Nicholson's Great, But So Is Duvall

Rating: 8/10 (8 January 2020)

This movie has many classic quotes: "Redrum!" "I corrected them." "Give me the bat!" "Here's Johnny!" But the best has to be when Wendy Torrance finally sees the manuscript her husband has been working on for who knows how many months, and she is forced to realize that her husband Jack is as crazy as a bedbug. And then he comes up behind her and says, "How do you like it?" Nobody plays crazy as well as Jack Nicholson, but I think his flamboyant portrayal has overshadowed Shelley Duvall's excellent characterization of Wendy Torrance, a somewhat dull-witted mother who nonetheless is fiercely protective of her child. It's a truly great performance.