Hello. I'm going to talk about this movie as if you've seen it. If "spoilers" make you mad, then don't read this. However, nothing I'm going to say should deter you from watching the film. Just as a movie is never like a book, a blog is never like a movie.
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I bought a Carrie 3 pack at Walmart last night. Carrie, Carrie 2 The Rage and Carrie 2002 TV movie. Of course, the TV movie follows the basic plot of both the original movie and the book. In several instances it draws deeper from the King material than DePalma's. Unfortunately, the DVD has no real special features (other than "More MGM releases." and the Trailer).
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What if. . .
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At the end of the TV movie, Carrie and Sue drive away. That's right! They drive away. . . to where? Some have wondered if this version might have been a prelude to a future series that never happened. (See the Horror Talk review)
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Now, HAVEN is a place where people have these great mental powers and abilities. They go to Haven to get alone. I know I'm making a connection that probably just doesn't exist. . . but wouldn't it be cool if Carrie White lived in Haven? Just say yes, okay.
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2002 Carrie
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I really liked this version of Carrie. It is not a remake of the Brian DePalma classic. No one could compete with that. It just can't be redone. However, for what it is -- a TV movie -- I enjoyed this a lot and it stands on its own two legs.
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The movie is set in the world of 2002. Cars, music, dress and so on reflect a modern time period, instead of the 70's. Nice, since it doesn't harm the story a bit. In fact, Carrie White uses the Internet search engine to research "miracles." Carrie tells her mother, Margaret, that she read something on the Internet. "The Internet!" mother growls. Perfect!
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Several scenes from the book are restored, most notably the meteor showers. When she is born, punished and then toward the end. Also, the line "dirty pillows" is restored. I remember feeling awkward when I read that line as a teen; but it shows just how messed up Margaret White is.
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Mrs. White is not just creepy, she's all out deranged. And what's really scary about this lady is that we all feel like we've known people like her -- or known of people like her. Imagine Westboro Church (the kind people who protest Marine's funerals) meet Stephen King, and WHA-LA -- you have Margaret White.
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As the movie begins, interviews about Carrie are being conducted. I think this is supposed to reflect the tone of the book, which has a lot of documentation to beef up the page count.
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The remembered "plug it up" is replaced with a chant of "period." I know it’s made for TV, but it's not as good.
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School administration is shown in a particularly good light. Not just the teacher, but the principal and other school officials are compassionate, and unusually strong in the face of outright threats. I like it. These people don't fit the mold of what we expect. When the principal confronts Chris Hargensen's father, a lawyer, the results are stirring. It's one of those "OH YEAH" moments.
.If Carrie White and Firestarter got in a fight. . .
The scene where Tommy asks Carrie out to the prom is great. Angela Bettis, who is a fine Carrie throughout, really shines in this scene. Also, the dance with Tommy and Carrie is particularly wrenching. You feel so good for Carrie, finally she is loved and somewhat accepted -- but you know it's all a sham. You hurt for her innocence.
.what if in Haven Carie White found peace?
I particularly like the scene where Carrie loses it. The principal is electrocuted because he's standing in water holding a mike. Blood is everywhere. Doors are locked. One guy loses his arm to a slamming door. And Carrie stands center stage, directing it all as fire rages all around. Totally awesome! Bye Bye school.
.Would you be Carrie White's friend?
A Strong Character
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King once described Paul Sheldon from Misery as stronger than he expected. He said the same about Danny Torrance. I think that's also the case with Carrie. She might seem weak at first glance, but this is a kid who has some pretty deep inner strength. This is only enhanced by the movie.
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Throughout the movie Carrie is a girl who is under tight control. She isn't a babbling idiot, she is simply very guarded. And rightly so. But in almost every scene, it is really Carrie who is in charge. Of course, there are a few notable exceptions for instance, the scene where she gets her first period. However, when Carrie goes home, she confronts her mother. "Why didn't you tell me?" Carrie demands. She is not afraid to contradict her mothers theology. In fact, in one scene she even uses her powers to slam the door in her mother's face. In the end, when the girls think they are in control -- the real result is that everyone else loses control and Carrie stays completely in charge. She moves from the school through the town, knowing exactly what she is doing and how to use her powers to rain down destruction.
.What if Carrie and Danny Torrance got in a fight?
The destruction of the town is another great scene. Power lines fall in front of Carrie's enemies. Vans fly off like cows picked up in a tornado. Fire hydrants unscrew themselves from the cement and explode. And when Billy tries to run Carrie over, he comes within inches of her before hitting an invisible wall. Everything pauses for a moment, and then the car is tossed aside into the trees. This kid is one tough cookie.
.Every school has a Carrie White.
Throughout these scenes, Carrie doesn't just move one object at a time, but the world around her seems to respond to her. The water parts around her. Doors open for her. In her own house, junk steps aside like Moses walking through the sea.
. All of us are a lot like Carrie
What does Carrie do once home? Takes a bath, of course. Fully clothed! Gosh this is good. But even a drop of water is under her spell, seeming to stop mid-air at her simple blink.
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The real surprises come when Mama comes home. So far the stories (book and movie) have all followed the same theme. But this is one place where the DePalma movie wandered from the book. In the movie, Carrie crucified her mother with the kitchen utensils. But the television adaptation has a few surprises of its own at this point. The battle between mama and Carrie is nice -- to say the least! When her mother tries to drown her, Carrie grabs her mother's beating heart -- with her mind.
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The Non-Ending
You expect Carrie to rise up out of the water like the woman from The Shining. But that's not what happens. Instead she is pulled from the water by Sue. But as Carrie stands at her mother's grave -- and her own grave -- we are left to wonder; whose body is in Carrie's grave? Sorry, no hands snaps up out of the grave to pull her down, like in DePalmas rendition.
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Carrie asks, "Where am I going to go?"
Sue says, "I don't know. Somewhere where they don't know you. I'll drive you as far as Florida. then I have to come back."
I wonder if they didn't go to Florida. what if they went to a little town in Maine called Haven?
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OR. . .
Why does she offer to drive her to Florida? Let me suggest this: Sue drove Carrie to Florida because that's where Stephen King lives. Hold on, don't laugh at me. You and I both know from The Song of Susannah that sometimes Stephen King's characters visit him! Who would better protect Carrie than King himself? And what would he do with her? He would take her to a safe place. He would drive her to Haven.
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As Carrie rides away with her friend, the demons she's leaving behind continue to haunt her. She needs a safe place. She needs a town called Haven.
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Soap Box:
There is what I consider a strange flashback toward the beginning of the film. Now, movies do this all the time, but it always irritates me. Carrie flashes back to the day she spotted the neighbor girl sunbathing topless. She is pulled indoors by her mama, and meteors start plummeting from the sky. The camera continues to record what's happening outside. (Remember, this is Carrie's flashback) As meteors begin to shower down, people from the neighborhood are shown gathering outside. But I just don't get it! I'm not being picky, I don't think. How can Carrie remember what people said, what was happening outside, what it looked like -- when she was inside getting whooped by Margaret? I'm not trying to mess movies up for you, but I'm very glad to have that off my chest.
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LINK, Horror Talk Reviews: http://www.horrortalk.com/reviews/Carrie%20(2002)/Carrie%20(2002).htm
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