"It has nothing to do with Satan, Mama. It's me. Me."

Review: Carrie (1976)

An Augustus Rating of 8/10

For my last post for the week, I decided to do a movie from the 70s based on Stephen King's novel, Carrie. This movie stars Sissy Spacek as Carrie, Piper Laurie as Carrie's Mother, Amy Irving as Sue Snell and William Katt as Tommy Ross. Carrie is sure to leave shivers down your spine as this young ostracized girl becomes the terror of the town. 

Carrie is a young teenage girl who lives with her insane Christian fundamentalist mother. Carrie is shy and is usually abused and harassed by her mother and the girls at school. After gym class one day, Carrie experiences her first period while taking a shower. Because of her sheltered life, she becomes frightened that she is dying. The other girls begin to laugh and throw tampons and pads at her until the gym teacher intervenes. Before she helps Carrie, a light bulb bursts above them.

Carrie is taken to the principal's office where the principal is constantly mispronouncing Carrie's name. As she tries to correct her, the principal tells Carrie that it is because she is so isolated that nobody can even remember her name. At the same moment, an ashtray on the desk mysteriously falls off the table and smashes. 

On Carrie's way home, a boy on a bike begins to tease her. Carrie angrily glances at him and the boy all of a sudden falls off his bike. At home, Carrie's Mother receives a phone call from the school, telling her of the shower incident. Carrie's Mother immediately tells them that it was an act of God, that Carrie has sinned. She locks Carrie in  closet, forcing her to pray. Frightened Carrie trembles in front of a mirror until it shatters. 

The next day, a popular boy Tommy, defends Carrie after the class has mocked her and his girlfriend, who teased her prior, tells him to ask Carrie to the prom as an apology for making fun of her. He continually asks Carrie but fearing it is another trick, she refuses. Carrie in the mean time finds out that she has the power of telekinesis after researching it in the library. Tommy continues to ask Carrie until she finally agrees to go to prom. 

Ecstatic Carrie tells her mother about prom only to be scolded and beaten. Carrie begins to get angry and starts to use her powers to break windows in her house. Her mother becomes hysterical and yells that it is the power of Satan causing her daughter to act this way. 

Before the prom, the remainder of the popular girls who teased Carrie decided to play a prank on her at prom. They go to a pig farm and kill a pig. They drain the blood and flesh into a bucket and proceed to the prom.

At prom, Carrie and Tommy are crowned prom King and Queen and Carrie is absolutely thrilled. She stood on stage wearing the crown and for the first time, felt happy. Just as she was crowned, the bucket of pig's flesh falls onto Carrie and she is drenched in blood. The kids begin to laugh at her and Carrie finally snaps. Her powers take over and now, nothing can stop her. 

Carrie was regarded as one of the best films of its decade. It received numerous awards including Best Actress and went on to become one of the most popular watched films. 

- Augustus