Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1988)

Karen Carpenter's battle with anorexia nervosa and the cultural influence of the Carpenters in the 70s.

Director:

Todd Haynes

Writers:

Cynthia Schneider, Todd Haynes

Stars:

Merrill Gruver, Michael Edwards, Melissa Brown

Cast

Credited cast:
Merrill Gruver	...	Karen (voice)
Michael Edwards	...	Richard (voice)
Melissa Brown	...	Mother (voice)
Rob LaBelle	...	Dad / Mr. A&M (voice)
Nannie Doyle	...	Cherry Boone (voice)
Cynthia Schneider	...	Dionne Warwick (voice)
Larry Kole	...	Announcer (voice)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joanne Barrett
Todd Haynes
Gwen Kraus	...	Narrator (voice)
Michelle Manenti
Moira McCarty
Celia Pearce
Laurie Stone
Bruce Tuthill	...	Narrator (voice)

Storyline

Karen and Richard Carpenter are young musicians living with their parents in Downey, California. Richard shows great promise as a songwriter and Karen, who plays drums, begins to sing vocals, thrusting the duo into stardom. They become wildly successful, Karen's striking voice and Richard's soft melodies capturing the essence of the nation's yearning for calm after the turbulent Sixties. But Karen strives for perfection and becomes increasingly fearful of her weight, despite being a slender woman. Eventually she is diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, a mental disease relating to stress, lack of control, and low self-esteem. A fight for Karen's life ensues.

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Plot Keywords:

anorexia | disease | showbiz | sibling | cult film | 

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Genres:

Short | Music

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 April 1988 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Iced Tea Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

43 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film has been out of legal circulation since 1990, subject to a cease and desist order pertaining to unauthorized use of the Carpenters' music.

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Goofs

In the opening sequence, a crew member can be glimpsed at the end of the hallway as the camera rounds the corner on its way into Karen's bedroom.

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Quotes

Richard: Karen, wake up. Come on, we've got fifteen minutes.
[discovers laxatives by Karen's bed]
Richard: What are you doing with these?
Karen: Oh, I'm so sleepy.
Richard: How many laxatives did you take?
Karen: I hardly remember.
Richard: What are you trying to do? Ruin both our careers? Now, get up. Drink some coffee. Now, come on! We've got fifteen minutes! Redo your makeup! You're a mess!

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Connections

Referenced in Velvet Goldmine (1998)

User Reviews

A documentary of Karen Carpenter's Struggles with Eating Disorders

Having personally suffered from anorexia and bulimia, my family and I were shown this movie during my in-hospital treatment for my eating disorder. It is highly effective, touching, real, and it does not glamorize or sugarcoat the ugliness and devastation eating disorders cause. I would highly recommend it to anyone, as it starts at the beginning of Karen Carpenter's struggles and depicts her life-long struggle and untimely death. I feel it is a must for any young person facing weight issues, self-esteem issues, or anything of the sort. It is eloquently done, and a must see. The movie involves Barbie dolls, and while it may sound silly, it is so effective that it still makes me think today, ten years after my recovery.