Marley Shelton

1997 saw Shelton appear in the romantic comedy Trojan War, opposite Jennifer Love Hewitt,^[15] and in the fantasy film Warriors of Virtue, as Princess Elysia.^[16] Both films rated poorly with reviewers and failed to attract audiences,^[17][18] but James Berardinelli singled out Shelton for her performance in Warriors of Virtue, writing that her character is "the only one in the film that we develop any real interest in, and the script, apparently unable to deal with a personality having the potential to display more than one dimension, discards her perfunctorily and inelegantly".^[19]

A major film role came in 1998 with the fantasy comedy Pleasantville, in which Shelton portrayed Margaret, the love interest of Tobey Maguire's character.^[20] The movie did not find a wide audience in theaters, but received an extremely positive reaction from critics.^[21][22] This role was followed by a number of other appearances in films aimed at a teenage audience, including her role as a member of a snobby high school clique in 1999's sleeper hit Never Been Kissed,^[23] a romantic comedy co-starring Drew Barrymore and David Arquette.^[24][25] In 1999, Shelton also played the sister of a newly engaged woman in the unsuccessful romantic comedy The Bachelor, opposite Renée Zellweger,^[26][27][28] starred alongside Dennis Hopper in the independent drama Lured Innocence, and was cast by her father in the short Protect-O-Man, a black comedy about "an agoraphobic whose disorder is augmented by a stalker on the prowl in her neighborhood", as described by Cinema Review.^[29][30]

2000s

Shelton took on significant roles in three feature films in 2001, which despite varying degrees of success, helped her establish herself as an up-and-coming actress.

In the slasher film Valentine, Shelton appeared opposite Denise Richards as friends who are being stalked by an unknown assailant while preparing for Valentine's Day.^[34] Released one week after Sugar and Spice,^[35][36] the film grossed a modest US$36 million worldwide and was largely panned.^[37][38] Mick LaSalle for San Francisco Chronicle, nevertheless, felt that the lead actors were "vivid, and the characters they play are clearly delineated", while he pointed out Shelton for having a "nice gravity" portraying her role.^[39] Her final film of 2001 was the comedy Bubble Boy, loosely based on the story of David Vetter, in which she played the love interest of a man living in a sterilized dome (Jake Gyllenhaal).^[40][41] A CNN reviewer found the production to be "stupid and devoid of any redeeming features",^[42] but Orndorf felt that Shelton made a "strong impression with her empathetic performance and her glowing good looks".^[43]

After focusing on studio features, Shelton appeared in a variety of independent films —she portrayed a troubled modern dancer in the dark comedy

Shelton found larger attention for appearing in the lead role of Dr. Dakota Block in the Robert Rodriguez—Quentin Tarantino horror double feature picture Grindhouse, appearing in both of the film's segments (a cameo in Tarantino's segment, and a starring role in Rodriguez's).^[49] Delighted to work on "playing with the ideas of building suspense" with Rodriguez and Tarantino, who she described as "masters of their craft", she based her character in the female leads in Alfred Hitchcock's movies, specifically Tippi Hedren.^[50] The picture's ticket sales were significantly below box office analysts' expectations despite largely positive critic reviews.^[51][52][53]

In 2008, Shelton had a brief role as one of

In 2009, Shelton played an offbeat tourist, opposite Milla Jovovich and Timothy Olyphant, in the psychological thriller A Perfect Getaway,^[60] and landed the leading role of Madeleine Gray, a trendy New York art gallery owner, in the independent comedy (Untitled).^[61] Describing her role in (Untitled) during interview with Los Angeles Times, she stated: "There's a purity to her. As driven as she is to find the 'get,' the next hot commodity, she also has a pure passion for art."^[62] Despite a very limited release, the film drew positive reviews.^[63][64][65] Roger Ebert remarked that Shelton "has the confidence and presence of a born comedienne",^[66] and writing for The New York Times, Stephen Holden stated that she "gives a bright screwball performance that recalls the frisky young Diane Keaton".^[67] Her final 2009 film release was the independent ensemble comedy Women in Trouble, in which she portrayed a flight attendant and one in a group of several women in Los Angeles whose their lives interconnect in the course of one day.^[68][69] Joe Neumaier for the New York Daily News considered the film to be a "forced, charmless multi-character [production]",^[70] but Tyler Foster of DVD Talk felt that Shelton made a "brief impact" in her role.^[71]

2010s

Shelton reprised her Women in Trouble role for Elektra Luxx (2010), which Los Angeles Times described as "a rambunctious affection for women and appreciation for flamboyant production design".^[72] She next portrayed Deputy Judy Hicks in the Wes Craven slasher sequel Scream 4 (2011).^[73][74][75] Having previously auditioned for the role of Tatum Riley, played by Rose McGowan, in Scream (1996),^[76] she obtained the part of Judy Hicks after Lake Bell dropped out only four days before filming was scheduled to begin, citing scheduling conflicts.^[77] The film made US$97 million globally and garnered largely mixed reviews from critics;^[78][79] Matthew Turner for View London remarked that Shelton turned in an "enjoyably weird performance".^[80]

In The Mighty Macs, an independent sports drama, Shelton reunited with Carla Gugino, taking on the role of Sister Sunday, a nun of Immaculata University and the assistant coach of Cathy Rush. The film was released in theaters in October 2011, more than three years after it was filmed, due to the difficulties of finding a distributor.^[81][82][83] Reviewer Nell Minow praised Shelton, writing that she "shows us how the sister’s faith supports her strength and integrity".^[84] She also had guest-roles in episodes of Harry's Law and Mad Men in 2011 and 2013, respectively.^{[85][86][87][88][89]}

Spanish filmmaker Francisco Lorite's short film Mediation, in which Shelton starred with

Shelton played the wife of an FBI special agent, opposite

Shelton reprised her role of Judy Hicks, who is promoted to sheriff and whose son is introduced, in Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett's Scream (2022),^[111] the fifth installment in the Scream film series and the first in the franchise not to be directed by Wes Craven following his death in 2015.^[112] Her role is one of the few characters to be introduced in one of the sequels and then make it into a later installment, while her character's son, portrayed by Dylan Minnette, is named Wes as a tribute to Craven. She remarked: "I was really taken with just the emphasis and focus on the doing right by Wes Craven, like really creating an homage, the reverence, and the respect for what he started".^[113] Upon its January release,^[114][115] the film has grossed over US$140 million globally and was praised by critics as honoring Craven's legacy and offering thoughtful meta-commentary on horror films, with some calling it the best of the Scream sequels.^[116]

Personal life

Shelton met film producer Beau Flynn on the set of Bubble Boy in 2000 and married him in July 2001. Their first daughter, West Flynn, was born on September 6, 2009.^[117] Ruby Jeanne Flynn, their second daughter, was born on May 1, 2012.^[118]

On May 1, 2010, Shelton was arrested for

External links

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