Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1987) User Reviews

Sublimely Brilliant and Subversive

[addisonma · 9/10 · 7 September 2004]

Unexplainably brilliant. You have to see it to believe it, really.

Understandably suppressed by Richard--I won't spoil it for you--it is at turns hiariously bitchy, grotesque, tender, and cruel. At the same time, it elevates the subject matter, leaving this viewer with a much deeper sense of appreciation for the Karen. I laughed at them, and it made my like both of them more.

The story is dramatized through carefully and minutely constructed sets populated by Barbie dolls clothed in carefully crafted period clothes. Karen's descent into anorexia is represented through whittling down the face and arms of the Barbie doll that portrays her, which has an effect both hilarious and disturbing.

All in all, it feels so much like a "real" documentary, I can't tell you that it isn't. It's treatment of the subject of annorexia and it's effect on Karen's life is at once silly and serious.

I saw it on DVD. The box had next to nothing printed on it. It was obviously bootlegged from somewhere, but the print I saw had good quality audio and visual.

banning the film only made it more famous

[mjneu59 · 8/10 · 6 January 2011]

There's a certain brilliance behind the idea of using Barbie dolls to recount the story of singer Karen Carpenter, and the exchange of one plastic all-American icon with another results in an oddly respectful (if suitably macabre) show-biz biography, flirting at times with campy irreverence without ever becoming vulgar. By reducing Carpenter's tragic life to dollhouse proportions the film transforms it into a miniature image of the American Dream gone sour, carrying all the morbid fascination of a tabloid celebrity exposé. But this isn't a memorial to (or a mockery of) the singer's life and musical career; it's an artfully made, near-satirical reflection of how numb and destructive American values had become during the 1970s.

I was lucky to catch a rare theatrical screening (at the York Theater in San Francisco) in the summer of 1988, three years before the film was banned for its unauthorized use of copyrighted music.

Richard and Mattel aren't amused at the honesty of anorexia.

[fredk_us · 9/10 · 25 February 2002]

Part 1: An important film by one of the few AIDS-awareness directors. All of Todd Haynes' films/stories symbolize the alienation, decay, and whenever possible, rebirth, of the gay man vis-a-vis AIDS. We've lost so many to AIDS, and although today the horror slumbers often, the story here is just as gripping. Combining the details of Karen Carpenter's existence with his motif/approach, Haynes tells us a lot about the suffering, solitude, and emotional blackmail that comes with that yearn for success. I am amused that most film critics stuck to the surface story and paid lip service to Karen Carpenter's ordeal as a girl in a nuclear family bubble. Civil sympathy is a bit of a bore.

Richard and Mattel, the creators of Barbie, have blocked the film's availability; all prints are legally supposed to have been destroyed. Richard blocks it because of the usage of the Carpenters' music, which ought to be public domain anyway!. Mattel blocks it because of the usage of Barbie dolls for all the characters and the overt implication that plastic existence has drastic consequences.

It's amusing and then gripping the overlays of text, music upon music, narrative, darkness, and camera pans that punctuate the film. But the surface story -- Karen lost in her own world of hopeless perfection as envisioned by her domineering mother, Agnes Carpenter -- is a fine one as it depicts a cultural shift from Vietnam's horror to Nixon's false-father stability. (The Carpenters were invited to perform for the President at the White House.) Wholesomeness, in Haynes' tale, requires grit, profanity, endless self-subterfuge and a propensity for collapse. That A&M Records is seen to be malevolent cannot be Karen's reason for self-starvation. That the rest of the rock world is living it up while Carpenters sweat it out in the studio cannot be the reason either. And yet the reason for her illness, like the bird attacks in Hitchcock's 1963 thriller, is never disclosed -- as if it could be, and Haynes shows us his chains of reasoning and events and all we can do is marvel at the Edgar Allen Poe Barbie Dolls and Karen's gradual transformation into Munch visual madness.

Todd Haynes takes liberties with what happened, but usually only as a convenience; it all comes through and through regardless: the family's accidental discovery that Karen could sing like nobody else; the switch from laxatives to syrup of ipecac and vomiting; the allegations that Richard Carpenter has always been homosexual.

Word-of-mouth will get you a copy of the film, which only benefits from the acres of great music the duo produced. Karen Carpenter is dead, like so many other against illness and massive ignorance. Haynes' paean to her strength and helplessness, her soulful gloom and snatches of love, transforms the viewer, who is pressed to create his or her own Barbie-format epic!

One of the Best Films Ever

[dbborroughs · 10/10 · 2 September 2004]

Squashed by the Carpenter estate this film is all but impossible to see. I think it has less to do with "unauthorized" use of Carpenter songs then the fact that Karen's family comes across as monsters and largely responsible for her death.

Quite simply this film is a kick in the face, a punch to the gut and utterly heartbreaking. Despite the fact that the film is told with "Barbies" this film moves you to tears. We watch as she is manipulated in to performing and pushed ever onward with little or no control of her life. This is cross cut with scenes of the time period and with information about her condition. The entire film is scored with the music of the Carpenters as well as the other hits of the period. You will be moved.

If you want to see great film making or great story telling find this film and see it. 10 out of 10.

Frankly this film should be seen by more people then those dogged enough to search it out since despite the tragedy it could be someone's ray of hope out of the darkness.

A documentary of Karen Carpenter's Struggles with Eating Disorders

[j922-1 · 10/10 · 14 July 2006]

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.

A great, if currently illegal, short film.

[androx · 10/10 · 19 September 1998]

A marvelous film made by Todd Haynes, a Brown University student at the time, later the director of "Poison" and the brilliant, hypnotic "Safe" (1995), "Superstar" details the rise and fall of Karen Carpenter entirely through an inspired formal devise: Carpenter, her brother Richard, family, and friends are all "portrayed" by Barbie dolls. The film is not merely about fame or anorexia (the disease of which Carpenter died), but conjures the suburban California of the 1970's, indeed the whole plastic experience of America and American pop culture (of which, of course, The Carpenters and Barbie dolls are most certainly a part). The sincere lite-rock of The Carpenters is juxtaposed with the emptiness and powerful sorrow of these "people"; the film isn't merely a satire--it's deeply touching in a way that many "human stories" fail to be. Upon its appearance, the film became a minor cause celebre in hip, arty New York circles; unfortunately, when Richard Carpenter, proprietor of The Carpenters' music (who doesn't exactly come across as a hero in the film), got wind of it, he called his lawyers. The fact of the matter is that Haynes and his producers never cleared the use of the music--the film was never intended to be shown for profit. Simply, though, there is no film without the music. The still-standing cease-and-desist order prevents the film from being distributed in any form; I saw a third- or fourth-generation copy on video, and it was still better than virtually anything I saw that year. "Superstar" is worth seeking out; it's genuinely (and I rarely use this word) inspiring.

Brilliance and barbie dolls

[rannofxcid · 6 July 2003]

I found out about this movie in the 50 greatest cult films issue of Entertainment Weekly. It sounded like a funny, semi-serious biography of Karen Carpenter, whose music I do happen to enjoy. When I finally watched it, I realized that the movie was a very serious and in depth look at anorexia. It's haunting, brilliant, moving, and touching. I had never seen the life of an anorexic person played out so well as by that barbie doll. It's a shame that this film has not been widely distributed, because it's a darn fine movie that is very educational.

More tastefully done than you might guess

[ehol · 9/10 · 28 October 2001]

All of Todd Haynes' heroes are outsiders, even Karen Carpenter. As portrayed in "Superstar," she's too square to hang with anyone hipper than Dionne Warwick, but too grown-up to cope with the strict confines of her suburban upbringing, and ceaselessly stalked by the insecurity manifested in her anorexia. Some of the details are probably over-sensationalized, and Richard probably deserved a fairer shake than the movie gave him, but the essentials of Karen's battle with herself are all there in chilling detail. Oh yeah, and the songs, featuring Karen's lead vocals and drumming, and Richard's underrated arrangements, are pretty good too. If you can't see this one, at least get hold of the songs and update your ears.

Weirdly affecting

[GroovyDoom · 6/10 · 29 September 2003]

A lot of people praise this film, and it's definitely not something you're likely to forget, although for me this is a mixed bag. The device of using Barbie dolls to depict the Karen Carpenter story makes "Superstar" a little frustrating to watch at times. The reality of Karen's situation, as well as the fact that she was a ubiquitous public figure and very easily recognized, makes for an affecting experience, but this same story has also been told many other times in countless "movie of the week" formats (with other diseases or afflictions substituting for anorexia). I also wonder about how accurate the film is in telling Karen's true story. I can't help but think that much of it is speculation about what could have happened to Karen Carpenter, but that it isn't necessarily the whole truth. Either way, the film draws some very clear conclusions about the impetus for Karen's anorexia, mainly an overbearing family life and the professional pressures that came with her successful career--pressures that, if the film is to be believed, were made even worse by the demanding nature of her brother, Richard Carpenter.

The movie does bring out some psychology about the nature of anorexia, but I fail to see how this could be considered a "serious" study of the disease. The use of Barbie dolls as characters, as well as the deliberately tabloid presentation of the film, seem to lead the intent far from the serious and into the realm of the absurd. Ironically (or not, depending on the director's intention), the real weight that this short film carries comes from the combination of Karen's tragic story with the sound of her own voice in the many sentimental Carpenters songs that are included on the soundtrack. It is the very emotional manipulation that the Carpenters specialized in that makes the difference here, too.

What is remarkable about "Superstar" is how much impact it does have, as well as the scathing criticism of the phony 70s "squeaky clean" image that sprang up in contrast to the gritty social and political movements of the era. It is also a film molded in the morbid tradition of a genre that I like to refer to as the "70s doom" film, movies that were intended to shock the viewer with graphic depictions of atrocities they had only heard whispers of, usually accompanied by melodramatic cues. The opening scene is an ominous point-of-view shot as Karen's mother walks through her house to find Karen's lifeless body collapsed on the floor, accompanied by horror movie music and sound effects. The portrait that it does paint of Karen as a victimized pawn manipulated by her family and record executives is a powerful one, especially in the way that Karen struggles in vain to gain control of her life.

Definitely interesting viewing, although the over-the-top elements of the piece seem intended to deliberately shock the viewer in a more superficial way. Make sure to look for the Barbie doll that stands in for Dionne Warwick. Classick!

See Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story for it's unusual doll depiction of a life

[tavm · 8/10 · 6 November 2006]

I have seen this long illegally circulated film on YouTube after nearly twenty years of hearing about it. Filmmaker Todd Haynes' dramatization of Karen Carpenter's life story and her battle with anorexia nervosa with Barbie dolls makes this one of the most fascinating depictions of a superstar's descent into madness. Karen's fellow musician brother Richard and mother Agnes also make impressions though not always positive ones. Interspersed with actual news footage of '70s events and Carpenter songs playing at the same time, there's a disorienting atmosphere throughout. You also get commentary, both pro and con, on Karen's music from some real people on screen. Haynes, who would later make Far From Heaven and Safe, plays various Carpenter songs alone to illustrate Karen's feelings clearly when scenes focus on her. The video I saw was a bit fuzzy but don't let that stop you. For the unusual way you see an entertainer's life depicted, Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story is certainly one of the most mind blowing experiences I've ever had!

What's wrong? Do the Carpenters have something to hide? Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story

[jaredmobarak · 7/10 · 9 February 2009]

There is something to be said about great music and the depths of hell it comes from. So many classic songs and albums were created under the influence of some drug, whether illegal or prescribed, or by a disorder of some kind, both mentally and physically. This is true of The Carpenters and their demise at the hand of lead singer Karen falling prey to an overdose of medication used to keep her anorexia going without the need of over-the-counter laxatives. Todd Haynes decided to create a bio-pic depicting the life of this tragic star and entitled it Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story. Unfortunately, like most stories of this kind, it was pretty much widely agreed upon that her family life led to the troubles that eventually ended her life. Whether it the repressed childhood or over-protecting parents, the brother and partner more worried about her health killing his career than his sister, or the struggles of fame and the scrutiny the media places you under, Karen never could cope with the way her life progressed. Attempting to keep the wholesome façade on the surface, her dark inner struggles soon became the bigger news story and sadly just as memorable as her songs and amazing voice used to give them to the world.

Unable to secure the rights to The Carpenters' catalog of music, Haynes has never been able to get this early short film out to the public in any legal way. Understandably, due to the representation of his character and family, Richard Carpenter filed an injunction against its release and the film may never be officially available. It's a real shame because there is a lot to like about the work … the least of which is the fact that it is all told with Barbie Dolls filling in as actors. There is no stop-motion animation going on here, but instead many static scenes blocked precisely to create interesting angles and the appearance of realism. Framed in a way to be able to move the figures when necessary, but still keeping the "performers'" hands off-screen must have been carefully orchestrated and choreographed. The amount of care definitely shows. Especially when you try and fathom the detailed sets and props all miniaturized to work in a Barbie Doll world. Quite inventive and as unique a thing as you'll ever see.

The most interesting piece to take from viewing the film is how much it influenced Haynes' most recent release I'm Not There. Another musician biography, this time about the legendary Bob Dylan, it's told through the eyes of five different actors, each representing a different era in the singer's long and ever-evolving career. It's not just the fact of comparing the use of dolls to reenact the behind the scenes life with the use of multiple people containing widely differing ages and even both genders to do so, but the similarities of the actual style and construction. Haynes utilizes a lot of cut scenes and montages in Superstar, adding text blocks to explain facts on anorexia or to elaborate events in the Carpenters' life, showing archival footage of the Vietnam protests and Richard Nixon, or just letting idyllic suburbia fly past while a camera shoots out a car window. In I'm Not There he does the same, however, all with manufactured shots. The interviews or the switch from color to black and white occur with new film, everything created along with the script. Therefore, one could say the device is more successful here because he had to edit stock reels to make sense in the context of his story. From the food shots to the old-era movie scenes paralleling what was going on in the story, it all makes an eerie juxtaposition, adding just one more layer to an eccentric format that borders on the line between intelligent experiment and absurd miscalculation.

Surprisingly, the acting is quite good also, with some effective voice work. I loved the almost horror film quality to narrator Bruce Tuthill's voice and in many scenes, like a later one involving Richard yelling at Karen, the emotions come across stronger than the lingering chance of breaking into laughter at the fact dolls are performing the visual accompaniment. Haynes, thankfully never allows himself to treat the gimmick as a pejorative comment on the true-life tale. He tells it all with an obvious attachment to the material and desire to let the facts become known. Karen Carpenter's life was constantly decided for her and she soon realized that the only aspect she had control over was her body. With all the fame and fortune being strewn upon her for her voice, she needed to find some control and unfortunately that meant a slow and steady descent into oblivion. Right from the start, when her mother suggests she sing for her brother's band to her sealing her fate of celebrity strife in a strongly metaphoric scene cutting to a record executives' outstretched hand—a deal with the devil if you may—Karen's life would never be the same. Thankfully we all still have the music to remember her by and maybe one day in the future, the world will be able to see her story told artistically and with care … even if plastic toys are doing all the work.

A remarkable movie.

[miloc · 9/10 · 18 July 2006]

Thanks to its legal status, "Superstar" is a true piece of underground cinema, and one of the best of its kind. Here in the era of "South Park" the idea of a drama about the Karen Carpenter tragedy acted out by Ken and Barbie sounds like a crass joke, and yet Haynes treats the material with extraordinary assurance. The dolls evoke not only the cultural issue of female body-image but a not-entirely vanished society -- Nixon's "Silent Majority," with its suffocating aesthetic and tight-lipped insecurity -- and the strange sound the Carpenters constituted within it: wholesome, sweetly naive songs delivered in Karen's deft, sultry/ melancholy voice. It was an odd enough voice to be coming from the real Carpenter, and here, juxtaposed with the wide-eyed, increasingly skeletal "Karen" doll, the effect is spooky and shockingly poignant. To what degree the treatment is fair to the Carpenter family is unclear, but as a film it makes an interesting companion piece to Haynes' extraordinary "Safe" and stands on its own as a superb pop-art elegy and a genuine outlaw triumph.

Well...it's good

[sean4554 · 6/10 · 2 March 2008]

A lot of people absolutely love this film. If it has something to do with the mystique of owning a legendarily unavailable cult film made with dolls, that's understandable. I think when I first got this film in the early '90's on VHS I was swayed by that and also overpraised "Superstar". Now, twelve or so years later, "Superstar" is no longer 'rare' as it's all over the fileshare sites, and let's face it, there's a world of much stranger films out there. Seen today for what it is, "Superstar" is still an interesting piece, an experiment that works more often than not. The best element I feel is the editing. Great work there. Otherwise, and I'm not knocking it at all, this isn't a great film. It's good, entertaining and certainly memorable, but really nothing all that special. In my opinion, of course.

Bizarre, yet fascinating

[overby · 5/10 · 3 April 2005]

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.

Excellent

[jpm242 · 1 May 2002]

I recently saw Superstar in an art class of mine, having heard about the film for over ten years. I had been dying to get my hands on a copy, and was extremely excited about seeing it. It surpassed every expectation I had. I can't imagine the story being done any other way with Barbie dolls. When "Karen" is talking about how she feels fat, one can't help but look at the irony that she is being played by a stick thin Barbie but still insists she's fat--just as Karen couldn't see that in real life. Not preachy or cheesy at all, the "dolls" manage to inject more humanity in the film than actors could. One of the most beautiful, poignant shots ever is in Superstar--Karen Carpenter, alone in the studio, singing a very sad song as the camera pans up and the lights grow dim, the only visible thing her shining face and her echoing, melancholy voice. Do whatever you have to do to see this!!

A Wicked Tour de Force

[ilikeimdb · 10/10 · 13 February 2003]

Great technique; so well done, paced, scripted; great inventive cut-aways that steal from the best movie cinematography. A low-low budget over-the-top tribute that never fails to deeply touch the Ex-Lax within us all. Poor Karen died but Barbie lives on in white bread heaven. I'm sure the Carpenter family, esp. Richard, is furious with the director to this day.

Brilliant!!!!!!!

[billcody · 10/10 · 13 July 2002]

I heard about this film for years before I was able to track a copy down. I figured I was going to see one of those jokey - cynical Film Threat kind of films. Boy was I wrong.

I have only cried like a baby for three films. It's A Wonderful Life, Bang The Drum Slowly and Superstar. One of the best films I have ever seen.

A powerful film not to be laughed at or missed

[Casey-52 · 10/10 · 29 July 1999]

I really can't add to the two other reviews, they really hit the mark. I'd just like to add that even though the idea of Barbie dolls acting it all out, this film really never is laughable. There is never one moment of laughter, there are tears, though. Hopefully, someday, maybe someone will pay off the music rights so this can be released legally.

A serious movie and a gem of originality

[gparshal · 9/10 · 15 November 2002]

The first time I saw this movie was as a last-minute thing, and it was double-billed with John Waters's "The Diane Linkletter Story," which was unfortunate. "Superstar ..." is dead serious, and addresses eating disorders straight-on, while still giving the viewer an honest view of Karen Carpenter's life, pressures, and place as an artist (I still hear people refer to her as having the most soulful white voice of her generation). I think a lot of our uneasiness with films that (even wrongly accused) seem to make fun of Karen Carpenter (and "Superstar ..." certainly does not, but its unconventionality leads some to take it as frivolous), is that, when Karen Carpenter died, she'd become uncool, and we made all the jokes about her, and now we feel guilty.

Seeing this movie should pick at the scab on that guilt a bit, which isn't a bad thing.

In contrast, "The Diane Linkletter Story," also about a famous young woman's untimely death (suicide from a high window), was a joke made to shock the audience. Not that that's bad -- I'm a huge JW fan and always will be -- but it has nothing in common with "Superstar ..." TDLS was filmed on the very day that Diane Linkletter killed herself, and so contains very little reflection or morality. It's not supposed to since (I believe) it's a parody of "on the spot" news coverage in which there is no rest time between actual events and the reporting thereof.

It is that rest time, and the reflection that Todd Haynes put into "Superstar ..." that makes the movie so touching and illuminating, regardless of his choice of materials/cast.

And the music still haunts to this day ...

Gripping but hard to watch

[preppy-3 · 7/10 · 18 April 2018]

The story of Karen Carpenter. It's all about her rise to fame and her battle with anorexia which killed her at the far too young age of 32. It's all done using dolls to portray the people. Also they show what was going on in the world at the time and cards explaining how anorexia destroys women. This is a deadly serious short and VERY depressing. I almost was in tears as you see and hear Karen trying to fight the disease. It also portrays her family very badly. Her brother is shown as being gay and verbally abusive. Her mother comes across as a controlling witch. Harrowing but fascinating.

This has supposedly banned due to unauthorized use of the Carpenters music but I saw it uncut on YouTube.

Moving and relevant

[Horst_In_Translation · 8/10 · 9 September 2015]

There are two possible ways which approach to give to the 43-minute short film "Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story". The first would be to see it as a historic documentary about a culture phenomenon and the tragic fate of a young woman who was among the biggest stars of her generation. The second would be to see it as a documentary film that teaches us about the horrors of anorexia. You have to decide yourself what path you take or if you try to see it as a mixture of both. This film was written and directed by Todd Haynes, early in his career, over 25 years ago. He went on to become an Academy Award nominee later. The best thing about this short film is probably the music. Some wonderful songs in here that are very catchy and have been covered so many times. My favorite is probably "Rainy Days and Mondays", but there are many other great recording in here as well. A really interesting short film. It is probably personal preference as to how much you like the doll sequences and re-enactments, but for me they were fine. Highly recommended.

About death - but a movie full of life

[leone_glembay · 6/10 · 27 November 2015]

This is a very charming debut by Todd Haynes, signaling his talent, but it is also understandably raw. The approach is the most fascinating thing here. Having dolls instead of real actors, but filming it as if were made by cameras of the 70's works great. Thus acting is nonexistent, but the conversations are not lacking in spark. In the dramatical context, the minimalistic approach is spot on, but the actual dialogues are too banal for my liking. Also, the messages about anorexia nervosa are not subtle enough, so it sometimes feels like we are in a commercial. Even though I found several significant flaws, I enjoyed the movie on a substantial level. At the end of the day, it is a very original idea, but perhaps not done to its full potential. It is as if the director was 'too nice' to make something even greater, somehow reminding us of the Carpenters themselves.

More than I bargained for

[TanQ · 9/10 · 21 June 2006]

Despite the poor video quality of the streaming version I had seen and the unreadable subtitling I thoroughly enjoyed this film. I found myself drawn into the story. When I originally sought it out, it was really out of little more than curiosity. I wanted to see the doll slowly shaved away. I wanted to see why it would be banned in the USA.

There is so much more to this movie, though. I was dragged into the story by the music, something I didn't expect not being a fan. Karen Carpenter's voice seems more tinged with pain and surrender once you hear it contrasted against the turmoil of the early '70's and her own uncontrollable urges.

Eventually her life and career spiral out of control until her death. This could possibly be the best film on anorexia nervosa and the price of success. Also, in a strange way, it appears to treat Karen Carpenter with respect. Well worth the viewing.

Saw it in Prague

[dave-sturm · 7/10 · 19 February 2008]

I had long heard about this movie and was intrigued, but I never thought I'd have an opportunity to see it. But I did, on screen and with an audience, outdoors in Prague in the late 1990s (twin billed with Todd Browning's "Freaks," believe it or not.)

I'm not sure the Czechs in the audience "got" it (they liked "Freaks," though), but I thought it was moving. I had expected it to be John Waters-ish. Not so. The Barbie gimmick really works.

I just wonder what thought process went through Todd Haynes' mind to think this up. "A movie about Karen Carpenter. Using Barbie Dolls. Hmmm." The man's an artist. I've known ever since seeing "Safe."

Hanleymac"s comment

[john-brouhard · 1/10 · 7 June 2008]

There is not much I can add to Hanleymac"s comments except I hope Richard Carpenter can find a way to completely stop this mess from ever being seen ANYWHERE!!! GET, IF YOU CAN, "THE KAREN CARPENTER STORY, 1989. I think you'll find it much more informative, and that it deals with Karen's suffering more than "Superstar". It, as I recall, helped make all of us aware of the problems associated with Anorexia and other eating disorders. "The Karen Carpenter Story" doesn't free the Carpenter family from some responsibility for what happened to Karen, but it doesn't bash them either. The attempt on the part of Harold and Agnes was simply to try and protect them (Karen and Richard) from the problems of the entertainment world. If my wife, Terrie and I had been their parents, we might possibly have done things the same way. As for "Superstar, The Karen Carpenter Story", it should be sent as far away as the East is from the West.