Review: Carrie (2013)

Carrie (Chloe Grace Moretz) is an extremely awkward and timid teenager who has been raised by an intensely religious mother (Julianne Moore). At school she is targeted by queen bee Chris (Portia Doubleday), and her sycophants, though one of them named Sue (Gabriella Wilde) eventually breaks ranks. Although she took part in the lead-up, Sue thinks Chris has gone too far this time by posting a humiliating menstruation moment of the completely oblivious Carrie’s (Mum apparently never had ‘the talk’ with poor Carrie) on the net. Well-meaning gym teacher Judy Greer takes pity on poor Carrie, and also has Chris suspended for the incident, even banning her (and Sue) from going to the prom. Meanwhile, Sue wants to make up for her own part in taunting Carrie by getting her boyfriend to go to the prom with Carrie, since Sue obviously can’t go to the prom herself. Unfortunately, by this point Carrie- who has developed strange telekinetic powers- may be too far gone, and with Chris and her dopey boyfriend set to ruin Carrie’s prom night…everyone’s in for one bloody night.

 

Although I’m far from a Brian De Palma fan, the original 1976 “Carrie” is one of his best films, and one of the best adaptations of a Stephen King work. There was no need to remake it, and this 2013 film from director Kimberly Peirce is the second go-round with it, after a TV version and a sequel that was really more of a remake. Now we have Chloe Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore taking on the roles originally (and in my opinion, perfectly) played by Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie. The results are mixed and the film is definitely inferior on the whole to the 1976 film, which still works perfectly fine today. The director of “Boys Don’t Cry” doesn’t bring as much (of anything) as you might expect to this one. Maybe that’s because it was already done right the first time and there’s no new insight to add.

 

One of the biggest stumbling blocks in the film is the fatal miscasting of Chloe Grace Moretz in the lead. This is a role that was originally played by Sissy Spacek. SISSY SPACEK, PEOPLE! And since the film is so closely modelled on the 1976 film, I think it’s absolutely fair to compare this to the original film over the book. Chloe Grace Moretz is all wrong in the role. Some of the mean girls are less attractive than the adorable Moretz, and a couple of them would make for far more convincing Carrie’s, one even has red hair like Spacek did! Moretz also looks about 13 or 14, instead of around 17, and it’s very, very noticeable (She was 16 at the time, but doesn’t look it). It’s her performance that really fails, though. She already looks like she should be head cheerleader instead of a social misfit and her attempts at acting mousy come off as slightly brain-damaged and cock-eyed. She also blinks more often than a meth addict for some unexplained reason.

 

The telekinesis, meanwhile feels even more tacked-on than it did in the original (Not the best aspect to the film, I have to say), and apparently Carrie’s an expert welder in this version. I wonder if she moonlights as a dancer dunked with ice water, too. Peirce doesn’t seem to have a clue what telekinesis actually is, it does not make you a blinking expert welder, I’m sure.

 

The teen bullies in this are far less goofy and annoying here than Nancy Allen and P.J. Soles were in the original. That’s one small improvement, and despite the unbelievable slap, Judy Greer is by far the best thing in this film in the old Betty Buckley part of the well-meaning teacher. Greer is immensely likeable, yet in over her head. As the regretful mean girl Sue, Gabriella Wilde is infinitely better than Amy Irving in the original, yet another improvement. However, in the crucial role of Carrie’s insanely devout and controlling mother, Julianne Moore ain’t no Piper Laurie by a longshot. She’s just OK, whereas Laurie hammed up a storm and was sensational in the very best sense.

 

One thing I liked about this film is that it captures some of the original’s discomfort. Carrie’s mother is very, very uncomfortable to watch. I just wanted more of it than I got. The film’s strongest asset by far is the cinematography by Steve Yedlin, it’s a very, very good-looking film. But the whole thing is just too tame, only going balls-out at the finale. As was the case in the original, the bloody prom climax is the film’s best part, though it’s certainly inferior. Still, it’s as nihilistic as you can probably get in a teen horror flick from 2013 hoping to rake in big bucks at the box-office.

 

Pretty much as it was in 1976 minus any of the impact. There are fine elements, but it’s not as good, graphic, or fresh as the original. It’s “Carrie” for Twi-hards, and hell the ending might be even worse than the goofy ‘shock’ of the original.

 

Rating: C+