R, 98 min.
Director: Brian De Palma
Writers: Lawrence D. Cohen,
Stephen King (novel)
Starring: Sissy Spacek,
Piper Laurie, Amy Irving, William Katt, Nancy Allen, Betty Buckley, John
Travolta, P.J. Soles
Watching the opening credits
of Brian De Palma’s “Carrie”, it struck me that this movie couldn’t be made
today. That’s particularly poignant since they did just remake it and the
remake will hit theaters on October 19. I imagine the opening sequence will be
drastically different than the one De Palma crafted.
First of all, I don’t think
a movie could escape an NC-17 rating today with the amount of nudity found in
just the first three minutes, especially considering that all the nudity is of
high school aged girls showering. It is well known that “Carrie” opens with a
scene in which the lead character has her first period in the very public place
of the high school showers. I’m sure the new version will not forgo this plot
point, but I am pretty sure the MPAA, in their ultimate wisdom, would never
allow the American public to be presented this material in such a direct manner
as the original does.
It’s easy to see how gender
stereotypes have changed since “Carrie”, but De Palma really broke some
barriers here with his movie. The men are completely emasculated. The principal
can barely take the idea of a girl getting her period. He practically runs
screaming from his seat in his first scene. Carrie’s father is long gone, the
ultimate deadbeat dad. John Travolta’s tough guy is practically mentally
challenged, and poor William Katt has no say whatsoever his fate. The poetry he
has supposedly written (he later confesses that he didn’t) combined with those
glorious golden locks of his had to inspire questions about his sexuality at
the time of the film’s release.
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