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Carrie (2002 film)
Encyclopedia
Carrie is a 2002 horror
television film based on the novel Carrie
by Stephen King
, originally intended as a pilot
for a TV series in which Carrie moves to Florida
to help others with telekinetic problems, which never materialized. NBC
executives were hoping the series idea would follow the success of an earlier similar effort, The Dead Zone
, but due to poor ratings, NBC soon dropped the idea of the Carrie TV Series. Therefore, the movie stands today on its own as a "modern" version of the original story.
This version of Carrie has only been released on Region 1 DVD.
and gym teacher Ms. Desjarden
, are being interviewed by a detective about the disappearance of high school senior Carrie White
.
The film then flashes back to one week before the prom at Ewen High School. The popular girls at school constantly harass Carrie, with Chris Hargensen
being especially vicious. After gym class, Carrie has her first period
in the shower room and panics. The other girls swarm around the shower and taunt her. Hearing the commotion about this, Ms. Desjarden comes into the shower, and finds Carrie lying by the drain in a fetal position
as the other girls hound her. As she comforts the terrified girl, Carrie asks her if she is dying, revealing she had no idea about menstruation and thought she was bleeding to death.
Later, the school principal determines that Carrie should go home to calm down after the incident. When the principal repeatedly mispronounces her name, Carrie snaps and screams out her name. Suddenly, the principal's desk moves several inches in the opposite direction. While Carrie is getting her things, she discovers someone spray-painted "Plug it up" on her locker, and it's filled with tampon
s. On her way home, Carrie is accosted by yet another vicious child, this time a pre-teen boy on a bicycle. With no warning, his bike smashes into a tree, throwing the boy to the ground and breaking his arm. When she reaches home, Carrie's mother, Margaret White
, receives the phone call from school. Due to her bizarre religious beliefs, Margaret considers menstruation a sign of sexual sin. She beats Carrie and locks her in the "Praying Closet".
The next day, an enraged Ms. Desjarden notifies the girls that they are to have 50 minutes' detention in the gym every day for a week for their bullying. If they skip the detention, they face three days' suspension and banishment from the prom. Chris storms out in protest, but none of the other girls follow her. At the same time, Carrie researches "miracles" in the library to understand what has been happening to her. Eventually, she finds out about telekinesis, an unusual gift that enables the carriers to move or control objects with their minds.
After her lawyer father unsuccessfully attempts to get her prom ban rescinded, Chris enlists her boyfriend Billy Nolan to get revenge on Carrie. At the same time, Sue, trying to atone for tormenting Carrie in the locker room, asks her popular jock boyfriend Tommy Ross
to take Carrie to the prom instead of her. At first Tommy disagrees, but then gives in. After some hesitation, Carrie agrees. That evening, Carrie tells her mother about the prom invitation, only to have her mother go into rage and forbid her to go. Carrie uses her powers to finally confront her mother. Margaret seemingly gives in.
As prom day approaches, Sue helps Carrie prepare for the big event. Tina and Chris overhear their plans and develop a full revenge plan. Chris and Billy kill a pig at a nearby farm and gather up its blood. On the day of the prom, Margaret begs Carrie to stay home and beg God for forgiveness, but Carrie uses her powers to throw her mother out of the room. As the infuriated Margaret leaves the house, Tommy comes to pick her up for the prom, impressed by her makeover into a beautiful young woman.
As the prom progresses more people begin to accept Carrie. Tina manages to switch the ballots for prom king and queen for fraudulent ones that declare Carrie and Tommy the winners. As Tommy and Carrie take their place on stage, Carrie notices blood dripping on her arm and looks up, seeing the bucket of pig's blood placed above the stage. Chris, who has been hiding with Billy backstage, pulls the rope, sending a wave of blood on Carrie, with some hitting Norma and Tommy. The duo ran away, letting go of the rope, which drops the bucket on Tommy's head, knocking him out.
Carrie goes into shock
and loses control of her telekenesis. She locks everyone inside the gym and drops several spotlights on the floor. The sparks set the gym ablaze, causing a mass panic. As Tina screams in horror, Carrie crushes her to death with a basketball board. Ms. Desjarden along with Norma manage to get a few kids into a vent, where they make their escape. Carrie opens up all the sprinklers, then causes the scoreboard to fall, electrocuting everyone else on the floor.
Carrie leaves the burning gym, locking the doors behind her and leaving almost all of the students and staff to burn to death. As she makes her way back to town, she brings the destruction with her, nearly obliterating the adjoining neighborhoods. Chris and Billy, witnessing the destruction from Billy's truck, encounter Carrie and attempt to run her over, but Carrie stops it and sends it slamming it into a telephone pole, killing them both.
Once Carrie gets home, she takes a bath to wash off all the blood. She finally snaps back to herself, and doesn't appear to remember what happened. Margaret, now completely insane, calls Carrie a witch and attempts to drown her in the tub. Carrie begins to lose consciousness, but uses her last ounce of strength mentally stop her mother's heart, killing her.
Unknown to everyone, during the disastrous aftermath of the prom, Sue goes out looking for Carrie and finds her near death in the bathtub with her mother's dead body nearby. Sue manages to revive Carrie with rescue breathing and hide her while the scandal quiets down. Sue agrees to sneak Carrie out of town to somewhere in Florida. As the two drive off into the rainy night, Carrie receives a nightmarish vision of her mother, who warns her that "sin never dies".
s played during the prom scene are those of Dartmouth College
, as performed by the Dartmouth College Marching Band
. Executive producer Mark Stern, an alumnus of Dartmouth, requested a recording of the Dartmouth tunes from faculty director Max Culpepper for use in the movie. After finding the Dartmouth Wind Symphony recording of the songs to be too professional-sounding, he requested a recording that was more "wild and enthusiastic." The marching band then recorded the songs at the loudest volume possible, in order to distort tone and intonation and sound more like a high school band.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
television film based on the novel Carrie
Carrie (novel)
Carrie is American author Stephen King's first published novel, released in 1974. It revolves around the eponymous Carrie, a shy high-school girl, who uses her newly discovered telekinetic powers to exact revenge on those who tease her...
by Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
, originally intended as a pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
for a TV series in which Carrie moves to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
to help others with telekinetic problems, which never materialized. NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
executives were hoping the series idea would follow the success of an earlier similar effort, The Dead Zone
The Dead Zone (TV series)
The Dead Zone, aka Stephen King's Dead Zone is an American-Canadian science fiction/suspense series starring Anthony Michael Hall as Johnny Smith, who discovers he has developed psychic abilities after a coma...
, but due to poor ratings, NBC soon dropped the idea of the Carrie TV Series. Therefore, the movie stands today on its own as a "modern" version of the original story.
This version of Carrie has only been released on Region 1 DVD.
Plot
The film begins in a police station. Several people, including high school senior Sue SnellSue Snell
Susan "Sue" D. Snell is a fictional character created by Stephen King. She was one of the main characters in his first published novel entitled Carrie....
and gym teacher Ms. Desjarden
Rita Desjardin
Miss Rita L. Desjardin is a fictional character created by Stephen King for his horror novel Carrie. In the film versions, she was portrayed by Betty Buckley and Rena Sofer. She was portrayed in the musical by Darlene Love .-Novel:In the book, she at first feels the same disgust everyone feels...
, are being interviewed by a detective about the disappearance of high school senior Carrie White
Carrie White
Carietta "Carrie" N. White is a fictional character created by Stephen King who has the power of telekinesis.In every adaptation and portrayal of Carrie, she is shown as an outcast, loathed and taunted by her fellow students and constantly scolded by her mother, Margaret White, an abusive, mentally...
.
The film then flashes back to one week before the prom at Ewen High School. The popular girls at school constantly harass Carrie, with Chris Hargensen
Chris Hargensen
Christine "Chris" Hargensen is a fictional character created by Stephen King. She is the main antagonist in his first published novel, Carrie....
being especially vicious. After gym class, Carrie has her first period
Menstruation
Menstruation is the shedding of the uterine lining . It occurs on a regular basis in sexually reproductive-age females of certain mammal species. This article focuses on human menstruation.-Overview:...
in the shower room and panics. The other girls swarm around the shower and taunt her. Hearing the commotion about this, Ms. Desjarden comes into the shower, and finds Carrie lying by the drain in a fetal position
Fetal position
Fetal position is a medical term used to describe the positioning of the body of a prenatal fetus as it develops...
as the other girls hound her. As she comforts the terrified girl, Carrie asks her if she is dying, revealing she had no idea about menstruation and thought she was bleeding to death.
Later, the school principal determines that Carrie should go home to calm down after the incident. When the principal repeatedly mispronounces her name, Carrie snaps and screams out her name. Suddenly, the principal's desk moves several inches in the opposite direction. While Carrie is getting her things, she discovers someone spray-painted "Plug it up" on her locker, and it's filled with tampon
Tampon
A tampon is a mass of cotton or rayon or a mixture of the two inserted into a body cavity or wound to absorb bodilyfluid. The most common type in daily use is designed to be inserted into the vagina during menstruation to absorb the flow of menstrual fluid...
s. On her way home, Carrie is accosted by yet another vicious child, this time a pre-teen boy on a bicycle. With no warning, his bike smashes into a tree, throwing the boy to the ground and breaking his arm. When she reaches home, Carrie's mother, Margaret White
Margaret White
Margaret White is a fictional character created by Stephen King in his first published novel, Carrie. She was the abusive, mentally ill, fanatically religious mother of Carrie White, who has the power of telekinesis...
, receives the phone call from school. Due to her bizarre religious beliefs, Margaret considers menstruation a sign of sexual sin. She beats Carrie and locks her in the "Praying Closet".
The next day, an enraged Ms. Desjarden notifies the girls that they are to have 50 minutes' detention in the gym every day for a week for their bullying. If they skip the detention, they face three days' suspension and banishment from the prom. Chris storms out in protest, but none of the other girls follow her. At the same time, Carrie researches "miracles" in the library to understand what has been happening to her. Eventually, she finds out about telekinesis, an unusual gift that enables the carriers to move or control objects with their minds.
After her lawyer father unsuccessfully attempts to get her prom ban rescinded, Chris enlists her boyfriend Billy Nolan to get revenge on Carrie. At the same time, Sue, trying to atone for tormenting Carrie in the locker room, asks her popular jock boyfriend Tommy Ross
Tommy Ross
Thomas "Tommy" Everett Ross is one of the main characters in the horror novel Carrie by Stephen King.In both of the two film adaptations, as in the book, Tommy is asked by his girlfriend Sue Snell to take Carrie White to the prom instead of her. Susan feels guilty for taunting Carrie in the showers...
to take Carrie to the prom instead of her. At first Tommy disagrees, but then gives in. After some hesitation, Carrie agrees. That evening, Carrie tells her mother about the prom invitation, only to have her mother go into rage and forbid her to go. Carrie uses her powers to finally confront her mother. Margaret seemingly gives in.
As prom day approaches, Sue helps Carrie prepare for the big event. Tina and Chris overhear their plans and develop a full revenge plan. Chris and Billy kill a pig at a nearby farm and gather up its blood. On the day of the prom, Margaret begs Carrie to stay home and beg God for forgiveness, but Carrie uses her powers to throw her mother out of the room. As the infuriated Margaret leaves the house, Tommy comes to pick her up for the prom, impressed by her makeover into a beautiful young woman.
As the prom progresses more people begin to accept Carrie. Tina manages to switch the ballots for prom king and queen for fraudulent ones that declare Carrie and Tommy the winners. As Tommy and Carrie take their place on stage, Carrie notices blood dripping on her arm and looks up, seeing the bucket of pig's blood placed above the stage. Chris, who has been hiding with Billy backstage, pulls the rope, sending a wave of blood on Carrie, with some hitting Norma and Tommy. The duo ran away, letting go of the rope, which drops the bucket on Tommy's head, knocking him out.
Carrie goes into shock
Acute stress reaction
Acute stress reaction is a psychological condition arising in response to a terrifying or traumatic event...
and loses control of her telekenesis. She locks everyone inside the gym and drops several spotlights on the floor. The sparks set the gym ablaze, causing a mass panic. As Tina screams in horror, Carrie crushes her to death with a basketball board. Ms. Desjarden along with Norma manage to get a few kids into a vent, where they make their escape. Carrie opens up all the sprinklers, then causes the scoreboard to fall, electrocuting everyone else on the floor.
Carrie leaves the burning gym, locking the doors behind her and leaving almost all of the students and staff to burn to death. As she makes her way back to town, she brings the destruction with her, nearly obliterating the adjoining neighborhoods. Chris and Billy, witnessing the destruction from Billy's truck, encounter Carrie and attempt to run her over, but Carrie stops it and sends it slamming it into a telephone pole, killing them both.
Once Carrie gets home, she takes a bath to wash off all the blood. She finally snaps back to herself, and doesn't appear to remember what happened. Margaret, now completely insane, calls Carrie a witch and attempts to drown her in the tub. Carrie begins to lose consciousness, but uses her last ounce of strength mentally stop her mother's heart, killing her.
Unknown to everyone, during the disastrous aftermath of the prom, Sue goes out looking for Carrie and finds her near death in the bathtub with her mother's dead body nearby. Sue manages to revive Carrie with rescue breathing and hide her while the scandal quiets down. Sue agrees to sneak Carrie out of town to somewhere in Florida. As the two drive off into the rainy night, Carrie receives a nightmarish vision of her mother, who warns her that "sin never dies".
Cast
- Angela BettisAngela BettisAngela Marie Bettis is an American actress, film producer and director best known for her lead roles in the 2002 TV remake of the Stephen King film Carrie, the title character in May , and in Girl, Interrupted as the anorexic girl Janet Webber.-Early life:Bettis was born in Austin, Texas to Mary...
as Carrie WhiteCarrie WhiteCarietta "Carrie" N. White is a fictional character created by Stephen King who has the power of telekinesis.In every adaptation and portrayal of Carrie, she is shown as an outcast, loathed and taunted by her fellow students and constantly scolded by her mother, Margaret White, an abusive, mentally... - Patricia ClarksonPatricia ClarksonPatricia Davies Clarkson is an American actress. After studying drama on the East Coast, Clarkson launched her acting career in 1985, and has worked steadily in both film and television. She twice won the Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in Six Feet Under...
as Margaret White - Rena SoferRena SoferRena Sherel Sofer is an American actress, primarily known for her appearances in daytime television, episodic guest appearances, and made-for-television movies...
as Ms. Desjardin - Kandyse McClureKandyse McClureKandyse McClure is an actress, best known for playing Anastasia Dualla on the Sci Fi Channel's television program Battlestar Galactica.- Biography :...
as Sue SnellSue SnellSusan "Sue" D. Snell is a fictional character created by Stephen King. She was one of the main characters in his first published novel entitled Carrie.... - Emilie De RavinEmilie de RavinEmilie de Ravin born 27 December 1981)is an Australian actress. She is commonly associated with her roles as Tess Harding on Roswell and Claire Littleton on the ABC drama Lost....
as Christine "Chris" Hargensen - Jesse Cadotte as Billy Nolan
- Chelan SimmonsChelan SimmonsChelan Simmons is a Canadian actress, professional model and performer.-Early life:Simmons was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, the middle child of three .-Career:...
as Helen Shyres - Tobias MehlerTobias MehlerTobias Mehler is a Canadian actor who has appeared in film and television productions. Some notable roles include d'Artagnan on Young Blades, Zak Adama on Battlestar Galactica and Lieutenant Graham Simmons in Stargate SG-1...
as Tommy RossTommy RossThomas "Tommy" Everett Ross is one of the main characters in the horror novel Carrie by Stephen King.In both of the two film adaptations, as in the book, Tommy is asked by his girlfriend Sue Snell to take Carrie White to the prom instead of her. Susan feels guilty for taunting Carrie in the showers... - David KeithDavid KeithDavid Lemuel Keith is an American actor and director. He received Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor and New Star of the Year – Actor for his performance in An Officer and a Gentleman.-Career:...
as Detective John Mulchaey - Katharine IsabelleKatharine IsabelleKatherine Isobel Murray , better known by her screen name Katharine Isabelle, is a Canadian actress, best known for her portrayal of Ginger in Ginger Snaps, and as Gibb in Freddy vs. Jason.-Biography:...
as Tina Blake - Meghan BlackMeghan BlackMeghan Carey Black is a Canadian film and television actress from West Vancouver, British Columbia. She played Kat Deosdade on Edgemont, co-worker Misty on Dead Like Me and the Robber Girl in Hallmark's Snow Queen. She also provided the voice for Rogue on X-Men: Evolution, Delancey in My Scene Goes...
as Norma Watson - Steve ByersSteve ByersSteve Byers is a Canadian actor.Byers was born in Scarborough, Ontario. At a young age he had a passion for acting. Graduating with the top award for Excellence in Drama from the Arts program at Unionville High School, Byers continued his study of the acting craft at the University of Western...
as Roy Evarts - Miles MeadowsMiles MeadowsMiles Meadows is a Canadian and British citizen, he has worked on films in Canada, the United States, and France, and has appeared in roles speaking French, , directed by Genieve Duliscouet, English, Italian and Latin, .-Biography:Meadows was born in Labrador City, Newfoundland and Labrador...
as Kenny Garson - Laurie Murdoch as Principal Morton
- Michael KopsaMichael KopsaMichael Kopsa is a Canadian voice, film, television and stage actor, notable for his role as Char Aznable in the English dub of Mobile Suit Gundam and for his role as Commander Volcott O'Huey in Galaxy Angel. He has also provided the voice of Beast in X-Men: Evolution...
as Mr. Hargensen - Malcolm ScottMalcolm ScottMalcolm Fox Scott , was an Australian politician and government minister.Scott was born in Western Australia and was a farmer and had extensive mining interests before entering parliament....
as Jackie Talbot - Andrew Rob as Danny Erbter
- Jodelle FerlandJodelle FerlandJodelle Micah Ferland is a Canadian actress, best known for her portrayal of Sharon and Alessa in the 2006 horror film Silent Hill, Mary Jensen in the 2004 miniseries Kingdom Hospital and her portrayal of Bree Tanner in the The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.-Life and career:Ferland was born in Nanaimo,...
as Little Carrie - Michaela MannMichaela MannMichaela Susan Mann is a Canadian actress, and a member of the UBCP. She currently lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.-Career:...
as Estelle Horan - Erin KarplukErin KarplukErin Karpluk is a Canadian television actress. She is best known for her leading roles in Godiva's and Being Erica...
as Madeline - Bill DowBill DowBill Dow is an actor, director and writer in theatre, film, and television. He is best known for playing Bill Lee in the Stargate franchise. He also had a recurring roles as Russ Hathaway in the Canadian drama series Da Vinci's Inquest, as Mr. Parkman in Pasadena, and Dr. Charles Burks in The X Files...
as Mr. Scharnhorst - Irene Miscisco as Mrs.Johnson
- David Neale as Officer Plessy
- Cascy BeddowCascy BeddowCascy Beddow is a Canadian actor who has appeared in Blade: Trinity, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, Monster Island and the television movie Carrie. He made a guest appearance on ABC Family's television series Kyle XY as Deichman.-External links:...
as Obnoxious Student - Ed Anders as Stern Neighbour
- Laura BoddingtonLaura BoddingtonLaura Boddington is an English film and television actress, who has been working in Canada the last 10 years. She is probably best known for her portrayal as "Millie Hagen" on the Showtime series Dead Like Me.Boddington has had supporting roles in various TV productions and movies...
as Girl in Locker Room (Uncredited) - Paul Dzenkiw as Boy in Library (Uncredited)
- Jasmine GuyJasmine GuyJasmine Guy is an American actress, singer and dancer. She is best known for her starring role as Whitley Gilbert in the television sitcom A Different World.-Biography:...
as Ruby Moore (Uncredited) - Michael J. Tomaso as Promgoer (Uncredited)
Production
The fight songFight song
A fight song is primarily an American and Canadian sports term, referring to a song associated with a team. In both professional and amateur sports, fight songs are a popular way for fans to cheer for their team...
s played during the prom scene are those of Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
, as performed by the Dartmouth College Marching Band
Dartmouth College Marching Band
The Dartmouth College Marching Band is an officially recognized student organization of Dartmouth College, and is the oldest marching band in the Ivy League .-About the DCMB:...
. Executive producer Mark Stern, an alumnus of Dartmouth, requested a recording of the Dartmouth tunes from faculty director Max Culpepper for use in the movie. After finding the Dartmouth Wind Symphony recording of the songs to be too professional-sounding, he requested a recording that was more "wild and enthusiastic." The marching band then recorded the songs at the loudest volume possible, in order to distort tone and intonation and sound more like a high school band.