A shrieking cry in the middle of a sunny day, as the camera zooms up and into the house to show a mother giving birth to a child she almost kills. The way Carrie starts her life is symbolic of how her life will continue from that point on. The time line skips ahead to Carrie’s high school years where she is now extremely sheltered by her devoutly religious mother. After gym, Carrie gets her first period in the shower and thinks she is bleeding to death. Her mother never told her about this natural occurrence because she believes being a woman and ‘receiving the punishment of Eve’ is a sin. The other girls in the locker room hear her scared screams, start to throw tampons at her, and video tape Carrie crying in the corner. The rest of the movie reveals the effects of the video and the lengths that Carrie’s limits can be pushed. Not only with the persecution from her peers, but also with the pressure and punishment from her mother for new found abilities Carrie cannot control, yet…
The bucket of blood slowly dropping as Carrie gradually realizes that her prefect prom is not what it seemed is a classic scene in most minds from Stephen King’s Carrie. Obviously the directors of the movie Carrie thought so as well, needing to replay it four times in dramatic slow-motion. Since this scene is not a surprise to most viewers, I admire the multiple perspectives the story line is shown in that present the pig’s blood scene not as the focus of the suspense, but more the events that occur after the bucket drops. This multiple perspective occurs all throughout the movie and helps viewers see all sides to the story; including Sue Snell a girl who threw tampons but tries to somehow repay Carrie and Chris Hargensen, the girl that recorded Carrie’s mocking.
The transition from book to movie makes the plot more modern and revitalizes a classic tale of an alienated girl pushed to her limits. The actors are truly what bring the story to life; Chloë Grace Moretz personifies both innocent and vicious versions of Carrie. She is perfect for the role being slightly younger than the other actors making the raise from bullied to ‘bully’ an even more surprising transition. Carrie’s irrational religious mother may have been a struggle for others in previous movies to play, but Julianne Moore is a natural. From being stabbed, lifted off the ground, to giving birth Moore perfectly portrays each scene and makes her odd role a vision in many minds of Margret White while they read the book. Overall, Carrie is an excellent adaptation of Stephen King’s book and being made more modern improves the way many see the story and brings more characters to life, I give Carrie an 8 out 10.