Carrie:

The
Movie
Review by Ivy
McCombs
Carrie is one of the most well known horror films and horror novels of all time. The
novel written by Stephen King was published in April of 1974 as Kings first published novel.

King is known for his creepy style of literature, almost Edgar Allen Poe esque, but with a more
modern and supernatural twist. The novel was turned into several different movies, remakes, and,
at one point, a Broadway musical of the same name. Most know the story of Carrie from the
original 1976 film that starred Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, and John Travolta in his first feature
film role. Fans of the original and even a newer, younger audience were introduced to a newer,
more modern version of the story with a remake of the film in 2013 that starred Chloe Grace
Moretz, Judy Greer, and Julianne Moore. The remake gained popularity due to an online
campaign that featured people at a coffee shop being pranked by a girl using supposed telekinetic
powers like Carrie has, but none of it is real. The campaign brought several viewers to see the
film, but it was not completely positive in reviews.
What many people may not know is that another film version of Carrie was made in
2002 as a made-for-T.V. film. The film was aired on NBC on November 4th, 2002. The movie
follows the same format as the original film, but it also adds another perspective to the story, and
also has an alternate ending from the original film and novel. In some ways, this version of the
story is the best, and in others, its just average. So let us venture into the 2002 version of the
movie, Carrie.
The movie begins with Sue Snell being interviewed by police officers at the local station.
The detectives are investigating the strange events that led to more than 230 people dead and the
local high school destroyed due to a fire, as well as the disappearance of one student, Carrie
White. Sue starts telling the story of Carrie, and reflects on how Carrie was horribly bullied by
everyone at school, including her. She, her best friend, Chris, and the rest of the girls in their
gym class make fun of Carrie after she starts her first period and believes she is bleeding to
death. Unbeknownst to the girls, Carrie has never had a period, nor does she know about them,
as her mother never taught her anything about them. Her gym teacher, Miss Desjarden, dissolves
the situation and takes Carrie to the principals office to have her excused for the rest of the day.
The principal keeps calling Carrie by the wrong name, making her increasingly angry, and finally
when as she leaves, the principals desk mysteriously moves. Carrie goes to her locker to get her
things, all the while, kids are giggling and making fun of her. As she approaches her locker, she
sees why everyone is laughing at her. The words Plug it up are written on her locker. As Carrie
opens her locker, a massive wave of tampons falls to the floor, throwing everyone into a fit of
laughter. She leaves the school and makes her way home. As she walks down the street, a boy
riding a bicycle makes fun of her. As Carrie becomes enraged, the boy magically is thrown off
his bike. Carrie reaches home and has a flashback of when she was younger. A young Carrie
speaks to her teenage neighbor, who is sunbathing without a top on. As the girl sits up to speak to
her, Carrie notices her breasts and asks about them. Carrie tells the girl that her mother thinks she
is a slut and that having breasts are a sin. Her mother sees her and drags her back to the house,
This is where the first sign of Carries powers appear. Carries mother, Margaret White, is a
severely devote Christian, and seemingly abuses Carrie, but with what means is unknown
because it only shows the windows being opened and shut and loud noises being heard from the
outside. Carrie tells her mother that she has started her first period, sending Margaret into a rage.
Margaret believes that having a period is a sin, and tells Carrie about the curse of blood God

delivered to Eve when she ate the forbidden fruit as a punishment. Carrie does not believe it is a
sin, but instead sees it as being a normality for being a woman. As a result, Margaret punishes
her by putting her in the prayer closet to pray for forgiveness for her sins. The next day, Ms.
Desjarden addresses the girls in her class, excluding Carrie, due to her being excused by Ms.
Desjarden the day before. She is furious about the girls behavior the day before, and tells them
their punishment. They will have a weeks worth of detention with her as the advisor. Ms.
Desjarden tells the girls that she wanted a much harsher punishment for the girls nasty behavior,
but the idea was turned down. She tells the girls her proposed punishment was being denied their
prom tickets. Chris becomes outraged, saying they did nothing wrong, and that Ms. Desjarden
cant punish them with physical punishment and trying to convince the rest of the girls to skip
detention. Ms. Desjarden and Chris get into a physical altercation, with Ms. Desjarden ending the
argument by saying if the girls refuse the punishment and skip, they will be suspended and
refused their prom tickets. Chris tries to convince the girls to join her, but they all refuse, leaving
Chris as the only one who is suspended. Chriss Father, who is a lawyer, threatens to sue the
school, but the school fires back, causing him to back down, and Chris is suspended. Angered,
Chris enlists the help of Billy, her boyfriend, to get revenge on Carrie because she believes all of
this is Carries fault. Carrie starts to realize her telekinetic ability, and starts to do some research
on it after an incident in class that causes her to destroy her desk. Sue convinces Tommy, her
boyfriend and Carries crush, to take Carrie to the prom instead of her because she feels guilty
about her part in Carries bullying. She uses sex to convince Tommy, and he ultimately consents
to Sues request. Tommy corners her in the library, and asks her to the prom. Carrie is hesitant
because of how Sue has treated her, and thinks it is a prank. After some convincing from Tommy,
Carrie agrees to go to prom with him. That night at dinner, Carrie tells her mother of the
invitation to prom, and Margaret becomes furious and forbids her to go. Carrie unleashes her
powers out on her mother refusing her mothers decision. Scared, Margaret relents and allows
Carrie to go. Prom night grows closer, and Chris and Billy plan their revenge. They ask two of
their friends to help and accompany them to carry out the first part if their plan. This is revealed
by one of their friends who is interrogated by police, who tells the police about his part in the
prank. Chris, Billy, and their two friends go to a local farm and slaughter pigs and collect their
blood. Chris comes back to school and talks to Carrie, warning her that Sue is not the person she
thinks she is. Carrie begins preparing for prom by trying makeup for the first time at a local
drugstore. Sue happens to be their and helps her find the right things for her. They share a
friendly moment, and Sue shows that her feelings about Carrie are genuine. She later starts
making her dress where her mother starts confronting her again, trying to convince her to change
her mind. Carrie once again tells her mother she is going to the prom and nothing will stop her.
Prom night arrives, and Carrie is getting ready for Tommy to pick her up. Margaret attempts one
more time to convince Carrie to stay at home, and Carrie once again uses her powers to end her
mothers arguing. Tommy arrives, and he and Carrie go to the prom. Before Prom began, Chris
and Billy set up the bucket filled with pigs blood above the stage, where the final part of their
plan will take place. Carrie and Billy enter the prom, and Carrie grows a bit uncomfortable
because of the attention. They sit with another couple who befriend them, and Tommy leaves to

get punch for the both of them. Ms. Desjarden talks to Carrie about her prom experience, which
calms Carrie down and comforts her enough to enjoy her time. While the couple dances, Tina,
one of Chriss friends, puts the first part of the plan into action. She takes the prom ballots for
prom king and queen and switches them with fake ones. Tommy and Carrie are announced prom
king and queen, and stand on stage. Carrie daydreams about dancing with Tommy and kissing
him, but what happens in reality couldnt be further from her dream. Chris pulls the rope,
releasing the bucket-full of pigs blood onto Carrie. Most of the kids begin laughing, while Ms.
Desjarden and the principal are trying to figure out what just happened. As Chris and Billy
escape, the bucket falls from the rafters and hits Tommy on the head, killing him. Carrie is
thrown into a fit of rage and sets the gym on fire and killing most of the people inside. A lucky
few escaped the school and survived, including Norma and Ms. Desjarden. Several things start
happening around town as Carrie walks the streets to return home. Streetlights and electric wires
go out. Sue notices these and sees the school is on fire from her house and knows something has
gone horribly wrong. Worried, she goes out to investigate whats happened. She stops at a local
gas station, where local police have gathered to investigate the fire and mass homicide. Sparks
start flying as Carrie approaches the gas station. Sue and the officers escape before she sets the
gas station on fire. Chris and Billy are reveling in the rush of completing their prank
successfully, when their friend bangs on the door saying the police are probably going to be
looking for them because of the school fire. Billy and Chris tell their friend to stay quiet, and go
into town to watch the destruction. As the couple drives into town, they are almost hit by a pole
being knocked down, and then after a fire hydrant explodes, they see Carrie approaching them.
Billy decides to run her over with his truck, all with Chris telling him to stop. The truck hits her,
but she is unharmed as her powers protect her body. Her body repels the truck back, causing it to
go airborne and hit a tree. The impact of the crash kills Chris and Billy instantly. Carrie arrives
home, and is still in her telekinetic state. She goes to the bathroom and takes a bath, still in her
bloody dress. Her mother enters, and Carrie snaps out of her state and returns to normal, not
remembering anything about what happened after she was announced prom queen. Margaret
soothes and comforts her, and the two pray together. Margaret then sinks Carrie underneath the
bathwater in attempt to drown her. Margaret is trying to protect her daughter from sin, and sees
killing her as the only way to do so. In attempt to fight back, her body once again goes into its
telekinetic state, and forces Margaret back and squeezes her heart until she dies. Carrie once
again snaps out of her mental state, and doesnt remember what she has just done. Sue enters as
Carrie becomes hysterical, wanting to know what she has done. Sue tells the police that she
hasnt seen or heard from Carrie since before prom, when really she has been hiding her from the
police in order to protect her. When the investigation dies down, Sue helps Carrie escape across
the country. Along the way, Carrie dreams about she and Sue visiting her mothers grave, and her
mother rising from the grave attempting to kill her. She wakes up in the car with Sue, and the
two leave the town, free.
This version of Carrie is creative and distinctive for its changes in story and character.
The films biggest strengths is the creative story elements and the acting. The actors in this film
are energized and dedicated to character. Angela Bettis plays Carrie and is truly believable in the

role. She is arguably just as good, if not better, than Sissy Spacek in the role. Angela is dedicated
and plays the underdog extremely well. Patricia Clarkson plays Carries religious zealot mother,
Margaret White. Rena Sofer as Ms. Desjarden is probably the most dedicated to her role and the
most believable as a protective teacher, and trying to be a better mother figure to Carrie. Kandyse
McClure plays the humble, semi-sweet Sue Snell and plays the role well. Emilie De Ravin plays
Chris Hargensen, and thrives in some parts of the film, but in other places falls short, but that
isnt all necessarily Emilies fault. Chris is a snooty, popular, Daddys girl, that is so spoiled she
expects to get exactly what she wants, and when she doesnt, she will find a way to get it. Where
it falls short is the real want to finish her plan of revenge. The plot is really pushed by Billy, who
seems to want to hurt Carrie more than Chris does. It seems that Billy doesnt even know Carrie,
so has no real reason to do this to her, but wants to because Billy seems to thrive off other
peoples embarrassment and sadness. Katharine Isabelle plays Tina Blake, Chriss confidant, and
seems more maniacal and menacing than Chris does. Tina has more force to her, and just brings
off the air of being villainous. Tobias Mehler plays Tommy Ross and plays the stereotypical
sweet jock, but there is an added element to his performance that makes him likeable. Jesse
Cadotte plays Billy Nolan, and very well. He is intense to the point of being psychotic. The
delivery of his lines and facial expressions make him see more like the true villain instead of
Chris. The scene where he slaughters the pig is one of the most horrifying things Ive ever seen
in a horror film. The rest of the characters are very minor roles, but they are all played well by
the actors playing them.
The film is fun to watch, especially as a Carrie fan. I encourage you to watch the film if
you havent, and see what you think of it. It is arguably the best Carrie movie of the franchise,
but is by far the most creative in reference to the changes from the book. You can watch the
movie on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKASEehJEYE and experience it
for yourself. Also, watch the rest of the Carrie films, and you might even enjoy the Broadway
musical, and see which one suits your fancy most.