Karen Carpenter's battle with anorexia nervosa and the cultural influence of the Carpenters in the 70s.
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Title: Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1988)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
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Merrill Gruver | ... | Karen (voice) |
| Michael Edwards | ... | Richard (voice) | |
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Melissa Brown | ... | Mother (voice) |
| Rob LaBelle | ... | Dad / Mr. A&M (voice) | |
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Nannie Doyle | ... | Cherry Boone (voice) |
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Cynthia Schneider | ... | Dionne Warwick (voice) |
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Larry Kole | ... | Announcer (voice) |
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Gwen Kraus | ... | Narrator (voice) |
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Bruce Tuthill | ... | Narrator (voice) |
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Joanne Barnett | ... | Herself - Singer |
| Todd Haynes | ... | (voice) | |
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Moira McCarty | ... | (voice) |
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Laurie Stone | ... | (voice) |
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Michelle Manenti | ... | (voice) |
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Celia Pearce | ... | (voice) |
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Plot Summary
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Add Synopsis
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. Written by Jim Beaver <jumblejim@prodigy.net>
Certificate:
Not RatedParents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
30 April 1988 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Суперзвезда: История Карен Карпентер See more »Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1
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Karen: Why do you need thighs?
Mother: For the pants suit, the hip hugger.
Karen: I thought we decided against the hip hugger.
Mother: The pants suit's adorable, you can't just wear long dresses, Karen, I don't care what you read about the midi or the maxi.
Karen: I will NOT wear the hip hugger thing, Mother, it makes me look really fat.
Mother: [laughs] Fat! I swear, ever since that stupid columnist called you, hardy or something.
Karen: They called me chubby.
Mother: Whatever, chubby, you have just ...
[...]
See more »
Written by Roger Nichols and Paul Williams
Performed by The Carpenters
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Ken- and Barbie-style dolls play all of the parts. See more »Goofs
The same scene of Karen in the hospital is used for Karen in her bed at home when her mother calls. See more »Quotes
Mother: [taking Karen's measurements] Waist, 28, thighs, 20.Karen: Why do you need thighs?
Mother: For the pants suit, the hip hugger.
Karen: I thought we decided against the hip hugger.
Mother: The pants suit's adorable, you can't just wear long dresses, Karen, I don't care what you read about the midi or the maxi.
Karen: I will NOT wear the hip hugger thing, Mother, it makes me look really fat.
Mother: [laughs] Fat! I swear, ever since that stupid columnist called you, hardy or something.
Karen: They called me chubby.
Mother: Whatever, chubby, you have just ...
[...]
See more »
Crazy Credits
There are no ending credits, the film ends after shots of newspaper headlines detailing Karen Carpenter's death. See more »Soundtracks
Rainy Days and MondaysWritten by Roger Nichols and Paul Williams
Performed by The Carpenters
See more »
When I first heard of a Karen Carpenter movie acted out by Barbie dolls, I thought, "Yeah, right." Actually, it's not half-bad, revealing the ugly side of brother Richard and their parents. It's a shame the movie has been only available through the underground, though, as it portrays the heart-breaking effects of anorexia through clinical narration, montage, and pop culture to great effect. The use of dolls is actually ingenious, as we come to see how Karen was manipulated by her family, her record company, and society to conform to unattainable perfection. Although banned by numerous lawsuits, this film is available through alternative resources. If you look hard enough, you can find it.