"CARRIE" (1976)

/

IC1

Screenplay by

D. Lawrence Cohen

based on the novel

by

Stephen King

SECONDDRAFT

20 January 1976

)

r "CARRIE"

FADE IN:

From an absolutely glistening WHITE -- an image which first appears to be a brilliantly shining glass globe, and then gradually becomes more of a piece of solid matter, less of a mystery~ It's the

FILLING THE FRAME like a picture postcard. Modest, old-fashioned, spotless -- a vision of small town normalcy and virtue.

This is the home of MARGARET WHITE and her daughter CARRIE. It seems to have been scrubbed from roof to porch; it is white. Even the lawn seems to have been washed and bleached. Antiseptic.

We hear a woman's voice:

The voice is distant but insistent. It is heard, in perspective, through the following prologue, which initially involves:

An All-American sunbathing beauty of eighteen, gett1ng the tan of her life with only a skimpy white bikini running interference between her skin and t~e sun.

The CAMERA SLOWLY PANS OVERthe expanse of her body luxuriantly, taking it in inch for inch as she dreamily rubs in suntan lotion and licks her lips. The MUSIC is coming from a transistor radio by her side; she's on a beach blanket in the Horan back yard.

3 DOWNWARDS ANGLE- STELLA 3

as she senses someone standing over her, someone staring at her body through the half-grown hedge which separates the Horan yard from the White house next door.

VOICE (o.s.)

r

What are those?

A terribly appealing little girl,a child of indeter- minate age. Pink cheeks, a halo ofblonde-white hai~ which will darken in time. What setsher apart from other children, however, are a pair ofbright button brown eyes; and it is these eyes thatwe notice as she peers at Stella through the hedge.

3tella looks where Carrie is pointing: the top of her bikini has slipped, just barely revealingher breasts -- white against the golden tan. Stellaadjusts her suit -- not out of any particular modesty ofher own ,.. but as a reflex at being staredat so strangely. ,'

r STELIA

(at something of a loss) Well, I'm a good girl. And besides, doesn't your motherhave breasts?

5 CARRIE 5

glances anxiously at the mentionof her: mother at the White house next door. She swallowsher words so that all Stella and we hear is:

6 STELIA 6 r-·· Incredulous. But she senses thatCarrie isboth per- fectly serious and quiteworried, and she too glance3 warily over at the White house justbeyond the half- grown hedge.

She kneels next to Carrie and triesto laugh itoff.

7 CARRIE 7

clearly torn -- tempted but in theclutch of some weird terror -- as if she expectedthe earthto open and swallow her up. She shakesher head.

Carrie -- now really scared --shakes her head and disappears farther into thehedge.

And just at that moment,a figure appears in a second- story window in theWhite House. Although Stella and we really can't see distinctlythrough the sun's glare, it's unmistakably MARGARETWHITE. The moment this big woman sees her daughterwith Stella, she letsout a bloodcurdling scream:

8 CARRIE, STELIA 8

Both frozen by this terrible sound.

as she sucks in her breath, quiveringwith fright, looking as if she might faint. She looksquickly to Stella, then back at theWhite house, then back to Stella. For the merest flash, sheseems tosmile -- or is she about to cry?

And then, she's gone -- runningaround the hedge and then up the porch stairsand into theWhite house as fast as her legs can carry her.

10 STELIA 10

stands there, riveted. Not knowingwhat's happened, what to do. It's utterly silentfor a moment.

And then, an incredible CACOPHONY of strange sounds starts coming from theWhite house --an unearthly babble as Margaret White screams, rants,and screeches; as Carrie sobs that she's sorry, that sheforgot.

11 THE HORAN HOUSE 11

as MRS. HORAN-- in an old housedress with the hem falling down the back -- rushes out in answer to her daughter's call.

12 THE WHITE HOUSE 12

The sun glistening brilliantly on it as in the opening shot. Again, it should appear like a huge glass globe over which we counterpoint one mother/daughter dialogue with the less distinct babble of another:

which continues over:

Their eyes riveted on the house -- trying, squinting to see through the sun's terrible glare.

At this point, the hysteric babble reaches its cres- cendo; we should be able to pick out phrases in this cacophony as Margaret rants at Carrie to go into her closet and pray for forgiveness; as Carrie's fright- ened little voice proclaims that she forgot, that she's sorry. And then suddenly, the screaming stops and it's quiet -- dead quiet.

r 14 THE WHITE HOUSE 14

as it becoI?Esmore distinct, visible. There's a low WHISTLING SOUND, and then what appears to be a stone the size of a small pebble lands on the roof.

Another, slightly larger one appears a second or two later. And then another, and another, and ...

squinting, blinking at the pebbles which are coming down like marbles...

16 THE WHITE HOUSE 16

as it's pelted with what are now even larger stones -- WHISTLING, SCREAMING in the air like miniature bombs.

Stones from a perfectly blue summer day.

Stones ranging in size from marbles to handballs.

One of them hits a downspout, knocking it onto the lawn. CRASHING, CRACKING SOUNDSas these pieces of granite tear into the stucco roofing, leaving holes.

The effect is that of a drum being bombarded.

Frozen to the spot: Mrs. Horan with her hands over her ears, her screams blending with the SOUNDof larger and larger stones as they pelt the house and we hear Margaret throughout screaming:

Stella is clutching Mrs. Horan like a child terrified by the freakiest of summer storms -- a healthy young woman a·sher figure in the bikini testifies, but a child nonetheless, this nightmarish moment.

18 THE HOUSE 18

as still larger stones hail from the sky.

And then just as suddenly and inexplicably as they began, just as incredibly as they started, they sto~.

TWOSHOT - THE WOMEN 19

Mrs. Horan with her hands still over her ears, her daughter standing next to her, transfixed on the lawn. Once ag~in, it's quiet.

20 THE WHITE HOUSE 20

as one final stone -- this one the size of a mere pebble, a small mothball -- falls from the roof and plops onto the lawn.

The image grows lighter and ligher. All the color see!llStoble1ch out, turning the screen once again into an incredible, silently blazing white.

As the colors bleach out, we go directly into the

MAIN TITLES .

Now some years later -- and no longer glistening so whitely or mysteriously. We see the front of the house as the door flies open. Carrie, now sixteen or seventeen, appears in the doorway, carrying school books. As she comes out on the porch, the screen door bangs behind her.

( CONTJNUED)

She is wearing a shapeless, drabdress --much too long, not so much out of style as utterlywithout style. What remains in this adolescentgirl that links her with the pretty child we glimpsed inthe prologue are those remarkable eyes.

As she comes down the porch stairs,we hear:

Carrie stops, turns to reply, intothe house.

A moment of hesitation on Carrie'spart, a very slight hint of rebellion. But:

Then she turns, walks to the street,gathering pace, quickening.

As Carrie walks down the path fromthe porch and turns at the sidewalk, in the course ofwhich shepasses by where the Horans used to live. Only the Horans no longer live here. No one does. It's a vacant lot with a FOR SALE sign out front,with overgrownweeds. From the looks of them, the ho~se vanisr.eda lo~g time ago.

Carrie is walking to school, the sun shiningbrightly above her. The farther she gets fromher house, the livelier she seems. We sense that underneath this drab dress is a girl pushing out,an altogether different creature than her appearancewould suggest. And to help persuade us about thispossibility, there is MUSIC.

24 BOBBYERBETER 24

about five, BOBBYbikes on theother side of one of the streets, keeping pacewith Carrie on a twenty- inch Schwinn with trainingwheels.

Carrie favors him witha sweettolerant smile and goes on toward the high school, inthe background.

Bobby, frustrated, stops,astride his bike and screams after her.

Bobby's face

25 THE FACE OF AN ADOLESCENT 25

or as he is known in school,THE BEAK. H2 is~ath~ti- cally thin, myopic, weak-chinned,beak-nos~d --almo~t a caricature of an adolescent reject. Over his face, r we HEAR:

We PAN the faces of adolescents, liste~ingwith various degrees of attention, indifference,or reluctance to:

or, as he is known to his pupils,BIG BELLY FROMM,at his desk in front of the class, readingfrom an assignment paper.

He sets down the paper, and looksat the class.

We will see, among the others, Carrie.

We also see TOMMY ROSS - a mid-seventies versionof the boy next door. Good-looking, clean-cut, intel- ligent, athletic.

28 FROMM 28

He is nodding his head slowly, affectinga kind of puzzlement.

29 THE CIASS 29

All eyes are on Tommy, who doesn't seem veryabashed. In fact, he turns, clasps his hands over his head, to the delight of his classmates. But you don't get the feeling he is a goof-off; he isa kidaware of his own popularity and comfortablewith it.

30 FROMM 30

r 31 THE CIASS 31

The usual hesitation. Then Carrie's hand shoots up.

32 FROMM 32

He appears surprisedto see Carrie, ordinarily shy, volunteering.

Her volunteeringhas surprised her as well. But she's stuckwith it. The eyes of the class are on her. And shehas to saysomething. So she does.

34 FROMM 34

He leaves his desk, moving into the class area, seem- ing topounce on Carrie.

The class is snickering. Carrie throws a despairing glance towardTommy. Tommy looks at her, and away, embarrassed. Carrie looksdown at her desk, almost burying herself.

Tommy looks towardCarrie, with something suggesting compassion. Then he lookstoward Fromm, and he is muttering something. Or to be specific:

{CONTINUED)

r

But everyone in the class knows.

A VOLLEYBALL

arching over the net, striking the outstretched hands of CHRIS HARGENSEN, a girl of seventeen loaded with sexual dynamite (which could explode later in life into a husband, three children and numerous little affairs).

Chris skillfully passes the ball to a girl with the clean good looks of a cheerleader, SUE SNELL; she hits it back over the net. One of their teammates is Carrie, but Carrie is placed off in a corner, safely distant from the main action, awkward, tentative, wanting to get into the game, afraid of making a mis- take.

The game is supervised by MISS COLLINS, about 24, wearing gym shorts which show her good legs, and a tee-shirt which shows very little. She's in her second year of teaching.

The serve goes to Carrie's team.

The groan is taken up by all the girls, becoming a chorus as the ball is thrown to Carrie, who fumbles it before stepping to the service line.

r RHONDA

Don't hit it into the net!

·· •-J 2/13/7,

REVISION PAGE 12-13

P. 12<

r

Two teams of girls among them NORMAWATSON, HELEN SHYRES, CORA and RHONDAWILSON (sisters although not identical twins), CHRIS HARGENSEN and SUE SNELL. Supervising the game is MISS COLLINS wearing awarm up suit and holding a whistle awaiting the next point.Among the girls is CARRIE anxiously watching for theball to come her way. It has apparently been a close game the competition building steadily. When the shotbegins Miss Collins A* has just blown her whistle to announce:

This is the final point of the game and Rhonda Wilson is serving (she is on the opposite team as Carrie): A*

The ball is successfully served and remains in play for some time as the girls skillfully volley it back and forth over the net. And then, justwhen the tension is greatest, the ball comes over the net toward Carrie. It's evident that the outcome of the game depends upon her success. The littleboy who . decidedto put his fin- ger in the dyke had it easier.

The other girls are (AD LIB) shouting cautions and ad- monitions to Carrie. Carrie almost trembles with ten- sion, about to bat the ball over the net, afraid to hit it.

Carrie whacks the ball. She shacks it hard. And on a line--straight into the net.

Another chorus of groans,with remarks like "Wouldn't you know!" and "Dumbo!" reinforcing them. The game is obviously over and the girlsbegin to file off the court and move toward the locker room. Just as Chris passes the humiliated Carrie:

(A/D*)

Steam partially obscures the girls as they whoop and holler and cavort under individual showers. They banter little barbed pleasantries, bits of sexual information, family plaints, talk of college - all of which we hear from separate stalls.

One by one the showers are turned off, the girls stepping out, removing pastel bathing caps, toweling, spraying deodorant, bras hooked, underpants stepped into. Steam hangs in the air. So do words, running into one another, tumbling, drifting.

‘...Tommy says he hated it on me... My sister’s husband picks his nose... So does your sister... too cheap to spend a penny... we’ll go after school... I’m going with Billy, we’ll meet you... Friday night...’

We PICK UP Miss Collins as she steps among the girls, spies Carrie still standing under the shower. She claps her hands once, smartly.

As Collins departs, and the othergirls start to move toward their lockers, Carrie is leftalone inher shower stall. She is soapingherself. In a virtual reverie, she begins at her shoulders,moving her hands over her breasts in small, regular,virtually erotic circles. Her hand goes out offrame, below her stomach. Slowly, it emergesback intoframe --full of blood. And just as sheand we see this, so do the girls.

Carrie stares at her dumbly.

The other girls are quick to takeup the chant. Chris leads them.

One voice chimes in:

Others take up this new chant. For a while, like counterpoint, the chants overlap;then the new chant emerges solely:

Dime-sized drops are striking thetile floor at Carrie's feet.

Carrie seems bewildered.

Carrie looks down and wails; the sound is very loud.

A tampon strikes Carrie's chest, plops to her feet. Carrie just stares at it..

Behind her, another girl pretends to throw up.

Shrieks of laughter. Another tampon strikes Carrie. Another. The girls are bombarding her with tampons and sanitary napkins, some from purses, some from the broken dispenser on the wall. As they bombard Carrie:

We isolate Sue Snell at the moment she joins in the chant, and watch her beginning to be caught·up in what can only be described as a fury.

Carrie howls and begins to back away, howling louder and louder.

The door is flung open by Collins.

And she takes it in. She jerks the whistle to her mouth, blows and blows! The sound is louder than a shriek {which it resembles) or a howl (which it doesn't).

And there is sudden silence.

The girls retreat, Sue last.

37 CONTINUED: (3 ) 37

As the girls slip out, Collins turns to Carrie, who has backed up and iswhimpering. Collins slaps her face,not too hard at first, then with a flash of anger.

One blind searchinghand comes up, clutches Collins' white shorts, leavinga bloody handprint.

She hurlsCarrie part way across the room toward the broken sanitarynapkin dispenser.

There'sa bright flashas a light BULB POPS, fizzling out. Collins is surprised.

And she looksat Carrie. Her anger seems to seep away. Her voice softens.

COLLill'S Carrie, don't you know ...? (MORE)

38A INSERT INT WAITING ROOM - DAY Carrie and Miss Finch. 38A

HE!IBYMORTON, the principal, a decent but somewhat plodding man in his mid-forties) is tapping out his pipe as he talks to Collins.

Well, he can't quite say it.

r .- MORTON

Ah, yes.

He hesitates a moment -- noticing Carrie's bloody handprint on Collins' gym shorts.

(CONTI:t-TIJED) (*D)

r COLLINS

Carrie'salways been theirscapegoat·. So they...

,... Miss Finch send inCassie ·wright.

The door is opened. Carrie stands in the doorway.

Collins starts to correcthim, but:

38 CONTINUED: ( 2) 38

MISSFINCH elderly, spinterish, goggles in with the

yellow dismissal slip, brings it toMorton, who initials it.

Carrie is shaking her head.

Again Carrie is shaking her head.

Morton picks up the dismissal slip, hands it to Carrie.

Two things happen simultaneously: Morton recoils slightly and the ashtray quakes a little and then tumbles from the deslL

Then Carrie goes out.

(CONTINUED) (*}

38 CONTINUED: ( 3) 38

Morton comes around the desk, stoops to picK up the ashtray, stares at it curiously for a moment,-then looks at Collins.

Okay, that's reality. He puts the ashtray b~ck on the desk decisively, dismissing any "peculiar" thought he may have had.

DISSOLVETO :

39 A RED SCREEN 39

PULL BACKQUICKLYto show the red circle of a traffic light.

Carrie is standing at an intersection, waiting for the light to change.

Cars are flashing by; they seem to leave blurs of light.

41 FI.ASHCUT 41

Carrie's tormentors.

42 FI.ASHCUT 42

Carrie.

43 LONGER CUT 43

the girls throwing the tampons and sanitary napkins.

44 LONGER CUT 44 r Carrie, hatred showing.

THE GIRLS - FEATURINGCHRIS

Suddenly their motions are ARRESTED. Their images POLARIZE; the girls DISAPPEAR, except for Chris. Her image REMAINS.

46 CARRIE 46

concentrating her hatred.

47 CHRIS' IMAGE 47

It begins to shatter. And then explodes.

48 THE LIGHT 48

turns green.

49 CARRIE

She walks across the street.

5c EXT. ANOTHER STREET - DAY 50

A quiet residential street in a lower middle-class neighborhood. Carrie is walking down the street, slowly.

51 ANOTHER ANGLE 51

There comes Bobby Erbeter again on his bike, para:lel- ing Carrie (as before).

52 CARRIE

She keeps on walking, ignoring him.

53 BOBBY 53

keeping pace with Carrie, shouting across the street.

54 CARRIE

turning towardhim, her face contorted with rage.

55 CARRIE'S POV -ANGLEON BOBBY 55

The bike wobbles on its training wheels.

And thebike topples over, on top of Bobby, who screams.

56 OMITI'ED

57 CARRIE 57

CLOSE now,featuring her eyes most prominently. Her face is uncertain,confused. What just happened? She thought (that'sright, thought) something and it happened...

And we HEAR another SCREAM, more of an angry shriek, and then thestrange sight and SOUNDof:

59 CLOSER 59

The stonepelting the roof.

60 CARRIE 60

She is staringacross the street at:

61 BOBBY 61

screamingwith anger (morethan anything else) as he disentangleshimself. He stands up, looks toward. Carrieacross the street, shakes his little f~st.

CARRIE 62 r The boy's defiant chant can be heard as Carrie blinks, wondering. Then she opens her eyes, wider. She looks at theboy. She frowns for a moment.

63 FIASH CUTS

r the stones.

the light bulb exploding.

the ashtray falling.

We hear:

~OBBY'S VOICE Fart-face, fart-face, fart-face!

64 CARRIE 64

a faint smile,partly of wonder, partly of a strange kind of joy. She knows.

Sue's mother. Out of a margarine commercial -- a packaged, nice lady,neat, trim good mother, good wife. She ispreparing dinner; in her line of sight a television game showglitters.

DOORBELL.

Eleanor frowns momentarily,leave the kitchen.

Through the middleclass,rather tasteful home, to tLe front door.

Eleanor opens the door.

67 ANGLE ON MARGARETWHITE 6:

standing in the doorway. She is a large lady dressed in black, carryinga worn black leather sack, which we will discover isbulging with religious tracts.

68 ELEANOR, WITH MARGARET 68

Marga.retWhite isnot a welcome visitor, b\ltEleanor Snell isa polite lady.

(CONTr:1·UED)

An impasse. Finally Eleanor feelsconstrained to open the door wider, puta little smileon her face~ and:

She steps inside, and Eleanor closesthe door behind her, saying:

Margaret is fishing tracts out ofher bag.

MARGAREI'

r These will interest the doctor

and you.

68 CONTINUED: ( 2 ) 68

Eleanor looks at the tracts with pretended interest.

Margaret's voice is almost toneless -- now and thrcughout.

• ELEANOR I'll drink to that.

Humor -- and she regrets it immediately.

The telephone RINGS.

Margaret doesn't sit, and Eleanor flees into the kitchen.

As Eleanor reaches the phone.

,... 69 CONTINUED: 69

She hangs up, opens a drawer, takes out some hidden household money (a couple of bills), and drags her- self back into the living.room.

Margaret is still where we left her.

,... Eleanor shifts from foot to foot while Margar~t writes out the receipt, gives it to her.

What can one say? Eleanor stands there, complet2.1.:; exasperated but retaining her politeness like~ steel: 'TI.iddle-classglove.Sheaccompanies Margaret to the door and the latter leaves. Eleanor is about to close the door, stops, seeing:

Sue is coming toward the door. She passes Margaret with a quick (inaudible) greeting and hurries to the front door where her mother is waiting.

r As Eleanor nods and closes the door.

71 CONTINUED~ 71 r

Sue's face betrays relief;but Eleanor notices nothing.

HOLD ON Sue, staring at thetracts on the table (or perhaps out the windowas Margaret leaves). A long beat, then:

72 CARRIE 72

Who is sitting in an oldBoston rocker by the window in her room which overlooksthe street. She is wear- ing just a slip or perhapsan old terrycloth robe -- her plain dress and schoolbooks on the narrow bed.

She is leafing througha teenage rnagaziueon the order of "Seventeen" --absorbed in the mundane fantasies of models in theirpantyhose and underwear; long gowns and mysterymen. An escape of sorts.

And we reveal Carrie'sbedroom in the low attic uf the White house: tiny,plain, severe. It's decoratsd with just the fewest embellish~ents (i.e.,a high school pennant) thatMargaret would allow inexchange for her own prices --a crucifix above Carrie's bed, a small bureauwith an equallysmall mirror, a Bible and plastic glow-in-the-darkMadonna and Child, and various religious printsand plaster quotations on the wall.

Caught up in the magazine,in the most normal of female fantasies courtesyof the slick Madison Avenue mind. And then,with that extra sense of perception apparatus that fears it'sabout to be caught doing something it shouldn't,Carrie glances out the window and down to see:

r as this formidable vision ofblack strides down the walk. Another woman dressed likethis would be coming home from a funeral;Margaret actually seems to like black.

her heart poundingas we glimpse that look of terror we witnessed earlier --a scared little girl now encased in the bodyof an adolescent.

As she hearsMargaret closethe front door and call out her name as she hangsup her coat, Carrie hastily stashes the magazineunder the mattress. Then she begins to dressas we hear the SOUNDS of Margaret in the kitchen, startingher daily afternoon ritual of making tea.

And then the telephoneRINGS -- only to stop as Margaret picks up the receiver. It's just as Carrie dreaded -- it's the school --and she stands by thG door, trying desperatelyto overhear Margaret's muffled voice. And then Margaret hangs·up, and in a deadly tone ofvoice --not yelling but enunciating with terrible clarity --she calls up the stairs:

And defeated, Carriebraces herself and goes down the=

76 HALLWAY, STAIRS, LIVING ROOM- FOLLOWING CARRIE 76

as she hurries down towardher mother and into:

Where Margaret is standingby the stove, her back to her in stony silence.

No response. The teakettleis just beginning to boil over the gasburner, and inthis altogether stran:;;'= little kitchen --a veritablearsenal of lace-tat~ed religiousart --Margaret is a rock.

Carrie sits down at the kitchentable, bursting with shame and the need to talk. Yet she recognizes her mother's wall of silence,knowing she won't speak until she's ready. They've been through this dance a thousand times. Finally, Carrie breaks.

78 MARGARET 78

point one and some grim satisfaation. Yet she doesn't respond immediately. Then she turns from the stove.

Margaret walks over tothe table and sits next to Carrie. Sheputs on rimlessglasses, then opens the Bible and starts toread with one of those strangeKathryn Kuhlman lookson her face:

She pushes the Bibleat Carrie, her finger on the place.

lviARGARET ... and the ravenwas called Sin ...

,.,. Sin ...Sin!...and the first sin ', was intercourse.

Margaret's hand flashesout -backhandingCarrie into the wall. It'sa wallop of a slap, the sting of it bringing tears to her eyes .

CARRIE Momma, please listen. It wasn't my fault.

Another backhandedblow knocks Carrie to the floor.

r MARGARET

Kick.

A k:.ck.

(CONTINUE:!:>)

78 CONTINUED: ( 2 ) 78

The teakettle starts to WHISTLE.

Margaret clutches Carrie's wrist in a vise.

The teakettle is WHISTLING louder -- a high-pitched scream.

Margaret flings open the door of the kitchen closet.

She switches on the light, and there is Jesus on the wall, rictus, crown of thorns, bathed in an ominous blue light. A vision of a wrathful God. Throughout the following, Carrie struggles desperately, but she's r no match for her mother.

78 CONTINUED: (3 ) 78

She propels Carrie into the closet, slams the door behind her. Margaret's voice continues, overlapping onto:

very much the little girl now as she sinksto the floor of the closet -- crying, disheveled, beaten. The closet is just what every child ever dreaded about the night.

80 JESUS 80

looking down at Carrie.

r 81 CARRIE 81

She looks away and inwards. With her, we see:

82 SPIATS OF BLOOD

falling on the shower floor.

83 THE GIRLS - IN THE SHOWER ROOM s~...,

surrounding Carrie, jeering her, bombarding her.

84 JESUS 84

impassive, impersonal, unconcerned -- or so ~t see~s.

CHRIS - IN THE SHOWER ROOM

in the forefront of the pack.

as the girls would see her, cowering, the bloody napkins pelting her.

r the blood seems to be streaming down his face; it moves.

tears are streaming down her face. Shewhispers:

Carrie closes her eyes. Overlapping music (perhap8 David Bowie's "Changes" - the sax break) begins,and

The SCREENGOES DARK.

MOVINGIN SLOWLY on Tommy Ross' 1963 Ford, which is parked in shadows on The Hill (something of a ridge which overlooks the town and is dedicated to Eros by high school students and occasional graduates). The MUSIC swells as we MOVE IN. And finally, we PEER into the car, where we SEE:

Sue and Tommy have finished making love in the back seat. They are both putting their clothes in order, silently, slowly.

Then they climb into the front seat. Sue takes out a cigarette. Tommy lights it with the dashboard lighter. They say nothing as Sue smokes for a few moments. Then Tommy looks at her closely.

She turns away.

Ee puts his arm around her clumsily.

r

Sue has turned away fromhim.

(CONTINUE::>)

90 CONTINUED : (2) 90

She is crying, that's what.

He tries to turn her toward him. She struggles. Man- fully, he forces her around.

,.... SUE

We were hurting her

90 CONTINUED:( 3) 90

r popular? Imean, one day I~ll wake

up and findmyself working at my dad's car lot andout Friday nights and Saturdays atUncle Billy's or the Cavalier drinkingbeer and maybe marriedwith a bunch of kids •.• (stops) What's that gotto do with Carrie White? Or anything?

TO~ What the hell do you want me to do?

Tommy moves back from Sue. He is looking at her, try- ingto figure her out. He wants to do something, he doesn't want an argument, but •••

r

(moment) You're serious. (moment) What's the~e to think about?

He stares off through the windshield. He is really puzzled. He steals a look at Sue. He starts to put his arm around her; she moves a little, subtly but clearly. Tommy stares off into space again.

Sue glances toward him. Of course she knows. And he is beginning to understand.

Tommy looks straight ahead again. He is starting t::, think. ItI snat all that easy.

It does come out as a question.

Margaret is at the sewing machine. She is either listening to a reasonable facsimile of Kathryn Kuhlman preaching on the radio, or instead, to an old Victrola which plays Tennessee Ernie Ford's "Let the Lower

Lights Be Burning. A Black Forest cuckoo clock, providing a sense of lapsed time.

Suddenly the treadle on the sewing machine depresses itself. The needle begins to dip up and down; the bobbin whirs and jerks.

Margaret turns around to see:

92 CARRIE 92 r She is standing in the entrance of the living room. Her demeanor seems more peaceful, caJ.m,almost too calm.

93 MARGARET 93

A touch of fear in her eyes. But:

94 CARRIE 94

She crosses over to her mother, kisses her lightly on the (unmoving)head.

Carrie goes to the stairs.

r,5::;,UP THE STAIRS

with Carrie.

UPPERHALLWAY 96

Carrie goes into her room.

Carrie turns on a light. She undresses slowly, wearily. And then she stops and loolrnat herself in the mirror. A close, tired ins9ection. Her eyes see :n hollow, haunted. Carrie doesn't like what she sees; she doesn't like herself.

Flex. Slowly cracks appear in the mirror, spiderwebs.

Flex. The mirror cracks wider. - And flex: the mirror shatters, crashes to the dresser in p1eces,·1oudly; some of the !.)iecesfallon the floor.

MARGARET'S VOICE

r · Carrie! Carrie? Carrie!

A moment of utter panic -- now what?

98 HALLWAY STAIRS

asMargaret strides up them, past the landing, and tries the knob on Carrie's door. It's locked. She rattlesthe knob. But to no avail. Then:

Another beat; then:

Margaret tries the knob again, and it is, indeed, open.

99 INI'.CARRIE'S ROOM 99

where Carrie is lmeeling by her bed, now in her flannel nightgown, praying.

,.. MARGARET

What was that noise?

'

Margaret peers around the room; she did hear a mirror break, no-mistake about it. But the~it is -- whole again asher reflectionin it testifies. Margaret walks overto it,rearranges the plastic-glow-in-the- darkMadonna andchild on the dresser.

She leavesthe doorway, and we return to Carrie who smiles sweetly. And then:

Flex.

The door slams closed.

down the class oftwenty-five or so gi~ls, still in their street clothes,lined up against the gym wall under their classnumbers as:

101 COLLINS 101

walks in front of them with a clipboard taking roll.

102 THE GIRLS 102

STILL TRACKING,FEATURING Sue.

The CA!vlERACOMESto an empty soace -··-withoutbeing told, we can tell it1 sCarrie's.

103 COLLINS 103

hesitates, then moves right along.

Who're identical.twins.

CORA RHONDA

Here ••• • • •MissCollins•

All the girls except Chris -- obey.

104 CHRIS 104

yausing for a second, then decidingit's better to go along without talldng baqk. She sitsdown.

105 THE GIRLS

shif'tingnervously, unused to Collins' absoluteno- nonsense tone.

106 COLLINS 106

taking a deep breath.

107 HELEN SHYRES 107

the freckled, slightly pudgy girl sitting next to Sue -- giggles nervously. But no one joinsher, and she claps her hand over her mouth, tryingto stifle it.

108 COLLINS 108

glaring at Helen, silencing her.

CONTINUED: 108

Chris triesto controlher anger -- is barely able to.

Collins •--eye-to-eyewith Chris now, smiles.

She walks down theline, stopping in front of Sue.

109 THE GIRLS 109

as Collins'words sink in --groans of disappointment.

almost seeming to singleSue outas she continues at least thatI stheway it see :11stoSue.

The girls sigh with relief;Chris has a particularly smug look. Collins takes intheir reactions; then she reels in the line:

r COLLINS

But. There's one littlecatch. YETs to be my detention. (MORE)

111 THE GIRLS 111

as they realize just how they've been had -- indeed, getting the picture.

112 CHRIS 112

furious, defiant.

emus I won't come.

113 COLLINS 113

no less determined but cool.

114 THE GIRLS 114

sober, slightly frightened.

She is standing in the hall, looking into the gym through the small glass window cut in the door.

Collins has finished with the girls; she stands in front of them, the victor.

The girls start to turn.

Carrie quickly pulls away from the door before she can be seen, hastens away.

Collinswatches the girls filing into the locker room, a smalltriumphant smileon her face.

Carrie is far down thehall, a small distant figure. Now shegoes outof sight around a corner. The hall is empty and stil1;HOLD,. then:

cur To:

as the girlschange silently into their green gym out- fits -- quiet,subdued, most of them resigned to their punishment. Chris,however, is about to blow up; she tossesher skirtinto her lockeT and slams the door shut.

And then another, andanother, and yet another flip- pingby us, onetitle following another as Carrie looms overthe cardcatalog, searching. The title cards include POISON, POLITICS andPOLTERGEISTS -- on this latter card,it reads: "A ghost supposed to be responsible for tablerappings and other mysterious

noisy disturbances. Italso contains a cross- reference seetele --and the .restof the word is blurred.

121A CARRIE 121A

her face -- curious, decidingto follow it up.

121B A FASTERMONTAGE 121B

as Carrie flips throughthe "T"card catalog -- passing by everything fromTalmud to Tarantula until she gets to:

r on the word, and below it:

'Thought to bethe abilityto move or to cause changes in objects by force of the mind,perhaps a genetic-recessive in origin.'

Her mind strugglingwith the words on the card, ponder- ing, thoughtful. Herheart starts to beat.

on the girls, all ofthem intheir green gym suits, being run ragged, just asCollins promised. She's pushing them extremelyhard, barking orders at them, using her whistle like a drillinstructor.

as she runs to oositionherself next to Sue.

And Sue runs on, leaving Chris •·-redin the face, breathless, furious -- behind. Chrisdeliberately slows down and then just halts.

Chris starts to stalk past Collinswho reaches out and firmly pushes her back. Chris becomes immediately hysterical.

r throw you across the room. Want

to see if I'm telling the truth?

124 GROUP SHOI'- FEATURING CHRIS 124

appealing to the others now; flailing, out of control.

125 THE GIRLS 125

as Chris looks to them for support, none of them quite knowing what to do.

126 ANOTHER ANGLE 126

featuring Chris and Sue.

r 127 CHRIS 127

a mutineer without a single ally now. She realizes it and heads for the door leading to the locker room, and this time, Collins doesn't even try to stop her. At the door:

The door slams shut, leaving the girls and Collins frozen by Chris's outburst. The BELL gives a shrill RING, and we:

The local af'ter-schoolhangout. Clusters of students milling in and around booths. Pinball machines, a jukeboxthumping "NO WHERE TO RUN" by Martha Reeves and the Vandellas •

Sue issitting, reading, alone in one of the booths asChris enters, says hello to some of her clique, andspots her.

,..

Sue looks up and tries to force her face into a smile. Chris slides into the booth across from her and thrusts her John F. Kennedy school yearbook across the table -- an action which Sue involuntarily jerks away from out of nervousness.,

Sue slides the yearbook back across the table to Chris who examines it:

Billy goons INTO FRAME next to Chris, glomming his arm around her neck.

Chris playfully jabs him in the ribs.

(L.:Ul~'l'lNfTlill)

128 CONTINUED: {2) 128

Billy, goon that he is, cracks up.

Sue finds it not at all funny, but doesn't know ex- actly what to do about what she's feeling.

A new tune comes on the juke -- Shirley and Company

whooping it up on "SHAME, SHAME,SHAME.

r Me. But I stopped.

Sue is scared now -- shehears it coming. There's no question aboutit, though; the rumbles have al- ready begun, andthere's no stopping what's coming.

Billy'sover by the pinball machines with some of hisgoon squad. He boastfully struts around much to their obviousdelight -- making the sound of a chicken in reply.

129 SUE -CLOSE 129

seeing this;feeling it all about to lurch out of controland turn against her. The bottom's fall- ing out.

130 TWO SHOT- SUE ANDCHRIS 130

FEATURING Chris prominently -- a bloodhound now sure of the scent:

CHRIS

r You didn't walk out, Sue •••little

Suze •••little Suzy Creamcheese••• because you didn't want to miss a moment of your precious prom.

Bulls-eye. Sue fights back tears and fury, trembling now. But she tries to muster up some dignity.

Sue's about to break, holding it in as best she can. Chris just as quickly as she spots the weakness, shuts it off, bottling up all the rage into the cruelest stainless-steel smile she can muster.

And that's it -- shut up,·shut down, shut out.

Sue turns and starts to walk out of the Cavalier. In the b.g. behind her, it's all out of focus, an incoherent babble of snickering and clucking laughter. She's crossed the line.

Sue sits in the bleachers overlooking the field. She is preoccupied, still shaken by the afternoon's con.frontationwith Chris. Tommy comes running over to her, still in his team uniform, and she gets up. He gives her a kiss, am puts his arm around her. They start to walk off together over which we hear, intermittently, the following:

{CONTINUED)

2/13{76

REVISION PAGES 51-52 P. 5 -52

Sue sits in the bleachers overlooking the field. She A* is preoccupied, wtill shaken by the afternoon's con- frontation with Chris. The track team is moving past the bleachers (a coach in the field clocking them and shouting orders). Tommy, in his track uniform, peels away from the group and comes running up to Sue.

To avoid the noise of the cheerleaders practicing down A* in front of them, and the other girls sitting in the bleachers half watching their boyfriends and half eye- ing Tommy and Sue, Sue beckons Tommy to follow her away from the group behind thebleachers, and as they walk off together we hear the following: ,..

Sure. What?

The sound is muffled, and we don't hear what she says. But we do hear:

,... Scene 132

(A/D*)

,.. I

The sound is muffled, and we don't hearwhat she says. But we do hear:

A big hangout-cruising night on the boulevard. Neon, convertibles, "Rebel Without a Cause"meets "American Graf'fitti"seventies-style. In otherwords, theworks -- with MUSIC.

As a 1 61 Chevyleaves a sizeable patch of rubber on the street as it GRINDS to a hard stop, just barely halting before it almost went through a red light and collided with the traffic already in the inter- secti:::>n.

134 IN!'.THE CHEVY 134

which belongs to the aforementioned BILLY NOLAN-- a character whose life and brains stopped around the time he saw "Rebel" on television. He'sChris' boy- friend, and a huge cross swings around his neck. Right now, he's utterly amused by his harrowingdriving, and turns to Chris who ignores him, stillbrooding over her afternoon losses. Billy takes a huge toke from a joint and hands it to her; she ignoresthat, too, and pro- ceeds to busy herself applying makeup in the visorwin- dow. So Billy looks out hiswindow and strikes up some banter with a fellow cruiser idlingbeside them at the light. The light changes, and Billy peels out -- an action which throws Chris backwards onto the seat.

I'

,,.. ' CHRIS

Goddamnit, Billy!

He just laughs as he weaves through traffic.

Billy lazily slaps her, speeds up.

He slaps her again.

He slams on the brakes, and pulls into:

NIGHT

LOOKING DOWN on a parking lot where cars are parked; a huge pullman1 scar which has been converted into a restaurant. This after-school hangout is called the Cavalier.

As Billy reaches over, very confidently, to draw Chris to him.

Shelets herself be kissed, then pulls away abruptly.

He grabs at her, and she pulls away.

,.. Chuckie.

' Grab.

Grab.

Shepushes him away.

He grabs her. She pushes; he grabs. A struggle. Grabsat her tit. There goes the blouse; the but- tonsare ripped off.

r He slaps her.

Silence. Then, after some time,he leans over and kisses her. She lets him. He kisses her again, and she responds. He goes at it. And she squirms away.

She moves closer to him. Her harrldipsdown out of FRAME. She blows in his ear. Billy isbeginning to writhe; he moves on her, but she holds him off, play- ing him like a puppet.

137 TELEVISION SCREEN 137

On which we see the opening, helicopter-credit se-

quence from "Duel at Diablo. The television is in:

,.. 138 INT. SNELLLIVING ROOM- NIGHT 138

Where the movie's SOUNDcontinues uninterrupted for a bit over an incredible silence betweenTommy and Sue. They are sitting on a couch. The silence is finally broken by a reluctant.

And we:

Margaret slowly opens the door to Carrie's room and enters. Light filters in from the street. Carrie is lying in bed, motionless, asleep.

Margaret crosses the room quietly. She leansover the bed. On the table next to it is the glow-in-the-dark statue -- not in its usual place on the dresser. Carrie's face, in the soft light, seems very innocent.

No answer.

Margaret bends over Carrie. And with surprising ten- derness, she kisses Carrie's forehead.

Then she straightens up quickly, as though she has violated herself, and leaves the room.

Carrie opens her eyes. She pulls a book out from under the covers; then she stares at the madonna- child figurine, and as she stares at it, it begins to glow brighter and brighter, illuminating the room. It's bright enough to read by now, and we leave Carrie expanding her education and:

14o INT. SCHOOL LIBRARY - DAY 140

As Carrie examines a shelf of books with titles like "Cosmic Consciousnessrtand R.D. Ogilve's "Hidden Powers of the Mind." She decides on the latter just as a voice startles her:

( CONTINUED)

,... ,. She stares at him andquickly covers the binding of the bookwith her hand,covering the title. He looks as startled as shedoes.

It's harder than hethought it would be; just trying to make small talk isagonizing. But try it he does:

All she cando is shakeher head. And a young man not easilydeterred, he triesagain.

Right. Check and stalemate. Which brings him to:

Without saying a word,Carrie walks down the aisle of book shelves. He followsher into the main room where students are reading,working.

The bell RINGS.

A couple of students stare at Tommy talking to Carrie as they start leaving the library.

But it's too late -- she's gone, already out thedoor.

As Tommy weaves through the crowd after her. Gangly GEORGE DAWSON spots him:

But Tommy ignores him in his singular pursuit.

A couple of other studentswatch this -- is this their Tommy Ross actually trying to speakwith Carrie? But he's oblivious of any looks now, any snickering -- all he wants is to catch up withCarrie.

Which he does; he manages to touch her arm, and it's a weird moment, this contact. Sheturns around, her head painfully ducked down.

And she looks up and stares at him with that peculiar intensity that cuts through all the clamor around them. Quiet, quietly:

A beat. Tommy stands there helpless, sensing just how much a big deal it is. Seeing that she's on the verge of tears, he's feeling evenworse, and all he can say is:

But it's too little, and too late. She's crying. And what's more, she's gone -- swallowed up into the clamor of students rushing to beat the bell. Which RINGS as we:

As Collins tidies up after one of the classes -- throwing towels into huge cans, etc. Only to hear a mewing, whimpering sound and to come upon Carrie who's huddled in one of the dark corners of the room, crying. It's almost as if she created her own closet of space.

(CON'l'D)

REVISION Page 60

142 CONTD 142

143 OMIT 143

where Collins and Morton are grabbing a quick cup pf coffee.

Morton goes into a coughing fit.,accidentally knock- ing-over his coffee in the process. Collins watches.,slightly amused by his reaction. When he recovers:

Where Collins is grilling a very nervous Sue -- just Sue so far.

(D*)

146 DIFFERENT'ANGLE- FEATURING TO~~IY 146

who's also in the office for this interrogation ill-at-ease, trying to appear cool.

Just at this point, NORMA WATSON -- a prissy little pleaser with a mouth whose verbal discretion could make the telephone obsolete -- enters the room with a sheaf of attendance sheets for the next week. All conversation ceases.

{CONTINUED)

D*

Sue understands perfectly well, but with Norma there, she's not about to say a word. And Collins finally picks up on this:

And she exits as slowly as she can -- trying to hear the last possible word. Then:

COIJ.,INS (to Tommy) Which brings us to you.

r

D*

COLLINS

r

Just don't try.

Silence.

Sue looks over to Tommy~

Tommy says nothing; he's caught between a rock and a hard place.

As Tommy's Volks /parksacross the street; Tommy r gets out and approaches the White house.

Carrie is inside,watching him come up the stairs. She remainson the hall side of the screen door.

She shakesher head; he laughs again, a little ner- vously. Throughout this scene in which he remains on theporch side of the screen door, he catches glimpses of the weird house within.

In the b.g. -- in the kitchen, perhaps --Margaret calls out Carrie's name.

Carrie glances nervously behindher; then back at Tommy.

'CARRIE You better go.

MARGAR.Er1SVOICE CarrieI Who are you talkingto?

Carrie swipes at her eyes with the back of her hand; helpless, honest, confused. She'd really li~e to go at this point, but that extra sense in her-rs-resist-- ing.

148 CONTII'JUED:(2) 148

And in Just these splitseconds, she decides; had he not 'liked"her poem., hadMargaret not called., perhaps she couldhave held back.

,CARRIE Yes. (beat) Okay.

Tommy smiles ather, and turning to leave, touches her hand against the screendoor. A goodbye.,noth- ing more. He goesdown the walk toward his car.

r 149 CARRIE 149

II

watching him. She takesthe hand he "touched and brushes the hairback fromher face. A little beautiful? You bet.

And as she turns away fromthe door, we:

where the girls on the DecorationCommittee are hdrd at work preparing for the prom. Sueand Helen Shyres are off to themselves.

(CONTINUING)

We PULL BACKto see thegym. The entire back wall has been devoted to a giantmural of stars and planets -- it seems the prom isto have a celestial theme, and the gymnasium is in theprocess of being hung with a great deal of crepepaper, moons, etc.

151 HELENI SPOV -THE GYM- CHRIS AND NORMA WATSON l:jl

as thick as thieves,off in the corner, whispering.

TWOSHOT - SUE ANDHELEN 152

,.. Sue nods -- sheknew it, now shehears it.

FULL FRONTAL VIEW of thebungalow IN the FRAME.

The lights are on downstairs;there's a slight driz- zle and haze. HOLD, then:

As Carrie and Margaret finishdinner. Silence -- punctuated only by the slightDRIZZLE outside and occasional flashes ofTHUNDER and lightning. Then:

CONTINUED: 154

Margaret throws her cup oftea in Carrie's fa~3. It's cold, wet, sticky. But Carrie holds herself in, she's going to be in chargethis time. She takes a deep swallow andcontinues:

Pause.

Margaret's shaking with fury, trembling.

Carrie wipes the stringywet hair fromher forehead.

And Margaret at this word shifts gears andwinds up -- in the grip of a weird babble.

r CARRIE

Momma--

CARRIE

,... I've already said Iwould, Momma.

72~

154 CONTINUED: ( 3) 154

MARGARE.r We'll move away from here, and you'll never see that boy again.

A gust of wind causes the window to blow open. Margaret gets up and starts toward the window. Carrie is silent, watching herself being shut out.

MARGARE.r ( continuing) The rain's coming in.

I'm going to close the windows.

Margaret continues toward the kitchen window to close it.

Carrie knits her brow, and flex: the window closes.

Margaret whips around, facing Carrie.

Flex.

The SOUND of a window shutting in another room.

~-

Another window.

154 CONTINUED: ( 4) 154

Flex.

A couple of windows.

Flex.

r The rest of the windows in the house THUNDER shut.

HOLD--

SLOWDISSOLVE TC:

155 15, and OMITTED ar ,d

leading to Henty's farm. A slight drizzle; or, t~e ground still wet. A little more than a cresent mo-:>r~ silhouettes a group of five: Billy and Chris iu front, and Billy's twitchy zoo -- a completely wrec~ed KENNY GARSON, a very nervous FREDDY DE ~ors, and an occasionally giggling, goggled HENRY TRENNANT -- trail- ing behind. De Lois is swinging a nine-pound sledge hammer in the air; the other two goons are struggling with an ice-chest and steel pails. Henty's farrr.house and barn are in the c:·.tanc€.

Trennant giggles inanely. Billy stops and glares at De Lois.

A long beat. Billy resumes walking.

Trennant giggles again.

Garson is stoned silly -- zonked, deadpan. He greedily sucks the last remnants of a joint into oblivion before our eyes.

·DeLois angrily snatches the roach ~ut of Garson's fingers.

Trennant just giggles inanely.

Another long beat, then:

Trennant explodes into a fit of high-pitched laughter.

Trennant lurches intoanother cackle. And in spite of themselves,Billy andChris start laughing, too. Even De Lois startslaughing.

The group passesa "No Trespassing"sign, prompting:

Garsondrops oneof the pails on the ground.

The soundof Trennant's high-pitched giggle:

CHRISIPOV - THE HOGPEN 158

and OVERLAPSINTO the harmonic chanting of De Lois, Trennant and Garson~

And an old sleepingboar and two sows are GRADUALLY REVEALED.

the face ofthe five -- COMING TO REST on De Lois.

;BILLY The throat.

But it's too late. De Lois has lost all conviction.

He hands the sledge hammer to Billy.

Chris, chilled to the bone, rubs herself to keep warm.

Billy touches the ball of his thumb to the edge of the sledge hammer.

And Billy smiles. Yes, he actually smiles. As he raises the sledge hammer, we GO TO:

BLACK:

FADE IN:

The sun shining -- perhaps the next day, a day later. The house is a picture postcard -- under it~ we hear the sweet, muffled sound of "Amazing Grace.' It's just loud enough for us to hear it -- joyous, triumphant.

Margaret sits beneath the plaster crucifix.

( CONTINUED)

r The sampler,however, sits in her lap -- unfinished, unminded. She's virtually catatonic.

"AmazingGrace -- a sweet, contemporary rendition -- ison the Webcor. A pleasure after Kathryn Kuhlman.

Carrie sitsat the sewing machine, finishing work on thepattern for her prom dress. She removes the material from the sewing machine, which we now see isa lush crushed velvet.

The cuckooclock is TICKING, TICKING.

Carriestares at Margaret, then turns the sewing ~achine off. She looks back at Margaret, then turns her attention to the machine, her eyes sparkling.

Courtesy of Carrie, the treadle on the machine de- pressesitself.

The needlestarts to bob up and down, up and down, upand down •••WHIRRING, jerking.

The sidewheel spins. And then stops.

She smiles. Then rises and goes to start up the stairsto her room.

Margaret looks after her. Hate. And fear.

Carriepauses.

160.A CONTINUED:(2) 160.A

Satan is clever.

Satan •••

You poor child. He doesn't let you know he's working through you.

CARRIE

,..

Momma, I'd know.

Another step up the stairs, stopping as Margaret hurls after her:

MARGAR.t!.-i:r There's going to be a judgement!

There's nothing more to say. Carrie walks up to the stairs, and we:

very dark, shadowy, deserted. The night before the prom. Silence, then a SCRAPING sound of a:

162 WINDOW 162

being jimmiedopen. Behind the thick glass, we see a ~ace --just whose isn't clear yet. The slip-lock comesfree, the sill is pushed up, and Billy's head appears. Chris is right behind him.

LONGSHOT - THE GYM 163

as a flashlight is shined upwards -- at criss-crossing girders sheathed in crepe paper; at banks of lights which will later be used to shine down and highlight two areas in particular -- the huge wall mural, and the chalked-in spot where the King and Queen of the Prom will be crowned.

DOLLYINGright behind them as they proceed toward the stage area -- past the numerous tables set up for the prom-goers, past the twin bandstands. Billy is carry- ing the ice chest, Chris the flashlight.

165 ANOTHER ANGLE

as they arrive behind the stage. Billy puts the chest down and takes out a pair of Playtex rubber gloves, snaps them on. Then he takes out two small pulleys and a coil of twine.

looking somewhat like a bizarre mountaineer, climbing a ladder which takes him up to a narrow platform over- looking the stage area.

CLOSEUP- CHRIS 167

shining the flashlight to guide Billy, her face flushed with excitement.

168 BILLY 168

as he disappears behind a short draw curtain which obscures the girders over the stage.

CHRIS

unable to see him, suddenly feeling very alone.

169 CONTINUED: ,...

And just at that moment,~ piece of crepe paper floats into the FRAME and lands in Chris' hair. She jumps, utterly unnerved. She looks up to see Billy staring down at her from the platform, grinning.

DISSOLVE TO~

CUTTINGbetween the final arrange~ents for the Prom itself and Carrie's preparations as the night approaches. The emphasis is on thes~ two paralleling elements, al- though this montage -- scored throughout with happier and happier MUSIC -- will also feature some of our lesser characters.

Among other things ,we will see:

170 CONTINUED· 170

A) THE GYM-- as last-minutearrangements are made --

etc.;

B) CARRIE -- ina townstore as she shops for makeup;

c) NORMAWATSON --under a hair dryer, her mouth goinga milea minuteas a manicurist does her nails and looksutterly exhausted;

D) TOMMY --picking out Carrie's corsage at the florist;

E) CARRIE --at the sewingmachine, finishing her dress (whichwe still don't see), a happy look on her face;

F) THE GYM-- as a bank of lights suddenly illuminate the mural on the stagewall;

G) SUE --having dinner with her parents;

H) THE TWINS -- infron~ of their dressing tables; both of themputting on enormous fake eyelashes simultaneously;

I) ERNEST --the class president -- making sure the microphone on thestage works;

J) THE BA.ND --among them, the Beak, setting up;

K) SANDRASTENCHFELD,practicing her fabulous twirlingbaton act;

L) A DOOR-- which opens to reveal The Twins in their highheels, both of them several inches taller than their depressed-lookingdates;

M) GEORGE AND FRIEDA -- he in his tuxedo, she in her prom dress; a flash as Frieda's parents takea Polaroid of this night to remember;

N) THE GYM --with the adult chaperones -- teachers, administrators --standing around looking for somethingto do.

It isnow the night of the Prom -- just minutes before it officiallybegins, and we end this montage and

Carrie sits in front of that same mirror, but this time, there's a different attitude.

( CONTINUED)

And a different girl, which pleases her. She looks different, very different, from before. She's dressed in her lush red crushed velvet prom dress,but the SHOT is ANGLED in such a way thatwe don't see it. In any case, it is not prim. She iswearing some makeup. She looks•.. well, there hasbeen a trans- formation.

In the b.g., the door is opened byMargaret.

Margaret advances into the room.

Carries opens a florist box and takes outa lovely corsage of tiny tea roses.

,,. CARRIE ', Breasts, Mormna.,breasts. Every

woman has them.

Carrie's voice is calm; nothing, not evenMargaret, will spoil tonight, and ever so slightly, this scene -- and all that follow for a considerableperiod of time -- has an e·dge ofunrealitytoit. It's all been diffused a bit -- a fairy tale throughCarrie's eyes. What would look bad or tacky looksacceptable; what looked good before how looks spectacular.

The Black Forest CUCKOO CLOCKsings out downstairs. It's eight o'clock.

171 CONTINUED: ( 2 ) 171

Margaret reaches up and pinches her cheek hard, leav- ing a red mark. She looks toward Carrie.

Carrie is pinning the tea roses on herself.

Margaret hooks her right hand into a claw, rips at her cheek, leaving a thin line of blood.

Margaret strikes herself in themouth with her fist.

MARGARET

,..

You know I'm right. He'll laugh at you. They'll all laugh at you.

But she's rattled, and nervously starts moving around a series of objects in the room. Cosmetics on the bureau, the florist box, the glow-in-the-dark statue. But it's sheer will at this point. It's after eight, and there's no sign of Tommy.

r Flex.

Margaret is pushed back on the bed. Horrified, she rises again.

Flex.

Margaret is thrust back on the bed.

The words stop. But Margaret's eyes are fixed on Carrie, as Carrie leans toward her. Carrie's voice is soft and compassionate.

The BUZZERdownstairs sounds. Carrie goes to her window and sees·

at the front door, the overhead light shining on his hair, making it glisten. He looks very handsome.

173 CARRIE 173

She goes back to the bed and picks up her wrap; then, to Margaret:

The BUZZERdownstairs sounds again.

r the door)

I love you, Momma.

And she's gone, down the

174 STAIRS, LIVING ROOM,TO THE FRONTDOOR- TRACKING 174

Carrie who opens the door.

175 ANGLE ON TOMMY 175

Well, we know he1 sbeautiful. And he's looking at Carrie. He didn't know:

176 CARRIE -TOMMY'SPOV 176

He didn't know she couldbe beautiful. And she is.

177 TOMMYAND CARRIE 177

He reaches out hishand.

Carrie takeshis hand.

Hand inhand Carrie and Tommy walk down the path toward his car.

Theyare observedby:

179 MARGARET 179

at thewindow ofCarrie's room.

Margaret leavesthe window as we HEARTommy's car drive off.

She goes out of the room.

181 TRACKINGMARGARET 181

Down the stairs, throughthe dining room, into the kitchen. Almost the same path that Carrie trod, but trod so differently. While Carrie's pace had been light, nervouslyexpectant, Margaret's is slow and heavy.

Margaret crosses to oneof the drawers.

She reaches in and takesout a long carving knife; it gleams in the light.

The school gymnasium is litup brightly for the Prom; cars are pulling in, among themTommy's Ford.

as Tommy turns off the ignition. Carrie's staring at the other couples getting outof their cars. Tommy watches her taking itall in.

She turns to him and realizeshe's teasing her.

Tommy laughs and nods. A moment of silence. Carrie is miserable -- she's happy tobe with Tommy, she's trying to have a good time,but it'shard. It's like getting up to dance the firsttime. Perhaps itwould be better to sit this oneout.

She tries to smile at him. It's notvery persuasive.

And that's enough -- he's takenher mind off her own fear just enough to make her laugh.

,. CUT TO: •,

where the Prom is already underway, the band PLAYING an energetic version of "HarlemNocturne." From CARRIE'S POV it's all magic -- explosionsof pastel color,everyone looking like they steppedout of an advertisement for happiness.

Carrie just stands at the doubledoors which are the main entrances to the gym, taking itall inas Tommy hands their tickets to ushersat the door. As Carrie stares at the giant mural on thestage wall -- full of celestial moon, stars and rockets --a VOICE bellows out behind her.

VOICE Hey, Ross. Gawd, you lookqueer.

186 GEORGE DAWSON' 186

the source of the saluationand Tommy's best friend. He bounds INTO FRAME, wearinga T-shirt with a painted black tie under his dinner jacket. His girl- friend, Frieda Jason, tagsbehind.

The two boys immediately go into a mock fight. Frieda comes up to Carrie.

Carrie smiles back at her nervously; there's an awkward silence.

Carrie hesitates; realizes Frieda is quite sincere.

Frieda laughs; so does Carrie, and the tension eases up. Behind them, Tommy keeps one eye on Carrie. He shrugs -- it's working, goddammit -- and he stuffs his hands in his dinner jacket.

Carrie and Frieda, Tommy and George right behind them, head for their tables.

(CONTI~UED)

And she takes Carrie's arm.

Norma Watson rushes over to them --all breathy taffeta and green chiffon.

Carrie! (looking herup and down) That's a lovely dress,Carrie. Wherever did you get it?

187 CONTIN1JED~ (2 ) 187

And the four of the:11marchofflike musketeers. Norma is left standingthere inher chiffon -- looking ... well, douched.

188 MONTAGE 188

as theProm gets underway:

A) JOSIEAND THE MOONGLOWS -- THE BAND -- make like

LawrenceWelk and launch into an oldie-but-goodie. On drums --The Beak himself.

B) THE TWINS -- CORAAND RHONDA -- dressed identically,

dancingwith

C) ERNEST.PETERSON, the black class president, is

wonderfully officious as he gets the evening's first entertainmentorganized. It (or she) is

D) SANDRA STENCHFELD and her fabulous twirling baton

act, a phenomenon to the lilting STRAINS of

"RaindropsAre Falling on M~,rHead.

E) NORMA isoff ina corner, bending another girl's

ear;STAN is standing by idly, pretending to be invisible.

F) MORTON,FROMM,and the other chaperones including

Miss Fish lookfor something to do, for someone who's stepping out of line. And find it. In the personof BILLY DE LOIS who 1sguzzling the punch.

G) TOMMY and CARRIE sit at their table next to George

and Frieda. Tommy lights a chandle.

ANGIE -TOMMY AND CARRIE'S TABIE 189

as Josie and the Moonglows launch into a new Ntn-1:BER. George suddenlycomes to life.

(CONTINUED )

CONTINUED: 189

He grabs Frieda, and they make their way out onto the dance floor, Frieda shrugging helplessly at Carrie.

Tommy nods -- it's okay with him.

VOICE Carrie?

Carrie turns around and finds herself facing Collins -- dressed up, looking more like one of the students than a teacher.

Tommy -- feeling like a fifth wheel -- clears his throat and stands up.

He goes off into the crowd.

CONTINUED: ( 2) 189

Carrie nods, and she sits down, pulling the chair next to her. They're virtually alone at this ~oment; every- one else is dancing or occupied.

Collins smiles; she looks at the dance floor and Carrie's eyes follmv hers. At this particular :noment, the band is PIAYING a quiet number -- slow, romantic.

And then, on sheer impulse, Carrie reaches out and hugs her, hugs her tightly.

There is Tommy, looking "stern.

'TOMMY (toCollins) What are you doingwith my date?

A smile at Carrie,and shegoes off.

CONTINUED: ( 4) 189

He tkaes her arm, turns her toward the dance floor.

He has his arms around her and half-spins, half tugs her out onto the floor. He is a young man of consi- derable confidence -- the best part of his popularity --and it's a contagious trait. Gradually, Carrie gets caught up in the (slow) dancing, begins to follow him less and less awkwardly, begins to get lessand less self-conscious, and, in short, starts to glide into her freedom.

190 A CORNER OF THE GYM 190

Tommy and Carrie dance into this corner; Carrie is a bit breathless and very happy. For some moments, Tommy keeps his arms around Carrie, looking at her. And then he leans forward, about to kiss her, im- pulsively. And impulsively and instinctively, she draws back.. And is immediately embarrassed.

TOMViY No harm, no foul.

They stand there for a couple of seconds.

And suddenly and swi:rtly,Carrie kisses Tommy. It's a quick, awlcward,frightened Idss. Abird peck.

And again they stand there, W1til:

And he kisses her. She breaks, loold..ngupat him.

CARRIE

He pauses; he's on the edge. And stepsback.

She's puzzled. And she's about to ask something else.

A commotion from the floor.

Tommy turns.

Carrie looks off, :f'ollowinghisglance, at:

as the head Custodian supervises the sliding of two thrones from the wings onto pre--setmarks on the stage apron. They' resheathed in white --·strewn with crepe papers and flowers to match the promI scelestial theme.

192 CARRIEAND TOMMY 192

He starts to lead her towards their table while:

Sue Snell -··W1able to contain her curiosity about how all this has worked out - pulls up in one of her parents' cars, parks, and deliberates coming in. The lights of the gyi:masiumare glowing. While inside:

Class President Ernest Peterson malceshis way to the microphone. He takes all this quite seriously.

ERNEST

,.. All right, ladies and gentlemen.

Take your seats, please -- it's time for the voting•

A couple of CHEERS, scattered APPLAUSE.

Louder CLAPPING, foot STOMPING,WHISTLES.

Several ushers go UD and down the aisles, passing out ballots.

195 ANGLE - TOMMY AfIDCARRIE'S TABLE 195

asNorma Watson haughtily drops a ballot on their table in front of Tommy, another in front of George.

Carrie examines the paper.

TOM}1Y I lmow. (seeingher concern) Want to decline?

Carrie looks up at the stage -- at the massive thrones all in white.

Carrie meets his eyes and blushes; it's all overwhelm- ing her, and she has to look away -- at the tiny party favorboat on the table in front of her, at the tiny pencil next to it.

00..,..I•

She laughs aloud --the soW1d of her own laughter is so foreignto her that she claps a hand over her mouth, ather own daring. She tairnsthe pencil and quickly circlestheir names -- so quickly that the pencil breaks, bringing a small drop of blood to her finger. Shegasps.

as Sue -- hardly in formal attire •·-stares through the same small uindow in the gym door that Carrie stared through earlier -- stares inside as:

The ballots are being counted, Morton and Fish hel:')ing Ernest separate them into piles. We ought to notice either De Lois orTrennant hanging around the voting tables --perhaps Norma Watson as well.

198 ANGLE -TOMMY .ANDCARRIE'S TABLE 198

Carrieis holding Tommy's hand tightly -- too tightly.

He sees she'staking him seriously. Sensitive to her reaction,he smiles ather.

In the b.g. Josie and the Moonglmrn l)rovidea flourish of DRUMS.

199 THE STAGE 199

as Ernest wallcsu;Jto the microphone and almost drops the ballots in the process.

VOICE How far does he go back? 1880?

LAUGHTER, CATCALLS.

Silence, then the APPLAUSEbegins and starts to swell as we •••

I 200

200 TO.MMYS POV ··CARRIE

an island in the APPLAUSE aroui1dher, her head lowered.••

2Jl TOMMY 201

watching her intently, his mouth slightly open ..•

vainly trying to s9eak over the APPLAUSE.

203 TOMMY AND CARRIE 203

Tommy staring at her •••

slowly looking up, seeing Tommy.

Maybe it's for you.

205 CHRIS ANDBILLY 205

Just exactly where they are isn't clear yet, nor should it be. But we do hear the Prom noises.

The black cuckoo clock -- STRIKING TEN.

as Margaret, mumbling to herself, with the fixated attention of the damned, continues to scrub a sliver of whetstone along the gleaming edge of the knife's blade.

cur TO:

as new ballots arrive courtesy of Norma, who leans over them and whispers breathily:

As Tommy picl~su·,)thepencil.,Carrie ;_mtsher hand on his:

Tommy hesitates for a second, seeing her face so full of premonition. Then he overcomes it.,and scrawls their narneson the slip of paper, folding it.

He hands it to Norma Watson, and itI soff -- spirited away, gone.

Carrie stares at the receding figure of Norma as if she were the messenger of doom.

,,,. '·' Where we get a sense of exactly what Chris meant by favors -- as De Lois, Trennant, and a once again completely wrecked Kenny Garson plQS Norma bring over more ballots. It's not exactly what one would call an honest ballot.

as Sue manages to slip by Fromm who's still lazily monitoring the door. She starts heading .forthe back- stage area, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible.

211 NORMA 211

At the voting table; she spies Sue coming in, and finding it irresistible, blurts out the news, whisper- ing to:

212 MORTON 212

who I sjustfinishing the ballot co:.mting. He looks in the direction that Norma 1 spointing,seeing:

· 213 SUE 213

going backstage, heading into the wings to watch:

as Ernest returns to the microrhone.

The BAND plays another FANFARE OF DRUMS. Ernest sees this as his big mome.::1t,;healmostdro~)Stheballots. He pauses for a moment, surveying the gym floor and the anxious prom-goers. An actor sav~ring the tension. Then he smiles, white teeth grinning:

Begin SLOWMOTION.

Silence -- everything a half-beat exaggerated, slowed.

Carrie gasps inwardly; the candle in front of her ,... blows out.

Tommy grins, amused. He shrugs his shoulders at Carrie.

And the APPLAUSE begins -- some of it,most of it, genuine, but some of it mocking,too.

The band launches into a rockversion of "Pomp and Circumstance."

Ushers appear at Tommy and Carrie'stable. George is pounding Tommy's back. An alLuninum-foilscepteris thrust into To:11r11YI shana.;arobewithafurcollar is thrust over Carrie's shoulders.

peering out farther toget a good look. Unseen at first by her, there's a cordon the edge of the FR.Af,IE.

216 MORTON 216

Blocked by the clamor ofstudents, he's unable to make a straight bee-line forSue in the wings. So he takes the longway around --back behind the stage .••

217 TOMMY ANDCARRIE 217

DOLLYING as they're leddown the center aisle; pa3t a blur of smiling faces,the APPLAUSE SWELLING. They're being led toward the stagearea •·- thethrones waiting for them. The lightsget brighter; the MUSIC gets louder.

218 THE BANDSTAND 213

as they pass by, The Beak winks cons9iratorially at Carrie.

219 THE STAGE 219

as Tommy gives Carriehis hand, helping her up the steps, over tangles ofblack power cables.

220 BENEATH THE STAGE 220

where we finally reveal justwhere Chris andBilly have been hiding all this time. Chrislistens to the foot- steps (of Carrie and Tommy) coming overhead;grasping the cord that Billy has hooked ur,holding it very tightly•••

221 CARRIE AND TOHMY 221

r as they're helped into the massive thrones; behind them is the hue;emural of stars and ships.••

222 ERNEST 222

the showman now, P. T. Barnum in all of his expansive- ness.

223 SUE 223

In the wings, watching this action. In the corner of the FRAME,the cord we glimpsed earlier -- the same one which Chris clutched beneath the stage -- jiggles, and Sue notices it move. She traces its path with her eyes, seeing that it goes u-oto:

224 A BANK OF LIGHTS 224

concealing a single silver buclcet;meanwhile:

225 CARRIE 225

staring do~m at the gym floor; the lights are searing -- so hot and bright that it's impossible to ~ee clearly, and a new set of spotlights being shone on Tommy and her only makes it harder.

226 AN0rHER ANGLE- CARRIE 226

as a piece of crepe paper lands in her hair•••

227 THE STUDENTS 227

A sea of faces, the soectrum of reactions.

228 ERNEST 228

s!)readinghis ar1ns;a politician.

The Band starts ~')layingtheschool SONG, and Ne•.•

Cu"TTO:

229 SUE IN THE WINGS 229

The implications of the cord and bucket ~ositioned over the th.i.~onesjuststartingto dawn on her as every- one begins singing the school song:

And a hand comes into F~lE, clutching Sue's wrist. It belongs to:

But Morton has no interest in~-:hatSue istrying to tell him:

Fror.ithethrone, she sees Sue andt:Io1~tonashe pulls her toward the back exit.

231 BENEATH STAGE 231

Chris is almost hy,?erventilatingas the school song continues.

Chris is frozen -- immobilized, terrified.

as Morton firmly pushes Sue out the rear gym door. The door shuts, and as it closes:

233 CARRIE 233

confused, wondering what's hap ·~; eningintheglareof lights and noise.••

locked out by dorton, trying to get back in. The door i'lOn'topen. She debates going to try another door.

as the song reaches its .crescendo:

Chris shudders involuntarily at the mention of this niclcname. She violently jerks the cord with both hands, yanking it. A sound -··half-scream, half-moan -- comes f'romher mouth, overlap~-:iinginto:

236 CARRIE 236

sitting on the thrane next to Tor:1:.ny;aboveher,some- thing flashes -- a glint of metal reflected by the lights..•

237 THE STEEL BUCKET 237

high above the stage, slowly tipping over, the blood pouring from it.

almost prosceniu.rn-likeinthis ?R.AMING,from all the way in the back of the gym.

Carrie and Tommy sit on their huge thrones as the buckets above them deposit their contents on top of them.

239 CLOSER 239

The blood splashing down •••

240 THE MURAL 240

some of it splattering on the celestial cyclorama, running downwa!'ds,streaking•••

241 THE BAND

as more blood S•Jlattersthem intheir white dinner jackets, the MUSIChalting.

242 THE STAGE 242

End SLOW MOTION.

Tommy and Carrie, drenchedwith blood.

243 CHRIS ANDBILLY ·· UNDERTHE STAGE 243

Preparine;to leavenow that their mission has been accomplished, just aboutto cra1·1loutas they spot:

244 MORI'ON- CHRISAND BILLY'S POV 244

standing guard atthe rear exit door, blocking_their path.

244A CHRIS ANDBILLY 244A

realizingthey'll have to stay ~ut -- trapped now.

They crawlback uncierthestage, out of sight.

as the singing sto ps,thestudents staring at the stage.

246 CARRIE 246

her eyes tightly clenched shut,loo~cing as if she's been dipped in a bucket of red) aint. She's gotten the worst of it.

247 THE BUCKET 247

dangling on the pulleys overthe throne, clangingback and forth. A high-pitched GIRL'SVOICE SCREAMS.

248 TOMMY 248

splattered with blood. Belot<1the1:1.,thesoundsof hysteria begin ("My God, that'sblood!"). Tommy starts toward Carrie just as:

as the bucket falls and.hitsTommy on the head; it knocks him unconscious, andhe slmapsto the floor.

watching this in pure horror. She startsto giggle uncontrollably, the kind ofhysterical laugh that comes out of pure terror. It overlapsonto:

as the hysteria begins to spread.

252 CARRIE 252

as she starts toward the unconsciousTommy.

253 THE STUDENTS 253

as more of them start laughing•••the sound of it becoming contagious.

254 CARRIE 254

hearing the dreaded laughter.

through the harsh glare of the lights laughing, pointing (see Norma Watson), doubline up inhysteria, utterly out of control.

256 FACES, FACES, FACES

laughing•••

256A BILLY AND CHRIS 256A

reacting to their "success."

257 CARRIE 257

putting her hands toher blood-covered face, slowly getting toher feet.

258 THE STAGE 258

as Carriemakes her way to the stairs.,tripping over theblack powercords. A horrified Collins is on her way up the stairs.

Carriehesitates at the sight of the teacher. But it1 s too late forhelp, and in the fastest flex we I ve •Seen to date,she jerlcsher head and Collins bounces back- ward --down the stairs, slamming into a wall.

259 THE STUDENTS 259

laughingeven harder now, unable to sto~.

260 THE GYM- ANOTHER ANGLE 260

where all is pandemonium.

Morton makes his way to Collins, giving her his hand- kerchief; she has a bloody nose.

261 CARRIE 261

tears streamingdown her face, the blood streaking, as shetakes in the sight of her tormentors.

262 THE GYM -YEI'ANOTHER ANGLE 262

Helen Shyres is stilllaughing so hard that she's about tothrow up or ~o into shock.

GeorgeDai·rnonhasclimbed on tl1estage and is hunched overthe slumpedfigure of Tommy Ross, examining him.

He triesto picl~Tommy up, and in the process the throne topples over on the stage.

Frantic, rushing back into the school and down the hall toward the prom doors.

264 CARRIE 264

takes a deep breath, mustering her energy. She closes her eyes and sees:

THE GYI~DOORS- THREESETS OF DOUBLE DOORS

all of them open, a few students milling around them as •••

266 CARRIE 266

closes her eyes even tighter, and flexes. And -- in SWISHPANS:

THE DOORS 267

slam shut. In the ~rocess, several things are accom- plished at once. The prom-goers are trapped inside, and one or two of them get their hands or legs caught in the doors as they close, screau1ingivithsurprise and pain.

who once again was just a little late, arriving just as the DOORS SLAMMED SHUT; she sees the screaming prom- goers unlucky enough to have been caught in the doors.

Utter pandemonium as students rush toward the doors.

270 THE BEAK 270

near the bandstand area, looking up at the stage and realizing that it's Carrie who's responsible for closing the doors.

Fromm starts heading toward the stage to get control of the microphone, to stop the yanic.

The kids continue rushing toward the closed doors.

271 CARRIE 271

A small smile at being recognized by the Beak as the one responsible, the one with the power now. It's not what she wanted, but it no longer matters. They're going to know her now and never forget her.

272 CARRIE I S P0V-GYM WALL

Between two sets of double-doors, FEATURING a huge firehose installed in case of a.nemergency.

273 CARRIE 273

seeing the hose, getting the idea •••NOTE: SPLIT SCREENSbegin here.

274 CLOSER 274

as her eyes narrow and focus on the hose, zeroing on it.

275 THE HOSE 275 r· as it starts to unwind, to unspiral into the air, starting to spray a burst of water.

THE HOSE - ANOTHER ANGLE 276

as it becomes snalce-like,water springing from the nozzle.

277 THE STUDENTS 277

Cries of surprise as it begins to spray water on them, ruining their clothes.

278 THE HOSE 278

as the velocity of water increases, stronger and stronger.

279 CARRIE 279

eyes gleaming, a glimmer of triumph as she concentrates and surveys --

280 THE STUDENTS 280

like rats in a maze -- a slapstick chaos as they try to get away from the animated hose. The water forces the studei1tsback from the doors, baclrnardstoward the stage.

as they see students propelled toward them by the hose.

281 CARRIE 281

A smile of satisfaction. For the first time, she's showing them -- they're the ones being made to look foolish.~e's standing on one side of the stage.

282 THE STAGE AREA 282

as the hose now starts to rain water on the thrones, on the place whe11ethe blood fell, washing it away.

283 ERNEST 283

level-headed to the end, making his way through the pandemonium toward the stage area and the bandstand as fast as he ca.~•••

284 CARRIE 284

Still controlling the hose, she spotsErnest, seeing him move toward the stage area.

knowing somehow -- with some sixth sense -- that Carrie's watching him. He feverishly hurries toward the area where the band equipment is plugged in •.• where the high voltage cables are hooked up to the electrical current.

Behind him, Fromm has reached the microphone and is trying to be heard, telling everyone to remain calm.

286 CARRIE 286

realizing just :·rhatErnestplans to do:

And she mentally fixes on him,jerking her head just so •••so

287 ERNEST 287

is flung invisibly andforcibly away from the area by Carrie'swill.

288 FROMM 288

Big belly and all,trying to steady the mike. He puts his hand on it. The water: however, has reached him, and just ashe touches the mike, he's electrocuted -- his arm burstinginto flame, unable to let go as his body goes into anelectric dance, his mouth gaping open like a fishon land.

289 CARRIE 289 ,_,...

watching this_; anotherflex, and:

290 FROMM 290

is propelledbackwards from the m.icro'._-:hone;hefalls backward intothe eye, his flarningarm igniting it. A celestial fantasyimmediately bursts into flames. It preventsany of the students from using the back exit.

291 THE STUDENTS 291

watching.,rivettedwith horror,some of them screaming, others frozento the spot as the eye CRACKLES. Utter pandemoniwn.

292 CARRIE 292

her face flushed,a vein in her forehead throbs, her heart pounding. She spots:

293 THE LIGHTINGT-BAR 293

hanging overthe bandstand.

294 THE DOORS 294 ,,... • as the prom-goers press against the o;_Jaqueglass, straining to get out. Fish in an aquarium.

295 COLLINS 295

moving toward the dazed Ernest, who's recuperating from his bout with Carrie.

CARRIE

her heart pounding like an anvil. She's staring at:

297 THE LIGHTING BAR 297

298 CARRIE 298

She flexes.

299 CEILING POV 299

Collins and Ernest directly below the ~Jathof the r lighting bar. We see the flaming eye on the stage collapse forward. The,light bar begins to shake. Plaster drops,a.11dthelight bar DROPS -- just short of Collins1 head -- as far as its wires carry it.

300 CARRIE 300

watching all this -- a giggle (or is it a sob?) emerg- ing from deep within her.

Another flex:

381 THE LIGHT BAR 301

starts to swing recY...lesslyaroundthegym. Back and forth, back and forth -- it hits the ceiling, igniting it and the decorations. Flaming stars and planets begin dropping from the ceiling.

302 BENEATH THE STAGE ·· BILLY ANDCHRIS 302

seeing their chance to escape while Carrie is busy with the light bar.

302 CONTINUED:

The back door (whichSue couldn't ente1.~fromthe out- side, and which the eye flames :)reventedany of the students on the gym floor from getting to) is now free, and Billy and Chris see their chance to escape. They burst out from under the stage as:

303 CARRIE 303

spots them. In the instant it takes her to wonder what they're doing there, it's too late. They're out the door, and there's absolutely nothing she can do.

as it swings, catching Norma Watson in its path, casually whip~in~ this screaming ~irl in her green chiffon dress bact .intoa wall.

Helen Shyres is backed into a corner, giggling with horror, in shock, utterly hysterical.

Students have climbed onto the back bleachers, trying in vain to pry off the screens on the windows so they ~an escape.

Morton has grabbed a chair ana is trying to smash it through another of the windows. All this to no avail. End SPLIT SCREEN.•

305 CARRIE 305

as she makes her way down the stage stairs and out onto the floor. She spots the cord going under the stage first, and realizes just how the trick was engineered••• that Billy and Chris did it.

306 THE STUDENTS 306

moving aside as Carrie walks through them -- an endless series of blur~ed, hysterical faces.

as Carrie makes it to one set of double doors, flexes them open, and exits.

3'J8 EXT •GYM - HALI.WAY 308

as Carrie exits, the doors swing shut. Behind her, through the windotrs,we see a wall of fire collapse behind her.

She passes Sue in the hall who's sobbing hysterically. And as Carrie exits, Sue runs into this inferno of fire to find Tommy. And then the townWHISTLE BLOWS • • •andBLOWS. It overlaps onto:

Carrie's on her way home. At this point, she looks less like a girl than the survivor of a grisly car accident; wet, caked with blood, eyes glistening madly, almost shapeless. She goes down a hill, andthen, from:

as a fire truck l'Ushestoward the school, past Carrie. And then shortly afterwards, out of 1:owhere,Billy's Chevy -- its headlights gleaming, lurches forward_; it's headed right for her.

311 CARRIE 311

turns around and sees it coming toward her.

Chris screaming "Get her! Get her! at the top of her lungs, Billy grinning madly behind the wheel.

313 CARRIE 313

as the Chevy heads right for her, standing in the head- lights in its "9ath,bloated, swaying back and forth, her arms thrown out.

314 THE CHEVY 314

almost right on toD of her •••

315 CARRIE 315

flexing, averting the car just as it almost smacks into her. It just misses her. r

Billy is livid, turning around to see Carrie in the back window.

But the car is headed for an er:1bankment.Billy realizes this and starts pwnpingthe brakes. But the car's accelerating, not respondingto Billy's efforts to slow it down.

317 CARRIE 317

her head 9ou.~ding,flexing•••

as Billy attempts to turn:thewheel; it, too, has r turned t:raitor•·-itwon't turn.

They' reheading :~ightforthe embanlcment.Billy's eyes are bugging out, Chris isscrearningas:

319 THE CHEVY 310

-✓

plows smack into the embank.mentandrolls over several times. It then bursts into a sheetof flames.

320 CARRIE 320

watching this ex)losion turn into aconflagration. We see the fire reflected in her puffy, exhausted face -- brighter and brighter andbriBhter aswe HEARthe sound of the WHISTLE mergingwith the SOUND OF SIRENS, and:

The house is totally dark. Not even a porch light. r In the distance, iJerhaps,the glow fromthe burning gymnasium.

321 CONTINUED:

A figure ismoving toward the house.

It isCarrie.

322 AT DOOR

Carrie tries the front door. It.is Lu1locked. She opens it partially.

She opens the door wider.

Silence. Carrie steps inside.

Silence.

Carrie closes the front door.

With the closing of the door, Car:tieturns on a light. She looks around. The house is ominously empty, ominously still.

Silence floods back in.

Carrie moves to the foot of the stairs, turning on lights as she goes. She mounts the stairs, goes along the narrow hallway to her room.

Carrie turns on the lights, closes the door.

She stares at the madonna-child figurine on the bureau.

Then, slowly, she removes her bloodstained clothing, letting it lie in a heap.

Clutching a robe.,she goes into the bathroom.

Carrie turns on the shower,-waits for it to get hot. It is almost steaming as she steps in.

Very carefully, Carrie s'crubsherself clean.

Then she steps out of the shower, dries herself briefly, puts on her robe, and turns off the bathroom light. What's im~ortant here is this gives us time to breathe, to focus on Carrie.

326 HIT. CARRIE I SROOi-i- NIGHT 326

Carrie returns to her room. She is clean now; her wet hair hangs. A feeling of desnair about her ;or perhaps she is em~;tiedout.

Carrie almost mouths:

It is a little child's voice, and there is no answer.

She goes out into the hallway.

Carrie goes to the head of the stairs. Once again, shemouths the words:

Something --a movement? an instinct? -- makes her turn. Shesees:

328 MARGARET 328

comingtm ·1ardher.

329 CARRIE 329

She flings outher armsand cries out:

And throws herself against her mother, holds her. A movement from Margaret, a quicl(movement hard to define. And Carrie recoils, her hands clutching her stomach.

Briefly we see the knife in Margaret's hand.

Then Carrie tumbles dow~ the stairs.

330 ANGLEDOWN STAIRS 330

on Carrie, lying like a broken doll,huddled atthe foot of the stairs.

331 MARGARET 331

Carrying the knife, she stares down the stairs.

,.. 332 CARRIE 332

Dazed, she sees her mother coming, dimly, everything distorted. She begins to crawl back:uards,her eyes always on her mother, who is slowlybut inexorably coming down the stairs.

Carrie starts crawling to the kitchen.

Carrie crawls farther and farther froL1the door, until she reaches the far end of the kitchen, just as Margaret, the knife gleaming in her hand, point toward Carrie, reaches the bottom of the stairs and turns toward the kitchen, mumbling all the while.

Carrie flexes: the kitchen door swings shut.

Margaret is coming toward the kitchen.

333 CONTINUED:

Carrie flexes again -- tohold the door shut.

I

But it s no use --Margaret is relentless now, and the door opens. She raisesthe !mife and starts toward Carrie, the door swingingbehind her.

There'snothing else to be done; Carrie flexes, and a serving forl>:.--danglingfroma hool>:.on wall-- suddenlyhurtles through the air, '_)iercingMargaret. It is followedby another and another as a rain of instruments strikesMargaret.

Margaret collapses.

Carrie,horrified by what she's done, starts toward hermother.

And then she and'\'leseeSuestandinc;in the doorway, claspingher hands to her mouth, stifling her screams.

And then somethinghits the roof, rattling. A small sound. A stone.

Then another.

Then a third.

333 CONTINUED: (2)

The stonesare beginning to rain on the roof, like hail.

Sue is rooted to the spot, terrified.

The stones are coming down harder. All sound as one or two of them break through the roof, rattle on the floor above.

A stone of fairly small size crashes through into the kitchen.

Carrie flexes.

And Sue stumbles backwards, toward the door.

Flex.

Sue is whipped around, as thou~h by a great wind.

Stones are crashing on the house.

Sue 1s hurtled out of the house.

as a couple of larger stones crash into the room, Carrie heads for the closet.

Sue,rising from the ground, sees stones crashing intothe house.

She beginsto rUL7away.

,- ', 336 INT.WHITE HOUSE ··NIGHT 336

CarriewallQ3toward the closet: the figure of Jesus isilluminated -·-welcomingher9 She goes into the closet.

336 CONTINUED:

-,,.. She closes the door.

Stones crash down, obliteratingthe scene.

Sue stops running. She turnsto look at the White house.

The stones are flatteningthe house. The house is being pounded into the ground.

339 SUE 339

Terror and disbelief. Nightmare.

340 THE WHITE HOUSE 340

The rain of stones stops.

Silence.

Then the housebegins to sink --slowly, slowly, slowly -- into the ground.

And the e;roW1disswallowingU i?thehouse.

And covering it over until --nothing remains.

where the Horan house usedto stand, where now only a FOR SALE sign remains.

We PAN OVERnext door, towhere the Hhite house used to be. This lot, too, is vacant --overgrown with grass and weeds and maybe wildflowers. It is also strewn with beer cans.

And there is another FOR SALE sign. We come in closer and realize that there's somewriting on thesign, some hastily 11rittengraffiti. ·which 1·eads:

CARRIE HHITE IS BURNING FOR HER SINS

And underneath:

JESUS NEVER FAILS

HOLDfor a long beat, then:

FADEOUT.

~ ·.

REVISED/5 April 1976 LC

,//

THE ~ffiITEHOUSE

The rain of stones stops.

Silence.

Then the house begins to sink -- slm-rly,slo11ly-- into the ground.

And the ground swallows up the house.

And covers it over until nothing remains. Not a trace.

Some time later -- a weelc,perhaps two weeks after the night- mares of Prom Night.

A home in the course of losing its family. 'i-n1.itesheetsove11 furniture. Boxes in the midst of being packed.

Eleanor Snell, looking incredibly tired, 1$ attending to the last minute details of moving. She sorts through magazines and books, dl.scardingsome, puttinc;otl1e1·sinca! ·tor:s.And she co ;~1esacrossthereligious tracts left behind by Margaret White, forgotten until now. They have a momentary i.1ypnotic. effect on her.

The phone RINGS, startling her. She rushes to answer it in the kitchen, catching it on the first or second ring.

REVISED

As Eleanor's side of the conversation continues, the camera conveys her tension. Half of her is listening and talking to Betty; the rest of her mind is on Sue upstairs. With good cause.·Because:

Where the Horan house used to stand, now vacant. Strewn with beer cans, overgrown with grass andweeds and wild- flowers. And a FOR SALE sign.

We PAN over next door where the White house used to stand. It, too, is vacant but utterly bald -- there's been no time for anything to grow here. There is another FOR SALE sign put up by Born Realty.

SUE SNELL -

Looking utterly haggard and perhaps abit on the looney side from a lack of.sleep stands staring at the lot. She's standing there in herwhite nightgown,barefoot.

THE vlliITELOT -SUE'S POV

As she slmJly walks tm·mrd it.Under1.-ra~er,alr.1os'.:float- i::-ig.'.'i'2c'.:>;aeinclos~rontl1:2:.,i_:;:1:•;:1ic:1n::J1·Js-;:.:,~·tsap- p0arini3 s.bit o::1:.1e;.·--less15.l~e2.si:r,pleFORS.l\L:Cs:_:;n andmo1·e lil~ea grave ma.rker.

And wh2n ·we get close enough,we see that so ::1eg::.-af'fiti has been hastily scrawled in chalk on the sign:

CARRIE WHITEIS BURNINGFOR HER SINS

And below it.,in a second vandal'shandwriting, s:>,.1e idiot's notion of one final joke:

JESUS NEVERFAILS

SUE -

As she kneels down, putting thewreath she's earring next to themarker. She proceeds to tr:,·towipe off the red chalkwith the palm of her hand; it sm.udges badly.

She stares at he hand, fixating on it, remembering Carrie in t _heshower.Suddenly, a secondhand thrusts into the frame, onto her nightgown.

A bloody hand.

A hand from the earth itself.

Carrie's hand.

REVISED

--r _, It clutches a horrified Sue by the wrist. Tightly. A vise.

Sue begins screaming uncontrollably. The hand is trying to pull her into the ground. Her screams ti.;.rnintohm·1ling._

SUE --

Still screaming. But now in her room, waking up from what is, indeed, a bad nightmare. Upright in bed, screaming her head off, her face covered with perspiration.

Eleanor Snell rushes into the room to the bee, e;nbraces her hysterical daughter.

And we come in close on Sue's stricken face as her mother holds her, calming her, cradling her. Closer still on Sue's eyes. She closes them, andwe go to

r