Great Characters: Carrie White (“Carrie”)
Carrie (1976) forever cured me of any instinct I might ever have to dump pig’s blood on someone I didn’t like. But I suppose that’s to be expected from a movie based on a Stephen King novel and directed by Brian De Palma (screenplay by Lawrence D. Cohen).
That’s Carrie as played by actress Sissy Spacek.
Here is a IMDB plot summary:
Carrie White is a shy young girl who doesn’t make friends easily. After her class mates taunt her about her horrified reaction to her totally unexpected first period one of them takes pity on her and gets Tommy Ross, her boyfriend and class hunk to invite Carrie to the senior prom. Meanwhile another girl who has been banned from the prom for her continued aggressive behaviour is not as forgiving and plans a trick to embarrass Carrie in front of the whole school. What she doesn’t realise is that Carrie is … gifted, and you really don’t want to get her angry.
The problem is Carrie has telekinetic powers and… well, let’s save that for later. First here is some choice dialogue from the film:
Carrie: [coming down from upstairs, Margaret has called her down after the phonecall she received] Mama? Who was that, that called?
Margaret White: You’re a woman now.
Carrie: Why didn’t you tell me mama?
[Margaret strikes her over the head with the “Woman’s Bible and begins to read a verse]
Margaret White: [reading] And God made Eve from the rib of Adam. And Eve was weak and loosed the raven on the world. And the raven was called sin. Say it, the raven was called sin.
Carrie: Why didn’t you tell me, Mama?
Margaret White: Say it.
[hits Carrie in the face]
Margaret White: The raven was called sin.
Carrie: [Margaret hits her again] No, Mama.
[hits Carrie again]
Carrie: And the raven was called sin!
Margaret White: And the first sin was intercourse. The first sin was intercourse.
Carrie: I didn’t sin, Mama.
Margaret White: Say it.
[hits her again]
Carrie: I didn’t sin, Mama!
Margaret White: The first sin was intercourse. The first sin was intercourse. The first sin was intercourse.
Carrie: And the first sin was intercourse! Mama, I was so scared. I thought I was dying. And the girls, they all laughed at me and threw things at me, Mama.
[Margaret hits her again]
Margaret White: And Eve was weak, say it!
Carrie: No!
Margaret White: Eve was weak!
Carrie: No!
Margaret White: Eve was weak, say it woman!
Carrie: No!
Margaret White: Say it!
Carrie: Eve was weak, Eve was weak.
Margaret White: And the Lord visited Eve with the curse, and the curse was the curse of blood!
Carrie: You should have told me, Mama! You should have told me!
Margaret White: [kneels down and grabs Carrie’s hand] Oh, Lord! Help this sinning woman see the sin of her days and ways. Show her that if she had remained sinless, this curse of blood would never have come on her!
Oh yeah, Carrie has one really freaky mother (played by Piper Laurie). She’s got… uh… issues.
But here’s what everyone remembers about sweet little Carrie, drenched with pig’s blood:
That is one pissed off Protagonist — and definitely a great character.