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:
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
30 April 1988 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story See more »Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1
Edit
Karen: Mother, didn't you know there are children starving in Africa?
[laughs]
Richard: But it's true, she's even back to her old favorites now: chili and tacos.
Karen: And that 3-course meal at St. Germain's, after the Grammy reunion.
Richard: You haven't lost a pound.
Karen: Or gained.
Mother: A hundred and eight!
Mother, Karen, Richard: [clink glasses] 1-0-8!
See more »
Written by Roger Nichols and Paul Williams
Performed by The Carpenters
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Ranked #45 on Entertainment Weekly's "Top 50 Cult Films of All-Time" See more »Goofs
In the opening sequence, as the camera rounds the corner on its way into Karen's bedroom, a crew member is visible at the end of the hallway. See more »Quotes
Mother: Did you notice the way she cleaned her plate?Karen: Mother, didn't you know there are children starving in Africa?
[laughs]
Richard: But it's true, she's even back to her old favorites now: chili and tacos.
Karen: And that 3-course meal at St. Germain's, after the Grammy reunion.
Richard: You haven't lost a pound.
Karen: Or gained.
Mother: A hundred and eight!
Mother, Karen, Richard: [clink glasses] 1-0-8!
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
We've Only Just BegunWritten by Roger Nichols and Paul Williams
Performed by The Carpenters
See more »
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Enjoy a night in with these popular movies available to stream now with Prime Video.
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.