I’m trying to be a bit optimistic about the Carrie re-adaptation because, hey, if you’re going to retell an extremely famous story, you should make some changes! otherwise, it’s redundant. (also: yes, it undeniably sucks that there’s never been an adaptation where Carrie looks like a normal person and has acne, but… I mean, it's Hollywood. what do you expect?)
and I think there’s a lot of interesting stuff you can do with Carrie. Hell, Interview with the Vampire/The Vampire Lestat is a big hit, especially beloved by this site, and that’s also a TV adaptation of a famous horror book that’s already been adapted into a beloved film, with the time-period getting shifted forward and the story changing massively to accommodate. there’s a precedent for this sort of thing working, is my point.
but then I read the Entertainment Weekly article (https://ew.com/carrie-tv-series-first-look-mike-flanagan-modern-twist-exclusive-12015053), where Mike Flanagan says, “our Margaret White is a woman who fiercely loves her daughter and wants to protect her from this world and the dangers that Margaret’s aware of that Carrie is not. [she] doesn’t know how to do that and thinks the way to protect her is to close her off; not punitively, but to create this private utopia and to let her daughter exist earnestly and curiously and wide open by protecting her from the world. it’s a completely different dynamic.”
and… hmm. again, I’m far from opposed to changes. and maybe Flanagan is either straight-up lying to preserve a twist, or he’s talking about how Margaret sees herself, which could be cool. but taking him at his word… yeah, I dunno about this.
mothers like Margaret White exist all the time in real life; I know a couple young people with Margaret Whites of their very own! and instead we’re replacing that with someone who — unless I’m completely off about what the new plot’s going to be — is NOT a religious fanatic, but instead is aware of Carrie’s latent psychic abilities and is trying to hide her from whatever Men In Black agency is probably investigating. (I mean, that’s the only reason I can think of to have cold-opens about unrelated women who also have Carrie’s powers).
like, it’s good that they’re keeping the shower scene and the climax at the prom, because those are iconic, but I feel like “Carrie White is a victim of parental abuse” is much more important to adhere to than “Carrie White does a few specific things in a few specific locations”. because if you completely alter the context behind those scenes… what’s left? what are you gaining from the Carrie associations that you couldn’t get from making a new show, besides just the name value?
gummygunk
germansingergirl
snowghoul
areudirty
