Carrie (1976) question?

Question

Why was the gym teacher's name changed from Miss Desjardin to Miss Collins? Both the book and the 2002 remake of Carrie the gym teacher is called Miss Desjardin. Spelling may be off on the last name.

Answer 1

My guess is that in 1976, the filmmakers figured that "Collins" would be easier on people's ears, and easier to remember, than "Desjardin." They were already taking plenty of liberties with the story, so they probably figured that changing one character's name was no big deal.

In the 2002 remake, except for the ending of the movie, the filmmakers made a much greater effort to stay true to the book, including keeping the characters' names the same as they were in the book.