Continuity mistake: When Norma and Helen are in the salon, and they are talking about Carrie going to the prom with Tommy, Norma is getting a fancy hairdo done for the prom. But in the next gym scene, she has her plain braids and a cap on. (00:48:20)
Carrie (1976)
Ending / spoiler
Directed by: Brian De Palma
Starring: John Travolta, Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Nancy Allen, Amy Irving, William Katt, P.J. Soles
The snobby girls vote Carrie Prom Queen, then humiliate her by pouring a bucket of pig's blood on her after she receives the award. The bucket falls on Tommy - her escort and Prom King - knocking him unconscious. Carrie loses control and attacks everyone telepathically, including the teachers; she causes the gym to catch fire and then walks away as the gym and the prom-goers burn. Chris and Billy try to kill her with Billy's car; Carrie telepathically flips the car, killing them instead. She walks home, where her mother stabs her with a knife trying to kill her; Carrie telepathically assaults her with a drawerful of kitchen implements, killing her. When Carrie and her mother both die, the house implodes and is sucked into the ground (presumably to Hell). Sue lives, but is haunted by nightmares.
lil_angel
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Suggested correction: When you watch the movie leading up to that event, it's obvious that Norma is a tomboy, and is always wearing a ball cap and wearing her hair like that. It's who she is and perhaps decided after her hair was done that it didn't feel right and decided to go back to her look.
Carrie: Tommy?
Tommy Ross: Yeah?
Carrie: Why?
Tommy Ross: Why what?
Carrie: Why am I here?
Tommy Ross: Because it's the prom.
Carrie: Why am I here with you?
Tommy Ross: Because I asked you.
Carrie: Why'd you ask me?
Tommy Ross: Because I wanted to.
Carrie: Why'd you want to?
Tommy Ross: Because you liked my poem. Only I didn't write it. Somebody else did.
Carrie: Oh.
Trivia: Director Brian de Palma originally wanted Sissy Spacek to play Chris Hargenson (eventually portrayed by Nancy Allen). But Spacek wanted to be the star, so she showed up for her audition in a dress her mother made for her in 7th grade. She looked so awkward and hopelessly out of touch with fashion that De Palma cast her as Carrie.
Question: Carrie is seen crying after she realizes that Tommy is dead. I can only assume that she actually cared about him but she still believes he was good and didn't take part in the prank, right? And at the end does she actually care about Sue and forgive her?
Answer: Since blood was dumped on him too she must have realized that he wasn't a part of it, so yes, she cared for him. In the book when Carrie touches Sue, they link minds and Carrie sees that Sue felt bad about teasing her and was trying to do something nice to atone, and had nothing to do with Chris' nasty prank. So yes it's safe to say she grieved for Tommy and forgave Sue.
Answer: In this version, Carrie never weeps for Tommy's death, and it's never indicated whether or not she was even aware that he died. And she never directly encounters Sue in this version, so we don't know her thoughts about her either. The film was likely trying to leave some things open-ended, so that audiences could interpret them as they wanted.
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