Rita Desjardin - 2002 Film

2002 Film

In the 2002 version, Rita is portrayed by Rena Sofer and her name is spelled "Desjarden". After finding out the girls not only humiliated Carrie in the locker room, but vandalized her locker and slipped tampons in it, an angry Desjarden hurls a bag full of tampons at them the next day before announcing that they've been sentenced to a week of detention, telling that skipping the punishment would result in three days' suspension and banishment from the prom. Chris, refusing to take her punishment, storms out. The principal reprimands Desjarden for this, but stands by her when Chris's father threatens to sue unless Desjarden is fired.

At the prom, she talks to Carrie about her own prom date -- in this version, she says her date carried a fake gun to imitate James Bond but he ended up arrested. As a result she remained alone at the prom until her father came and took her home. She also tells Carrie that things change, and not always for the best: the pretty, popular girls will be fat, cute boys will be bald, and the miserable ones might have a happy life. When Carrie begins destroying the gym telekinetically, in revenge for being drenched in pigs' blood, Miss Desjarden sends two students to carry the unconscious Tommy and leads an escape through a vent (rather than the fire doors, as in the book). She is the last one to leave and is nearly electrocuted, but survives, and reports the events to Detective John Mulcahey (David Keith), revealing her realization that Carrie had telekinetic powers.