It seems the updated Carrie has some painful new twists -- smartphones and internet. Not only must Carrie endure teasing, it is replayed over and over after being uploaded to the internet.
Lang quotes Moretz, who seems to think that Carrie would not have gone nuts if it weren't for the video. "I do think she would have walked out of that gym, gone home, cried and been fine — figured her life and moved back into her shell. Without the video, I don't think the telekinesis would've taken over her body." WAIT A MINUTE! There was no video the first billion times this story was filmed -- and she still nuked the school. And, there is the small matter of the book. Did Moretz read the book? See, there was no video in the book, and her telekinesis did take over. We do get to see what would happen if Carrie weren't videoed, because that's what happened in every other version! And, guess what -- it never ever ever ever ever plays out the way Moretz thinks it would have.
Uhhhh. . . "With the aid of computer-generated effects" great. Call George Lucas.
But, there's hope:
The filmmakers focused more on the novel than the original film, with screenwriter and "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" playwright Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa incorporating additional elements from King's book.
I kept going back to Stephen King's impetus for writing the book, and that's how damaging isolation can be to people."
Going over this, it does make me wonder if the filmmakers aren't, well, a little out of touch; especially with the kids of today who actually do get picked on.
ReplyDeleteThe talk of superheroes and technology triggering powers (Spider-Man, the Hulk?!), it seems they're romanticizing a very grave social issue; the very one in fact that King was writing about, and in turn was partly what made King write the book to begin with.
When they say they go back to the book, I'm not sure what to make of it. Bullying is more than isolation, and I don't think treating it too lightly will help.
ChrisC