P. J. Soles gives lightly written young women comic energy and an untroubled confidence. We like her best when that cheerfulness has something to push against, particularly the patient menace of Halloween.
Fi1m perspective
Lynda keeps saying “totally” in Halloween (1978), and P. J. Soles makes the repetition sound like a habit rather than a prepared joke. We laughed because she gives the word such easy certainty; Lynda never seems to need a better one. Soles is good at this kind of apparently thoughtless assurance. Her comic timing gives a lightly written character enough personality to register without requiring the film to stop for her. The limitation is that the ditzy young woman can become the whole part, with little left for the actor to uncover.
John Carpenter gets particularly good use out of that energy. His patient framing and ordinary houses make the waiting uncomfortable, while Soles supplies some welcome everyday silliness. The dialogue is one of the film's weaker elements, and a repeated word cannot repair all of it. Nor should her contribution obscure Jamie Lee Curtis, who gives the film its central reason to worry. Still, Soles's comic confidence belongs in this horror film: her casual chatter helps make the ordinary life around Carpenter's scares convincing.
Her film debut, as Norma in Brian De Palma's Carrie (1976), sits alongside Halloween in the early horror work that has come to define her reputation. Here, too, there is a distinction between a memorable supporting actor and the actor who makes us care about what happens. Sissy Spacek's bullied schoolgirl is why Carrie frightens us, though De Palma's attention to girls' bodies sometimes works against that concern. These are strong films to be associated with, but they are a narrow guide to what Soles does.
Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979) gives her the lead as Riff Randell opposite the Ramones, and a more direct use for her lively, rebellious manner. Supporting comedy parts in Private Benjamin (1980) and Stripes (1981) make the move beyond horror clear enough. That matters more to our view of her than the later return to horror homage in Rob Zombie's The Devil's Rejects (2005). We would not ask every performance to disclose unsuspected depths; getting a small comic part to work takes skill. Follow Halloween with Rock 'n' Roll High School before settling for the scream-queen label.
Biography
P. J. Soles is a German-born American actress. She made her film debut as Norma Watson in Brian De Palma's Carrie (1976).
She is known for her role as Lynda van der Klok in John Carpenter's Halloween (1978). Other film roles include Riff Randell in Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979), a part in Private Benjamin (1980) and Stella Hansen in Stripes (1981). She has appeared in later films including The Devil's Rejects (2005) and provided a voice role in Halloween (2018).
