Gut-wrenching horror that is high school

Rating: 10/10 (1 February 2007)

"Carrie" is easily one of the best horror films ever made, a well-acted, yet difficult to watch display of the gut-wrenching horror that is high school.
Carrie White (flawless Sissy Spacek) is a meek, introverted teenager who is treated with irrational disdain by everyone around her. Her vile classmates mock and humiliate her at every opportunity. Her teachers either patronize her or barely acknowledge her existence (the principal, in spite of being corrected numerous times, calls her "Cassie"). Even worse, her own mother (Piper Laurie, who all but devours the scenery) is a man-hating, religious fanatic who forces Carrie to pray in a locked closet. Carrie's so used to being put upon, she's unaware of the fact that there are actually people who support her. One is no-nonsense gym teacher Miss Collins (stage veteran Betty Buckley), who defends Carrie against her heartless classmates. After Carrie is humiliated by the popular girls when she experiences her first period in the locker room shower, Miss Collins punishes their leader Chris Hargenston (Nancy Allen) by denying her prom ticket. Chris, a promiscuous, soulless queen bee, blames Carrie for her misfortune, so she convinces her idiot boyfriend Billy (John Travolta) to help her exact a truly despicable revenge against Carrie at the upcoming prom. It is also on that fateful day that Carrie discovers she has telekinesis, which at first frightens her but later empowers her, undoubtedly because it's the only thing in her life she has control over. Meanwhile, another unlikely supporter for Carrie is Sue Snell (Amy Irving) who's a real high school oddity: a mean girl who truly regrets her nasty ways, so she attempts to make it up to Carrie by having her boyfriend Tommy (William Katt) ask Carrie to the prom. Tommy, a dim but decent sort, agrees and Carrie accepts, though not without a bit of hesitation and bewilderment. Mrs. White tries to prevent Carrie from going to the prom by nastily telling her that Tommy will stand her up and that everyone will laugh at her. The newly confident Carrie, however, refuses to be cowed again by her mother, and goes to the prom with Tommy. Carrie is euphoric at the prom and Tommy truly enjoys her company, but, thanks to Chris's cruelty, heaven immediately turns to hell. Carrie's pent-up rage is finally unleashed as a nightmarish inferno in which no one will escape.
"Carrie" overcomes its potentially uninteresting teenage angst story thanks to Brian de Palma's direction and its well chosen cast of actors. Spaceck received an Oscar nomination for her performance; a rarity in horror films, but she truly earned it. Spacek makes Carrie a realistic, sympathetic character, and Carrie's innocence, insecurity, and ever increasing fury feel all too real. Spacek was actually in her late '20s at the time of this movie, but with her downbeat posture, wide, frightened eyes, and her long hair that she seems to use as a burqua, she does a seamless job playing the type of unpopular girl we all should have been nicer to. Spacek also does a convincing job displaying Carrie's temporary new happiness and confidence: her posture is straighter, her hair shinier, and during the early prom scenes, Carrie's new-found radiance really transform her from ugly duckling to swan. It's beautiful and touching to watch, and all the more devastating, knowing how quickly it will end. Laurie seems to have too much fun playing Carrie's abusive, Bible-thumping mother, and she's easily one of cinema's most awful mothers, right up there with Mrs. Vale from "Now, Voyager" and Mrs. Iselin from "The Manchurian Candidate".
Two underrated performances come from Buckley, playing the type of teacher we all wish we had in high school (well, how many teachers nowadays would have the guts to punish the popular kids?), and Allen as the bitchy Chris. Forget Rachel McAdams in "Mean Girls"... Allen creates the ultimate popular girl from Hell. Chris is a foul-mouthed, gum-smacking, Bonne Belle lip gloss-wearing vixen who always seems poised to say something nasty, and even her smile is more like a sneer. She and Billy are such a hateful, dysfunctional pair that their comeuppance is "Carrie"'s most cathartic experience.
While the prom climax is indeed terrifying (and the iconic image of a blood drenched Carrie will stay with you forever), I view "Carrie" as more of a tragedy than a horror. Carrie is a victim of our society's prejudice against shy, quiet people. As teens we take out our petty insecurities on shy people by mocking and torturing them. As adults we overlook and dismiss them in the workplace. Over thirty years since "Carrie"'s release, nothing has changed. That's the real tragedy.