“Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection” premiered to rave audience reviews at the 2023 Sedona International Film Festival. It is returning to Sedona by popular demand for a theatrical run.
She’d only just begun. Forty years after her death, this captivating, revealing, and unvarnished documentary provides astounding new insight into Karen Carpenter’s tragically short life and enduring musical legacy.
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.
“Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection” features interviews with Carol Burnett, Belinda Carlisle, Olivia Newton-John, Kristin Chenoweth, Carnie Wilson, Suzanne Somers and more.