Carrie (1952)

If Carrie is a less-than-perfect adaptation of the Theodore Dreiser novel, it's a perfectly respectable little tearjerker of a movie when taken on its own terms. Those terms largely involve accepting that the interior lives of the characters, which is what Dreiser was really concerned with, will be sacrificed for a superficial, if involving, exploration of the external facts of their lives. Dreiser's novel would be difficult to transfer to the screen in any hands, but director William Wyler doesn't really seem to try to get under the skin of the characters and their situation, to provide through his direction the insight that Dreiser did -- and since the characters themselves are unaware of why they behave the way they do, this leaves a void at the center of the film. Fortunately, Wyler has made sure it's a pretty void, fitting it out with smashing Edith Head costumes and letting Roland Anderson and Hal Pereira design some lovely period settings. He also gets a very polished, if perhaps not totally natural, performance from Laurence Olivier. He's not ideal casting, but his talent is such that he overcomes his obstacles and turns in a moving, affecting performance. Wyler also coaxes a solid, subtle performance from Jennifer Jones that is emotionally very satisfying and that ranks with her best. These two keep the story afloat, even when it threatens to capsize in tears. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide