The Karen Carpenter Story

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.

There is a clever little scene in The Karen Carpenter Story, where both Carpenters are in a recording studio, and Richard makes an impromptu decision to have Karen sing for the owner of the studio.

Richard picks the wrong key for Karen to sing in, so Karen is singing above her natural range. You can see a look of bemusement on the owner's face; he figures she really can't sing. Richard quickly realizes his mistake and tries again in a different key. The next thing you hear is Karen's amazing, beautiful voice, and the owner does a priceless double take. Nicely done! For some reason, I have never forgotten that scene.

The Karen Carpenter Story chronicles the meteoric rise of the Carpenters, and Karen's struggle to overcome anorexia. A lot of things are glossed over. This isn't a documentary, and the movie left me with a lot of questions. Very little is mentioned of Karen's solo venture (the CD was released only a few years ago. If you buy it, you will wonder why they waited. It's some of Karen's best work. The songs aren't as timeless as her work with brother Richard, but it was a great recording, in my opinion).

I have heard it said that, you can be listening to a cheap, time-worn little radio in the middle of the Third World, that would seem to produce more static than anything else. But when a Carpenter song comes on the radio, you would think you were listening to a $1000 Hi-Fidelity unit.

Watch this movie!

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.

Sadly, I didn't appreciate the Carprenters until after Karen's death--young, stupid, inexperienced in romantic relationships, I guess, so lacking in taste! Also, hadn't had the classical vocal training I've since accrued, so couldn't have remarked earlier on what an exquisite voice we had the privilege to know. As a blind viewer, I can't, obviously, comment on the visuals, but Gibb was, in terms of speaking voice, remarkably similar to Karen (check out YouTube interviews)--this from someone who has "made a career" out of discerning between voices--Cynthia was only slightly higher, and had a very similar timbre. I would love to either read the screen play, or find an audio-described version that would catch me up on the visual aspects. I will say that a director/producer is only as good as the material provided--the family kept a lot of details hidden (typical of eating-disorder families not in recovery, especially then), and so, we don't have a chance for an accurate picture, and ironically, the fact that it skims over much or the inward aspects of anorexia is similar to how it is experienced until recovery: only the surface aspects are evident, until the person gets into therapy and uncovers what the illness is saying. And, back then, we knew so little about anorexia, so I don't find much fault in how it was presented here--we only had two hours (less, accounting for the time used up by commercials). If you go online, you can find some DVDs of the movie. I do hope that a more thorough and lengthier biopic will emerge after Richard has passed (preferably, before--if he can come to acknowledge that what their family has gone through is not shameful or terribly unique and deserves to be told truthfully, to assist others so they won't meet the same fate as his sister).

I think this was an excellent movie which tells the life story of one of the Popular music greats of our time.

Love or loath their music [ i love it ] you can't ignore their impact on the genre. With songs that even now are a staple of most Weddings.

This movie starring, a very underrated in my opinion actress, Cynthia Gibb was excellent. The scene that stands out for me was the original try out in the studio where she tries to sing at the [ excuse the probably wrong phrase here, i am the only living Welshman with no musical talent what so ever ] key her brother starts on then he realises his mistake and changes to the key she should sing in. Makes my hair stand on end every time i see it.

If you've seen this movie you know what i mean if not GO SEE IT you won't be disappointed.