Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection

Sarasota Film Festival 2023

She was the first in a long line of celebrities to suffer from an eating disorder during an era when the vastly misunderstood phenomenon brought shame and public humiliation. For the first time, we hear Karen Carpenter’s personal struggle in her own voice through never-before released recordings and through the legendary voices of those who knew her and were inspired by her music. As the #1 American musical act of the 1970s, the Carpenters were on top of the world, producing a string of pop masterpieces, including “Close to You,” “We’ve Only Just Begun,” and “Rainy Days and Mondays.” But behind closed doors, Karen’s quest for perfection resulted in low self esteem, a disheartening love life, and a public battle with anorexia nervosa, which ended with her untimely death at the age of only 32. Forty years after her death comes KAREN CARPENTER: STARVING FOR PERFECTION, a captivating, revealing, and unvarnished documentary providing astounding new insight into the singer’s tragically short life and enduring musical legacy.

Details

Country:

United States
Language:

English
Runtime:

97 minutes
Year:

2022

Credits

Director:

Randy Martin
Screenwriter:

Randy Martin
Producer:

Brad Osborn, Randy Schmidt
Executive Producer:

Andy Streitfeld
Cast:

Carol Burnett, Belinda Carlisle, Kristin Chenoweth, Cynthia Gibb, Bob James, Olivia Newton-John, Cubby O’Briend, Suzanne Somers, Carnie Wilson