![]() ![]() Events like Columbine and Sandy Hill have put a greater weight of responsibility on a director who wants to be taken seriously when working with this kind of narrative. Perhaps the biggest thing working against Carrie is that, since De Palma tackled this story, there has been a marked uptick in school violence. The supporting actors playing the teens in Carrie's immediate orbit - Gabriella Wilde as Sue, Portia Doubleday as Chris, and Ansel Elgort as the dreamy Tommy Ross - are instantly forgettable. As Margaret, Moore's representation of a soul tortured by a warped theology is infinitely more credible than Piper Laurie's over-the-top interpretation in the earlier movie. It's a fascinating portrayal that is matched by Julianne Moore. She presents Carrie as a deeply troubled individual, unhealthily attached to her mother and with no self-esteem. The young actress, who has turned in stand-out work in the likes of Let Me In and Hugo, has nothing to be ashamed of here. The scene is oddly filmed and, not only is it less effective, but it borders on camp.Ĭhloe Grace Moretz's performance is, for the most part, credible. Instead, we have a panic-stricken girl trying to keep a towel wrapped around her as she freaks out. Peirce, out of deference to her star's modesty, elides the nudity. In the De Palma version, this was as uncomfortable a movie moment as a viewer is likely to encounter, with a naked and bloody Sissy Spacek pleading for help from her scornful classmates. The most obvious occurs early in the film during the gym shower scene when Carrie experiences her first period. There are also some odd choices in shot selection. Technically, Peirce's production is superior but, considering the increase in budget and advances in special effects during the nearly 40 years since De Palma visited Carrie's twisted world, that's unsurprising. The demise of the villain that was presented in such a matter-of-fact fashion in the 1976 film is instead depicted in long, grotesque detail. She spends more time than De Palma making the character sympathetic (including a prologue in which Carrie's mother nearly murders the newborn with a pair of scissors) and, when it comes to the infamous prom sequence, she makes us complicit in Carrie's violence. Cohen and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, wants the viewer to identify with Carrie. Peirce, working from a screenplay co-credited to Lawrence D. In fact, the death of the antagonist occurs in a brief, brutal burst that denies the audience the momentary satisfaction that can result from a sustained confrontation. The film doesn't glory in Carrie's revenge. In De Palma's interpretation, Carrie is a tragic figure, but the film's attitude toward her is nebulous. The biggest loss in the 2013 Carrie is ambiguity. In conjunction with a twisted home life, where she is dominated by her fanatically religious mother, Margaret (Julianne Moore), this event triggers the awakening of strong telekinetic powers within Carrie and, as events propel her toward the fateful night, she begins to learn how to control them to manipulate items. Another girl, Sue Snell (Gabriella Wilde), suffers a change of heart in the wake of the incident. Her most ardent detractor is the cruel Queen Bee, Chris Hargensen (Portia Doubleday). She has no friends and, when she experiences her first menstrual period after gym class and believes she's bleeding to death, she earns the derision of the girls who witness her panic attack in the locker room. The title character, Carrie White (Chloe Grace Moretz), is about as shy and withdrawn as a girl can be. Especially in the wake of a made-for-TV iteration and a retread sequel, this defines "unnecessary."įor those unaware of the trajectory of the narrative, it tells of the events leading up to a catastrophic prom night for the seniors at Ewen High, a public school in Maine. Rather than fixing some of the problems with De Palma's approach and trying something fresh, Peirce compounds them. There are problems with De Palma's version, especially in its portrayal of the key relationship between Carrie and her mother, but it's a more engaging and insightful portrayal than Kimberly Peirce's too-slick remake. On the other hand, by not dwelling on the carnage, it asked questions about the role society plays when one of its own snaps and turns into a twisted killing machine. On the one hand, the movie represented the ultimate revenge fantasy for bullied and abused children: a way to strike back lethally at those who torment and marginalize them. Brian De Palma's 1976 adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie trod a precarious line between exploitative horror and serious social commentary.
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