They're All Gonna Laugh At You!

I have to write this now while it's still fresh in my mind.

I just got home from seeing Kimberly Peirce's adaptation of 'Carrie.' First, I need to ask if the spelling of her last name bothered anyone else as much as it's bothering me. Anyway though, I may be biased because I saw and loved the original. I also had to remind myself that it was a book before it was a movie.

However, they fell short in a number of ways.

1. Julianne Moore was nowhere near the bible-thumping creep of a Margaret White that Piper Laurie was. That is number one because it's the most important. If you take away Carrie's mom, it's just a movie about bullying and retaliation. Margaret White is the one thing that allowed Carrie to be a part of the horror genre. Piper Laurie's portrayal of that character scared and continues to scare the bejeezus out of me.

2. Chloe Morentz is far too gorgeous to be a believable Carrie White. Not that pretty girls can't be bullied, I was. (*yes, I think I'm pretty.) However, I think a Dakota Fanning or someone with an odd look about their face would have been more believable. Cause Sissy Spacek was less than desirable. (Yet again, I have to remind myself... it was a book first.)

3. "I might have known it would be red." While it's become a memorable line.. if you watched the special features on the original film, you'd know that it was an unplanned change. The line was to read "red." They decided during filming that a pale pink fit the overall prom look better. The script was never changed and it added to the delusion that is Margaret White, so they kept it. Maybe them keeping her dress pink in the remake only bothered me because I knew that useless fact.

4. Ms. DesJardin doesn't die. Nevermind that she doesn't die in the book. Nevermind they changed her name in the original so you could say that she's a completely different character. She dies in the original film and for some reason I really wanted her to die in this one.

Overall, I applaud Chloe for taking on this role. As such a young actress, it could have been a very terrible thing. I think this was a good move for her. I also think Julianne Moore would have been awesome if Piper Laurie hadn't done it first. I really just don't think it should have happened at all though. Hollywood should just leave things alone. Quit with the remakes! Ya know?

& nevermind that I saw it with someone that hadn't seen the original & wouldn't stop talking. That's another post for another day.

Oh! and how could I forget all those super extra hand movements they had that girl doing. Ugh. I don't even think there are words for the stress that caused me. Too much. Much too much.