Carrie (1976)
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A bullied high school student with telekinetic powers faces a tragic turning point during her school's prom.
The story
16-year-old Carrie White is a shy high school student who is frequently bullied by her peers. When Carrie experiences her first period while showering after gym class, she panics, having never been taught about menstruation. Her abusive and religiously fanatical mother, Margaret, tells Carrie that her period was caused by sin and locks Carrie in a "prayer closet" to pray to God for forgiveness. At school, Carrie's tormentors are confronted by a teacher, Miss Collins, who threatens them with punishment. Amidst the tension, Carrie discovers she can control objects with her mind when she is upset, leading her to realize she possesses the power of telekinesis.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Carrie White is a bullied student who discovers she has telekinetic powers. Her mother, Margaret, is a religious fanatic who views Carrie's abilities as a sign of sin. Before the prom, Carrie's bully, Chris Hargensen, and her boyfriend Billy Nolan plot to humiliate her by dousing her in pig's blood. During the prom, a conspiracy by classmates to crown Carrie Prom Queen is interrupted by the bullies' prank. The resulting chaos causes Carrie to lose control of her powers, leading to a violent and destructive rampage through the school, where she telekinetically seals exits and causes casualties. She then kills her mother after a confrontation and destroys her home. The film ends with a vision of a bloody arm reaching out from the ruins of her house.
- First release year
- 1976
- Runtime (minutes)
- 98
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Brian De Palma
- Writers
- Lawrence D. Cohen · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Sissy Spacek · Carrie White; John Travolta; Piper Laurie; Amy Irving; Nancy Allen; William Katt; P. J. Soles; Betty Buckley
- Genres
- supernatural horror; horror thriller
- Themes
- bullying; religious fanaticism; female development; supernatural powers
- Tone and mood
- horror; tense
- Premise and plot tags
- teen horror; coming-of-age; revenge
- Source material / true-story basis
- Stephen King's 1974 novel Carrie
- Franchise connections
- Carrie
- Reception
- The film was critically and commercially successful, widely cited as one of the best adaptations of the novel and a significant influence on popular culture.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 85 · scale: 100 · review count: 14
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Actress · Nomination; Academy Award · Best Supporting Actress · Nomination; Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival · Grand Prize · Win; National Society of Film Critics · Best Actress · Win
- Production trivia
- It is the first of more than 100 film, television, and theater productions adapted from, or based on, the published works of King.; The film's prom scene has had a major influence on popular culture.; In 2008, Carrie was ranked 86th on Empire's list of The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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