Shelly Webster was the fiancé of Eric Draven, the protagonist of The Crow. She was portrayed by Sofia Shinas in the 1994 film, by Sabine Karsenti in the 1998 television series, and by FKA Twigs in The Crow 2024 film.
Biography[]
The Crow (1994 Film)[]
Shelly could have anything in the world what would he want and Eric tells her that he wants to spend the rest of his life with her. Shelly says what she would want is to make love to Eric all night under Christmas lights despite it only being Christmas Eve, Shelly puts up the Christmas tree by herself to surprise Eric. When Eric comes home he complements the tree and she says that she doesn’t have a star to put on top of it. Eric jokingly says CEST UNE GROSSE PUTE Shelly sleep.
One afternoon, Shelly is at home alone trying to fix a stool saying that she would get Eric to fix it when he comes home as he was good at fixing things. She turns towards the door and is startled to see Eric standing at the door just staring at her. She’s initially happy to see him but grows concerned when he just stares at her. Eric tells Shelly how much he loves her and Shelly tells Eric that she thinks about him every minute of the day and they share a kiss.
Shelly and Eric are both in the bathroom, Eric is standing in front of the mirror and Shelly is in the bathtub. Shelly asked Eric how they’re going to celebrate their engagement and Eric tells her that he planned for them to go dancing, have a picnic on the beach and watch the sunset. Shelly said she didn’t want to go dancing and Eric said that gives them time to kill, and he tries to get into the bathtub with her.
While celebrating their engagement, Shelly and Eric are both on the beach when the sun starts to set and Eric tells her that it’s time to leave. They’re on their way home when it starts to get darker and it starts to rain. Unfortunately, their car breaks down in the middle of the road and Eric has to get out and fix it. There is a car that comes up the road with a gang of criminals, led by T-Bird, and Shelly gets worried and Eric tells her that it’s just a couple of kids. The group’s car passes Eric and Shelly’s car but then they put the car in reverse. Eric tells Shelly to lock the doors and roll up the windows. Shelly starts to get nervous when the group leaves their car and start surrounding her. Eric tried pushing one of the thugs off of the car and Shelly watched in horror as T-Bird shoots Eric twice at the back of the head. The group then breaks into the car and take turns raping Shelly until finally killing her with a gunshot to the head.
After Eric is returns to the afterlife after seeking his revenge, Shelly is finally reunited with him.
The Crow (2024 Film)[]
Shelly is a young woman on the run from Roeg, a centuries-old crime lord who has secured his immortality through a pact with the devil, trading innocent souls for eternal life. In her desperation to escape Roeg's clutches, Shelly finds refuge in a rehabilitation center, where she meets Eric, a man with a troubled past. The two quickly form a deep connection and fall in love, finding solace in their shared passion for music.
However, their brief period of happiness is cut short when Roeg's men track them down and brutally murder both Shelly and Eric. In the afterlife, Eric awakens with a chance to save Shelly, but she becomes further entangled in Roeg's evil when he takes control of her mind, forcing her to commit a terrible act. This manipulation leaves Eric questioning their love, complicating his mission to bring her back.
Despite Eric's doubts, he remains determined to save Shelly. After a final confrontation with Roeg, in which Eric defeats the crime lord and frees Shelly's soul, Shelly is revived on the night of their deaths. Although she is brought back to life, Shelly is separated from Eric, who accepts his fate in the afterlife. The two lovers are forced to part, but the hope remains that their souls will one day find each other again, even after all they have endured.
Trivia[]
- Shelly’s character was inspired by James O’Barr’s fiancée, who was killed by a drunk driver.
- Shelly plays a much bigger role in the comic than she does in the movie.
- O'Barr drew her as a blonde, whereas on film and television she has been played by brunette actresses.
- None of the flashbacks involving Shelly and Eric in the comic book occurs in the movie. Most had been re-written into the script.
- Cameron Diaz was considered for the role of Shelly and was actually offered the role, but turned it down because she didn’t like the script.
- In the original film script there were scenes of Eric and Shelly painting and having a picnic on the beach both of which occur in the actual comic book. However, due to Brandon Lee’s death, those scenes were never filmed and the scenes that were filmed were made into a montage.
- Many of the love scenes between Eric and Shelly were yet to be filmed creating problems during the editing of the film. Alex Proyas has stated on his commentary for the film that he only wanted a montage of the couple and for it to appear as memories. Despite claims, no one asked him to remove the footage.
- In the television show, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, Shelly was a photographer.
Gallery[]
