Carrie White - 2002 Television Film

2002 Television Film

The television portrayal of Carrie was similar to the original novel, with the exception of her appearance. She was shown as having brown hair, a pale but clear complexion, and a small, slim frame. In this version Angela Bettis plays Carrie. It is implied that she is some shade of Pentecostal; her classmates once heard her speaking in tongues, and thought she was having a seizure.

As in the novel, Carrie already shows some signs of rebelling against her mother's fanatical religious beliefs. She has a cross necklace, but only wears it at home. She also hides teen magazines in her "prayer closet," and secretly reads them when her mom locks her there.

Like the novel, her telekinetic abilities were present when she was a child, giving only one example: the shower of flaming rocks. Her only other telekinetic occurrences happened after the shower incident. However, more examples occur in this film that never took place in either the original novel or film; in one scene, she falls into a bizarre trance, during which she bends her metal ruler and cracks her desk in half with her mind, but is unaware of what she's done until she comes back to consciousness.

After researching "miracles" and finding out about telekinesis, she begins practicing with it, attempting to control and intensify it.

When Tommy Ross asks her to go to the prom with him, she shies away, but he insists and she accepts. Her mother, on the other hand, is completely against the idea. At dinner, Carrie insists, and uses her power against her mother, blocking the doorways and preventing Margaret from storming out. Carrie begins taking control of the situation, standing up for herself for once.

Come prom night, Carrie dons her self-made dress, and sends her mother sliding out of the room when she comes in to interfere. Carrie's stress and paranoia grow to the point that she believes Tommy will not come, lifting things with her mind by way of fidgeting. When Tommy knocks on the door, she drops everything, crashing it all down to the floor.

As the two of them arrive at the prom, Carrie is greeted with open arms, complimented and accepted by the crowd of students and teachers. She actually begins to enjoy herself, and is even more excited when she is elected Prom Queen. While on stage with Tommy, she drifts off into a daydream in which she and Tommy share the dance, leading to them kissing.