CARRIE 2013 ROCKS!

Carrie rocks!   really. . . there's rocks. . .

I took my mom and two of my daughters to see Carrie.  They are now being seen to by a trauma unit as they recover from shock.  Nah -- it was good stuff.

Do you need to be told there might be spoilers?  I will not tell you how it ends.  I will not tell you if there will be a sequel.  I will tell you that I thought it was just as good a telling of Carrie as the DePalma film. 

Tell ya up front, I liked it a lot.  No use giving movies stars or grades, just saying honestly that I thought it was a strong film is enough.  Carrie 2013 can stand toe to toe with any other Stephen King adaptation. 

Random thoughts:

• The relationship between Carrie and mama is nicely played out.  They love each other deeply, but one is so broken that she is unable to overcome that brokenness and embrace her daughter.  In fact, the moment her daughter needs her most is the moment Margaret's own brokenness reaches its zenith. 
• Though  the story takes place in the present, the world for Margaret White has not progressed  a bit.  Her house seems like something from the 70's.
• I like it that Carrie has a sense of God's love and  rejects her mothers whacky theology.  She is bold, declaring that God is a God of love and telling her mother  that the things she is saying aren't even in the Bible.  Glad the Bible is the standard of truth.
• Carrie's power is not telekinesis.  I don't know what she has, but it's not telekinesis.  It's more like -- the force.  This girl is like Darth Vader.  Her power goes terrifyingly beyond telekinesis.
• This Carrie might be a little socially awkward because of scars from her  mother, but she's not an emotional  weakling.  That's probably good, since Chloe Moretz has an inner strength that can't be hidden. 
• Is the movie a remake, or is it a reimagining of the book?  Both I think.  There are definitely scenes in the movie that were also in DePalma's that are not in the book.  However, the story does more with King's source  material than the classic did.
• Who is the hero in Carrie?  Teachers.
• Scenes with the principal seem forced, rehearsed and awkward.

The story is beautiful  -- until the pigs blood.  A traumatized girl is swept away from her abusive mother by a handsome young man, taken in a limo to her school prom where  she  is complimented, loved on and  affirmed -- and then she is crowned queen. . . that's awesome!  I leaned in to my daughters, "Listen, this movie isn't going to get  better than it is right now," I said as they announced Carrie the prom queen.  "Let's go now."  Of  course, they didn't want to leave, so the fairy tale gets blown up -- scissored -- crushed -- knifed -- and everything else. 

Despite what previous reviewers have implied, there are no swipes or digs at homeschoolers, or faith itself.  I had no sense of a political "statement" being made.  Margaret White is a broken person, so everything in her life is broken as well.  Her relationships are broken, her daughter is broken, her understanding of God is broken, her attitude toward her own body is broken.  It is amazing that in real life I see young people who come from really messed up homes, but they are emotionally okay.  They might have some debris, some small scars, but really they made it through unscathed.  Carrie has  that kind of strength.

I found the prom scene where everyone is laughing at Carrie quite unbelievable.  When someone is picked on publically like that, the response is not that kind of laughter.  That doesn't give young people enough credit.  The whole school doesn't follow the mean girls.  The school was enjoying her  triumph -- they wouldn't so quickly turn on her.  They would be outraged by what was done.

I think this Carrie pulls the viewer in better emotionally than the original.  However, I have never  seen the original in a theater -- that might matter.

Carrie is one of Stephen King's strongest characters.  Emotionally she is able to stand up to and rebel against her abusive mother.  Physically, she has powers that could hold off Superman.  Sign the kid up for the Justice League -- where do you get an application? 

Moore and Moretz Photo

photo credit: JOSE DOMINGUEZ
(www.portclintonnewsherald.com)

Julianne Moore (L) and Chloe Grace Moretz (R) pose for photographers while attending the presentation of the movie 'Carrie' in the framework of the Five Summer Fest of Sony on April 18, 2013 in Cancun, Mexico.

Margaret White Was Right -- Can You Deal With That?

Check out the Dread Central interview with Julianne Moore at dreadcentral.com.  I love this interview!

Moore says that what she really appreciates about Carrie is that "we were revisiting Stephen's (King) novel instead of trying to remake the original movie."

And with that, she makes the observation that there is a lot more character development taking place in the novel than made it into the original film.  I think that's very interesting  as Carrie is a very short book.  Yet is is deeply character driven, something that would become a hallmark of King's work for years to come.  She points out that King based Carrie on two bullied girls, and that the themes in Carrie are "timeless."

Moore points something out that's almost so obvious you could miss it!  Though White is "a bit psychotic," she is actually working to protect her daughter  because she loves her.  That's good!  Wait, there's more. . .

if you think about it- she's right. Margaret White was absolutely right- she said the world was going to laugh at Carrie, and that's what they did. They tormented that young girl, and had she listened to her mother, it wouldn't have happened so there is a sense of truth to some of the things she does say even if they seem crazy or their cruel or they're awful to hear.  (dreadcentral.com)

I never thought about this until now -- but Carrie is as much about parenting as it is about bullies.  I have not gone there  because it would require I try to see things from Margaret White's point of view -- something I'm not excited about.  Yet, parenting does make you a bit crazy!  And people who start out crazy become really nutty parents!  But still, they love their kids.  (Most of them)

Hollywoord Reporter Talks CARRIE With Julianne Moore

The Hollywood Reporter has an interview with Julianne Moore, who played Carrie’s mother in the upcoming film.  Thought he article focuses on her portrayal of Sarah Palin, they did eveutally get to the new film version of Carrie.  Filming has wrapped up for the film, and the Hollywood Reporter asked what that experience was like.

Moore: Kimberly Peirce directed it. I love her. She was so specific in exploring the relationship between the mother [Moore's role] and the daughter, played by Chloe Moretz. She allowed me to create something of my own. I took more from Stephen King's novel than Brian De Palma's original movie. In the book, she's a fundamentalist and has her own church. But in the film, she's obviously mentally ill. 

THR: So you're probably not going to, um, look your best in this movie. 

Moore: It's certainly different, my look. . . . I look awful! I have to do a comedy next! I could not wear any makeup -- it's a long way from the red carpet.

The Reporter then asked how nervous she was without the makeup.  Moore responded that she had to let her vanity go to allow the character to work.  She said, “Anyway, with actors, all our ages are out there for all to see -- you can't hide anything, really. And it's kind of a relief. This is my age, this is what I look like without makeup on -- who cares? That youth culture -- that lying about your age -- it's all denial of death anyway.”

The full interview with Julanne Moore is at www.hollywoodreporter.com

Julianne Moore edges closer to Mama

picture credit: Collider.com

Bloody Disgusting has a new post from Mr. Disgusting that reports it has "inside word" that Columbia Pictures is speaking closely with Julianne Moore for the role of Margaret White.

Mr. Disgusting writes, "Moore is no stranger to the genre having starred alongside Hannibal Lecter in Hannibal and has also played Lila Crane in the Psycho remake. She is currently working on the exorcism fantasy The Seventh Son for Warners."

By the way. . . I like the names over there at Bloody Disgusting.  "Mr. Disgusting."  That's great.  Just who you might want cooking you dinner, eh!

The full story is HERE.