Not a particularly deep story, but executed very, very well

Rating: 8/10 (25 July 2009)

I cannot compare this movie to the Stephen King novel, since I haven't read it. So keep this in mind when you read my review.
Carrie is a very socially awkward teenager who was made this way my an insanely religious and deeply disturbed mother. While students laughed at her, they didn't realize how hellish her existence was at home. Sadly, when Carrie does open up to those around her and finally tries to fit in, the kids at her school proved at the prom that they were truly evil and deserved to die...and then they did! The film is very well done and I think much of the credit is due to Sissy Spacek for her incredibly gutsy performance. Not only did she do some incredibly rough nude scenes, show a wide range of feeling but also put herself out incredibly far in order to get the best performance (read the trivia section carefully to see what I mean). The film succeeded more for her performance than the other supporting ones--as it's a lot easier to play a jerk than to play the full range of Carrie's emotions.
As far as the direction by Brian De Palma goes, I must point out that I am NOT a fan of his style. De Palma NEVER leaves anything to the imagination and seems to usually believe that more is best (see SCARFACE). I would have preferred a few moments had been played more subtly and the film been less crude (for a 70s film, this movie had amazingly rough language). But, on the other hand, there was a lot of very creative camera-work and the ending (done in slow-motion much of the time) worked very well.
Overall, it's an exceptional film but too bad there's so much nudity and foul language--as it was intended as a teen film. I do think that it's okay for most teens to see it, but parents should beware that the film does cross the line from time to time--making it a better choice for adults even though the message is one most kids should see.
By the way, the statue in the closet is Saint Sebastian who was supposedly martyred with arrows. In a neat but not particularly subtle moment, this is recreated at the end of the film. Also, if you haven't noticed, Carrie and her mother are VERY similar to Waterboy and his mother...think about it.