The Karen Carpenter Story (1989) Joseph Sargent, Richard Carpenter, Cynthia Gibb, Mitchell Anderson, Peter Michael Goetz

November 24, 2023

As the real-life Carpenters singing group is heard on the sound track, Cynthia Gibb stars as Karen Carpenter, with Mitchell Anderson costarring as her brother Richard. Karen’s rise to the top is dutifully detailed, while Richard’s brief flirtation with drug addiction is handled with discretion. The film takes a tragic turn when Karen’s anorexia nervosa overcomes her ability to function, and finally kills her. The Karen Carpenter Story was a ratings winner, encouraging other less tasteful producers to overload the market with bad to indifferent made-for-TV life stories. The film was coproduced by the real Richard Carpenter, who has made the telling of his sister’s story something of a lifetime mission.