History Film / Shirley

For the unrelated 1849 novel by Creator/CharlotteBronte, see [[Literature/{{Shirley}} here]].

''Shirley'' is a 2020 American [[{{Biopic}} biographical drama]]-cum-{{psychological thriller}} film, directed by Josephine Decker (''Madeline's Madeline'') and [[TheFilmOfTheBook adapted]] by screenwriter Sarah Gubbins from the 2014 novel of the same name by Susan Scarf Merrell. It premiered at UsefulNotes/{{Sundance}} before being picked up by Creator/{{Hulu}} for wide distribution later in the year.

Shirley is a 2020 [[{{Biopic}} biographical drama]]/PsychologicalThriller directed by Josephine Decker (''Madeline's Madeline''). It premiered at UsefulNotes/{{Sundance}} before being picked up by Creator/{{Hulu}} for wide distribution later in the year.

Creator/ShirleyJackson (Creator/ElisabethMoss) and her husband Stanley Hyman (Creator/MichaelStuhlbarg) take in a young couple, Rose (Odessa Young) and her aspiring academic husband Fred (Creator/LoganLerman). As Shirley writes her new novel - which would become ''Hangsaman'' (1951) - she draws her inspiration from a real-life disappearance of a student at the University of Bennington and her growing attraction to Rose.

--->'''Shirley:''' This one hurts more than the others.

Shirley is a 2020 [[{{Biopic}} biographical drama]]/PsychologicalThriller directed by Josephine Decker (''Madeline's Madeline''). It premiered at Sandbox/{{Sundance}} before being picked up by Creator/{{Hulu}} for wide distribution later in the year.

* {{Pastiche}}: Of Shirley Jackson's own novels, with a lot of ''Literature/TheYellowWallpaper'' in there. Two women are trapped in a house together like ''Literature/WeHaveAlwaysLivedInTheCastle''. There's a lot of focus on cramped, interior spaces, similar to ''Literature/TheHauntingOfHillHouse'', as well as a RomanticTwoGirlFriendship that develops between Shirley and Rose, [[spoiler:Rose is nearly DrivenToSuicide on one of the rare scenes outside]], and Shirley is portrayed as very agoraphobic. Meanwhile, Shirley convinces Rose to investigate the real-life disappearance that inspired ''Hangsaman'' (which she is also shown writing), and there are repeated scenes of Shirley dreaming that she is a witch and imagining various other religious rituals, which were also a major influence on ''Literature/TheLottery'' and several of Jackson's short stories.

* SidelongGlanceBiopic: A biopic of Creator/ShirleyJackson -- told from the perspective of a newlywed woman who comes to stay with Shirley and her husband Stanley while her husband is working with Stanley at the college.

* DeliberateValuesDissonance: A lot of what Stanley does to Rose, especially kissing her, falls under sexual harassment and probably sexual assault. However, this film is set in the late 1940s, so Rose says nothing.

* KubrickStare: Shirley has one in the final scene while Stanley is commenting on her book.

* {{Pastiche}}: Of Shirley Jackson's own novels, with a lot of ''Literature/TheYellowWallpaper'' in there. Two women are trapped in a house together like ''Literature/WeHaveAlwaysLivedInTheCastle''. There's a lot of focus on cramped, interior spaces, similar to ''Literature/TheHauntingOfHillHouse'', as well as a RomanticTwoGirlFriendship that develops between Shirley and Rose, [[spoiler:Rose is nearly DrivenToSuicide on one of the rare scenes outside]], and Shirley is portrayed as very agoraphobic. Meanwhile, Shirley convinces Rose to investigate the real-life disappearance that inspired ''Hangsaman'' (which she is also shown writing), and there are repeated scenes of Shirley dreaming that she is a witch and imagining various other religious rituals.

Creator/ShirleyJackson (Creator/ElisabethMoss) and her husband Stanley Hyman (Michael Stuhlbarg) take in a young couple, Rose (Odessa Young) and her aspiring academic husband Fred (Creator/LoganLerman). As Shirley writes her new novel - which would become ''Hangsaman'' (1951) - she draws her inspiration from a real-life disappearance of a student at the University of Bennington and her growing attraction to Rose.

Shirley is a 2020 [[{{Biopic}} biographical drama]]/PsychologicalThriller directed by Josephine Decker (Madeline's Madeline''). It premiered at Sandbox/{{Sundance}} before being picked up by Creator/{{Hulu}} for wide distribution later in the year.

This film provides examples of:

* DeliberateValuesDissonance: A lot of what Stanley does to Rose, especially kissing her, falls under sexual harassment and probably sexual assault. However, this film is set in the late 1940s so Rose says nothing.
* FramingTheGuiltyParty: Rose knows Stanley cheated on Shirley ''a lot'', but [[spoiler:she frames him for possibly cheating with the missing girl, Paula.]] Shirley, however, sees through this in a second.
* HideYourChildren: Shirley and Stanley had children by the time this film was set, but they are never shown onscreen. After Rose gives birth around three quarters of the way through the film, unless she's carrying her child around (as she is in the climax), her baby will be somewhere but not commented on by anyone.

* KickTheDog: Shirley [[spoiler:does not only reveal that Fred was cheating on Rose, but that he's probably been doing so since the beginning of the year.]]

* NoEnding: [[spoiler:It's never answered what's going to happen to Fred and Rose's marriage, only that Shirley and Stanley are still together (which is a ForegoneConclusion.) Will they get divorced? Will Rose resign herself to living like Shirley?]]
* PsychoLesbian: Considering that she's married to a man, Shirley ''might'' be a DepravedBisexual, but all her fantasies in the film are about women and she is portrayed as so mentally unwell that it isn't clear if she's ever going to be coercive in real life towards Rose.

--->'''Shirley''': This one hurts more than the others.
* WhamLine: [[spoiler:"There is no such thing as the Shakespeare Society."]] Confirming that [[spoiler:Fred has been cheating on Rose for months, if not since the opening, and Shirley knew all along.]]

* MostWritersAreWriters: As in real life, both Stanley and Shirley are writers.

* PsychoLesbian: Considering that she's married to a man, Shirley ''might'' be a DepravedBisexual, but all her fantasies in the film are about women and she is portrayed as so mentally unwell that it isn't clear if she's ever going to be coercive in real life.

Creator/ShirleyJackson (Creator/ElisabethMoss) and her husband Stanley Hyman (Creator/MichaelStuhlbarg) take in a young couple, Rose (Odessa Young) and her aspiring academic husband Fred (Creator/LoganLerman). As Shirley writes her new novel - which would become ''Hangsaman'' (1951) - she draws her inspiration from a real-life disappearance of a student at the University of Bennington and her growing attraction to Rose.

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Creator/ShirleyJackson (Creator/ElisabethMoss) and her husband Stanley Hyman (Creator/MichaelStuhlberg) take in a young couple, Rose (Odessa Young) and her aspiring academic husband Fred (Creator/LoganLerman). As Shirley writes her new novel - which would become ''Hangsaman'' (1951) - she draws her inspiration from a real-life disappearance of a student at the University of Bennington and her growing attraction to Rose.

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