The Karen Carpenter Story

Nice review by Tom Barrister. Just finished reading Little Girl Blue, very interesting biography. This movie leaves out a lot of details, and glosses over a few major moments in Karen's life. Specifically, the extent to which she went to hide her anorexia (as someone said she was the most honest person except she would lie like a trooper about her anorexia), her solo album which was criticized by Richard among others and scrapped, and finally her disastrous marriage to a gold digging liar. As for lots being filmed then scrapped because of the family, Richard was an executive producer and guess he was trying to protect the family, especially his mother. I read somewhere the family was sorry they helped make the movie because they think it wasn't fair in parts. IMHO the movie does a good job overall portraying the success, talent (that voice!) and tragedy of KC. Like Tom Barrister said in his review, a voice like that comes along every few decades.

ps my favorite song is Superstar. THAT VOICE!

Every time I hear Karen Carpenter's voice, there is that old familiar feeling of 70's blues. What an overwhelmingly beautiful and mature voice she had. Cynthia Gibb cast in the title role does a good job, however, I thought Karen Allen would have been a better choice. This is a tearjerker movie that does a fine job of presenting the professional careers of Karen and Richard but also the personal struggles that Karen dealt with and her disease. The recording sessions in Herp Albert's studio are very nicely done. However Karen Carpenter turned out, there was a time when she was very special and brought a great deal joy to her fans and music lovers. Even if you weren't a Carpenter's fan this is a nice story that depicts how a great talent can fall victim to the pressures of society.

I've never usually been emotional at movies, but this one requires a box of Kleenex standing by. It is not hard to be carried back to the time when the Carpenters' were at the top of their profession, cranking out hit after hit like a music factory. They had a perfect combination, Richard's tremendous musical genius and Karen's angelic voice. As I watched the story unfold, I found myself remembering this wonderful time and the thought crossed my mind, how many people fell in love listening to the Carpenters' music. How many prom-nights was "close to you" danced to cheek to cheek, and how many wedding ceremonies used "We've only Just Begun" as the wedding dance? That was a special time, even at a time when hard rock and heavy metal were beginning to make a big splash on the music scene, The Carpenters' did not suffer for there share of the music market in the 70's was nothing less than staggering. Anyway, the movie touches on all the technical plus gives you their personal side of the lives of these two icons, and the demons they dealt with, Richard successfully, Karen, tragically. At least, Karen will always be immortal through the legacy of music left behind, and as I've seen it written at her graveside, "A star on earth, A star in heaven."

This movie could have been fantastic if it was on the big screen and cuts and changes weren't made for network television airings. I too would have cast a different actress to play Karen, and the movie changed many events in the Carpenters' lives that were real or left out certain events altogether. As a huge Carpenters' fan, I expected much more and was disappointed.

There have been a lot of opinions expressed as to the crux of Karen's problems. Certainly the eating disorder was a result and not a cause of the talented singer's anxiety.

The "controlling mother," need for romantic love, and career stresses all undoubtedly played a part. However, my feeling is that the act of moving Karen from her drums to the center stage mike was the real trigger.

The young musician felt comfortable and natural behind the drums. It was where she really belonged, despite professional dictates. A drummer's always a drummer at heart, sitting behind those traps and wielding those sticks. Her singing emanated from and was intertwined with the drumming, and not an isolated entity.

The move to center stage and abandoning her trap set was the beginning of Karen's downfall. The move robbed her of her base, grounding and natural habitat. It threw off her balance, and began her downward spiral to a rash of personal problems.

Seems like a small thing, yet my feeling is that had Karen remained behind those drums singing her songs, she might still be with us today.

The TV movie includes lots of great Carpenter hits, and includes the contribution of her protégé brother, Richard, who currently (in 2006) is alive and doing well in California.