Carrie (2013)

Rating: 3/5

Boy, what a build-up this one had. I would like to note firstly that the three star rating I've given here was difficult to reach. I, since the age of thirteen, have been a die-hard fan of both Stephen King's incredible novel and Brian DePalma's 1976 film 'Carrie'. The 1976 movie was just perfect, and almost 40 years later, still gets voted into 'scariest films ever made' lists. Both leading actresses - the amazing Sissy Spacek as Carrie, and Piper Laurie out of retirement as her mother Margaret - received Academy Award Nominations, and their performances cemented the movie as an ultimate horror classic. There are so many elements to consider with this remake; there is Stephen King's original novel, the 1976 movie, and the few original sprinklings this version actually contains. In the name of appreciation for good art, I must insist anybody who has not, read the book and see the original movie before attempting this. I would hate for modernity to be the only form this classic tale is known in.

Carrie White, as the "Greatest Author of the Last 1000 Years" Stephen King created her, was a chubby, pimply, unattractive, abused high school senior, whose years of hatred from her religious mother and evil classmates developed in her telekinetic powers. The delightful Sissy Spacek, with her waifish figure and mousy face, was a far cry from this in the 1976 movie, but still 'odd' enough compared to the other girls. Here, as played by Chloe Grace Moretz, she is identical to the other girls, save for the lack of make-up and hunched posture. She is gorgeous, and everything about her is too normal. Even Spacek's genuine Texan drawl set her apart from the Californian accents, but here there is no concrete thing that could see Carrie outcast. (In the often forgotten TV adaptation, Angela Bettis, who played a similar character in the wonderful 'May,' made the best physical portrayal of a Carrie I have seen yet, despite her emaciated figure.)

So if Carrie is pretty and slim, that leaves only her personality to question, surely. Well, for a recluse, she is surprisingly confident when she does speak, and she seems quite pleasant and reasonable. Stephen King said about his novel, 'I never got to like Carrie White...[she] seemed thick and passive, a ready-made victim.' Moretz's Carrie is neither unlikable, thick nor passive. She seems, all in all, a nice girl who could very well be voted Prom Queen. This throws everything off somewhat.

Now I turn to Margaret White, Carrie's mother, and another of my personal grudges comes up. Originally she was played by veteran Piper Laurie, who came out of retirement to play the role, and she was terrifyingly mad, with particular mastery of her speech. But now, she is played by none other than Julianne Moore. I am wondering if this choice was made because she's the only red-haired actress that comes to mind. I have taken an automatic disliking to Moore since seeing her take over the role of Clarice Starling in 'Hannibal'. I hated, hated, hated, what the character had become, but more than that, I hated its distinct lack of Jodie Foster. I have enjoyed Moore sometimes, such as in the recent 'What Maisie Knew,' but am now thinking that she should never again have an act to follow. Original characters are for her. There are a couple of brief moments here where she is quite scary, but in overall performance, I am once again underwhelmed.

With the characters having such a major make-over, I guess you'd assume that the rest of the movie had been revamped also. Not true. There are frequent spells that are almost shot-for-shot remakes, dialogue and all, of the original movie. The pivotal shower scene is incredibly similar, except this time around everything is censored with steam, and we are still treated to the goofy tuxedo shopping scene. However, I notice quite a few threads that are true to King's novel also, the most pleasing of which being Sue Snell's full plot-line, as well as Chris Hargensen's lawyer father's involvement. But then, to balance those out, come the touches of modernity that are almost cringe-worthy, like the inevitable smartphone filming and YouTube uploading of Carrie's unfortunate shower incident. It makes me wonder what this movie would have been like, if still set in 1976. 

Of the climactic prom scene, there is much to be said. There is very nice chemistry between Carrie and Tommy (Ansel Elgort), who create some the film's few sweet, pleasant moments. In this fashion, they are a very nice update of Sissy Spacek and the perfectly coiffed William Katt. One of the best sequences of the original was the tense build-up to the bucket being tipped over the stage, but here it's not achieved so dramatically. And then, it goes and commits the unthinkable, by giving us the blood shower, repeatedly from one, two, three, four different camera angles. Carrie then goes on to wreak absolute carnage, but this time with a bunch of cheesy, Gandalf-like gestures that make everything feel very stupid all of a sudden.

The kills are far more detailed, extended, and calculated this time though. Each bully gets their own custom-made Final Destination-type demise, with a real treat instore for Chris Hargensen. Things get very dramatic, probably more so than the realms of realism expect. 

Inevitably, Moretz's performance is being compared to Spacek's, but on this topic, I would draw attention to this script giving Moretz much more opportunity to create a personal character in Carrie than Spacek had. This one has more interaction between mother and daughter, and of Carrie in her alone time. Moretz is good, don't get me wrong, but far too normal. So, as a die-hard fan of the original, I have to give this one credit for decent overall form, entertainment factor, and involvement of King's original plotlines. But can it ever compare to the 1976 movie? Never. There, I said it.