Carrie (2013)

Title: Carrie

Based on the Book (of the same name) By: Stephen King

Director: Kimberly Peirce

Starring: Chloë Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore, and Gabriella Wilde

Rated: R

Released: 2013

Personal Rating: 4.5/6

Oscars: N/A

Plot:  A re-imagining of the classic horror tale about Carrie White, a shy girl outcast by her peers and sheltered by her deeply religious mother, who unleashes telekinetic terror on her small town after being pushed too far at her senior prom.
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Moretz's Performance
I was looking forward to seeing her. Previously the only other movie I had seen with her in it was Dark Shadows. Yeah, I'm one of the odd ones who hasn't seen any of the Kick Ass movies. Moretz plays Carrie in the way the character needs to be played in this movie. Moretz is at first a shy character and then she takes delight in killing those that caused her pain. Moretz can flow through these emotions with such ease that you never question the authenticity of her Carrie.

Bullying
Now Carrie is a character of King's that I connect to a lot. Even more so today than when I first read the novel. I was never bullied, or at least not to the extent Carrie was, but I was always the one in the background that no one noticed. I didn't get bullied to any great extent but it's not like remaining in the shadows helped my development. So I connected to the character greatly. Today I have to live with my Dad who reminds me of Carrie's mother. So when I watched the movie in the theater this week I really got Carrie. The message of anti-bullying in this movie is just as important today as it was when the book was first published.

Updates to the New Time Period
There are now cellphones, Youtube, and Facebook which are used to further along the plot in modern times. The famous scene where Carrie gets her first period now has girls recording the incident with their cellphones. Nowadays this is a great way to get news along. Later one of the girls uploads the video to YouTube which furthers along the plot in a realistic manner.

Final Thoughts
I haven't read the novel since high school and so can't make a good comparison between the two. I got a new copy of Carrie for my birthday and will be sure to read that in the near future. However, I don't like when people complain that this or that isn't like the original movie. No, it isn't. There are changes. Were people really wanting a replica of the original? Did people really want a shot by shot remake with little things updated for modern times? Because that did so well for the Psycho remake! This movie is a good adaptation and isn't a waste of time to watch. Everyone in the cast pulls off a good performance and there is emotion in this movie. If you are unsure, you can always wait until it comes out on blu-ray.
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