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Carrie (1976)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
3 November 1976 (USA)
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Tagline:
You were warned never to push Carrie to the limits. Now you must face the evil consequences. more
Plot:
A mousy and abused girl with telekinetic powers gets pushed too far on one special night. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars.
Another 3 wins
&
4 nominations
more
NewsDesk:
(9 articles)
Top 10 Bloodiest Scenes in Film
(From HeyUGuys. 31 October 2009, 8:43 AM, PDT)
King Not A Fan Of Twilight Author
(From WENN. 3 February 2009, 5:25 PM, PST)
(From HeyUGuys. 31 October 2009, 8:43 AM, PDT)
King Not A Fan Of Twilight Author
(From WENN. 3 February 2009, 5:25 PM, PST)
User Reviews:
the first post-modern horror film
more (387 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) more
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
98 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) |
West Germany:16 (re-rating) |
West Germany:18 (original rating) |
Portugal:M/16 |
Finland:(Banned) (uncut) (1977) |
Finland:(Banned) (cut) (1978) |
Finland:K-16 (uncut) (1993) |
Finland:K-18 (uncut) (1991) |
Brazil:16 |
South Korea:18 |
Argentina:16 (re-rating) (2000) |
Argentina:X (original rating) |
Argentina:18 (re-rating) (1983) |
Spain:18 |
New Zealand:R16 |
Australia:R |
Canada:13+ (Quebec) |
Canada:18A (Alberta) (2000) |
Canada:PA (Manitoba) |
Chile:18 |
France:-16 |
Iceland:16 |
Netherlands:16 |
Norway:15 (2000) |
Norway:18 |
Peru:18 |
Singapore:M18 |
Sweden:15 |
UK:18 |
USA:R (certificate #24688) |
Ireland:18 |
UK:X (original rating)
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
This was the first Stephen King novel adapted into a movie.
more
Goofs:
Continuity: Billy Nolan's car is seen briefly from behind, before Carrie rolls it, and the taillights are clearly those of a '67 Pontiac Firebird. However, when the car is overturned, it becomes a '67 Chevrolet Chevelle.
more
Quotes:
Margaret White:
They're all gonna laugh at you.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "The L Word: Lexington and Concord (#4.8)" (2007)
more
Soundtrack:
Born to Have It All
more
FAQ
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?How many people were in on the prom prank?
Where can I watch the deleted scenes?
more
more (387 total)
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At its heart, Carrie is not a 'horror film', but a film about horror.
The subject matter is physical and emotional abuse; time and time again DePalma returns to the theme of abuse to create a sense of anxiety and dread. And although our hapless heroine is the primary target of abuse (from her mother, her peers, and 'authority') abuse is also meted out liberally to others---violence against women (Travolta/Allen), and public humiliation by authority figures (Buckley/her gym class) also add to the discomfort level (the John Travolta-Nancy Allen relationship is defined solely by abuse---and they in turn are the initiators of Carrie's humiliation).
Except for Betty Buckley's gym teacher, all the characters are cartoonish archetypes---and almost all of these achetypes are brilliantly drawn. Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie deservedly have been singled out for praise, but DePalma even managed to get the right performance out of decidedly untalented performers like Nancy Allen, William Katt (who is immeasurably aided by the kind of meticulous lighting that would have made Joan Crawford envious), and P.J. Soles.
Buckley deserves special mention, because she does amazing things with a completely underwritten role. By humanizing what could have been just one more cartoon (the lesbian gym teacher---lesbianism is never mentioned, but Buckley's subtle performance affirms what she has acknowledged in interviews--that she played her character as a lesbian) she provides a central point of reality that keeps the film from spinning completely out of control.
DePalma's intent was clearly not to scare the audience, but to make the audience watch the film from a distance, deliberately plagarizing two of the most notable sequences in film history---Hitchcock's shower sequence and Eisenstein's use of the three-perspective split screen. The shower scene takes place early in the film, cuing the audience into the fact that this is a film ABOUT film. And in the climactic prom sequence, DePalma distances himself, and the audience, from the bloodbath on the screen by reminding us through the 'theft' from Eisenstein that its just a movie at the most critical moment.
There are two significant flaws in the film. For some reason, DePalma interjected a 'fast forward' comedy sequence involving the purchase of tuxedos--the sequence serves no purpose in the film, other than to restate the obvious fact that this is 'just a movie'.
The second flaw is Amy Irving's performance. Its not horrible by any means, but it just doesn't work. Irving has grown as an actress since then (she was the only decent thing about the execrable sequel to Carrie) but the demands made of her in Carrie were beyond her skills at the time it was made. 'Chris' was supposed to be the conscience of the film, but winds up as wishy-washy.
Oh, and DON'T watch this film on commercial television--rent the video. DePalma engages in some sacriligeous imagery that is ALWAYS cut from the film when it is shown on television---imagery that justifies the penultimate sequence of the film itself, and brings closure to it.