Women.
Her performance in the latter was highly revered, cementing her as an important Hollywood star. In 1980, she appeared in The Shining, directed by Stanley Kubrick, where she was forced to work considerably harder than her co-star Jack Nicholson. She was made to do countless takes of emotionally draining scenes, and many viewers subsequently criticised her portrayal of Wendy, believing her to be too over-the-top. Since then, her performance has been reappraised and commended, but it significantly – and wrongly – tarnished her reputation for years.
Later, she took a break from acting in the early 2000s, only returning in 2023 for The Forest Hills. Duvall’s best roles are typically regarded as those she performed under the direction of Altman, as well as Wendy in The Shining and Pansy in The Time Bandits. Yet, she has many more great, albeit lesser known, performances that are worth discussing, such as her small part in Annie Hall to her supporting role in Roxanne.
Five underrated Shelley Duvall performances:
Annie Hall (Woody Allen, 1977)
By this point in her career, Duvall was landing leading parts, but she happily agreed to act in a small segment of Woody Allen’s seminal comedy Annie Hall. The self-deprecating director/star attempts to navigate a relationship and subsequent breakup throughout the course of the film, returning to the dating scene in the hopes of getting over Annie. During this time, he dates Duvall’s Pam, a Rolling Stone reporter whose stories of meeting the Stones and seeing Bob Dylan don’t interest Allen’s Alvy in the slightest.
Duvall subsequently delivers a series of fantastic lines while wearing her hair in tight plaits. “Sex with you is really a Kafkaesque experience,” she says in a meaningful, serious tone. After Alvy suggests that too much emphasis is placed on orgasming “to make up for the empty areas in life,” she replies in a deadpan, genuinely inquisitive tone, “Who said that?”. It’s a small but memorable role that demonstrated her ability to deliver comedic lines with impeccable ease.
Frankeenweenie (Tim Burton, 1984)
In the mid-80s, Tim Burton made one of his early short films, Frankenweenie, before he had yet to make a full feature. The live-action horror/sci-fi movie, which he eventually remade as an animated film in 2012, starred Duvall as the mother of Victor, a young boy who experiments with bringing his dog back to life after he dies. Although Duvall’s Susan Frankenstein isn’t the main focus of the film, she gives a charming performance as his highly understanding and sympathetic parent.
Two years later, the actor would invite Burton to direct the episode Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp from her Faerie Tale Theatre anthology series, clearly impressed by his skills. The pair didn’t collaborate again, but her part in Frankenweenie is reflective of her ability to imbue every film with a certain sweetness.
Rapunzel (Gilbert Cates, 1983)
Not only did Duvall star in movies by acclaimed writer/directors like Altman, Burton and Allen, but she also worked behind the scenes herself. She became the executive producer of Faerie Tale Theatre in the early ‘80s, also starring in some of the episodes. The anthology show features interpretations of different fairytale stories, like Rumpelstiltskin, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and Rapunzel. Due to her penchant for fantasy and otherworldly movies, Duvall was the perfect cast member.
Her performance in Rapunzel is highly underrated, with her innate gentleness perfectly suiting her role as the princess. She starred alongside a young Jeff Bridges, who portrayed the prince, while the iconic Gena Rowlands was even featured as the evil witch, and Roddy McDowall provided narration.
Twilight of the Ice Nymphs (Guy Maddin, 1997)
Experimental filmmaker Guy Maddin recruited Duvall for his brightly-coloured spectacle Twilight of the Ice Nymphs in 1997. The film is a bizarre fantasy romance, with Duvall starring as Amelia, the sister of Peter, who has just come back from prison. She runs an ostrich farm, but the film sees her get a little more violent than you’d expect. Shot in ultra soft-focus, it’s ridiculously stylised and perhaps the most experimental piece of work Duvall ever starred in.
Discussing his time working with Duvall on the film, Maddin posted on Instagram, “What an astonishingly warm and wonderful person she was! Pure delight, generous with laughter and stories (Kubrick! Altman!), and alarmingly friendly with everyone she met.” Twilight of the Ice Nymphs might not be the best project she was ever in, but it is certainly an underrated gem.
Roxanne (Fred Schepisi, 1981)
Duvall showed her propensity for comedy once again with Roxanne, in which she played a supporting role. Portraying Dixie, a close friend of the main character, Steve Martin’s Charlie ‘C.D’ Bates, she is naturally humorous and a joy to witness performing on screen. It was the only movie she starred in between 1984 and 1991 – she was more active on television during this time – but it proved that she was still a coveted movie star, her presence actively missed when she wasn’t starring on the silver screen.
The movie, a reimagining of the classic Cyrano de Bergerac story, was well-received and praised for its humour, but it seems as though it is often forgotten in the grand scheme of Duvall’s career. Yet, as always, she is delightful, and her character often steals the show due to her captivating presence.
