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Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story is a 1987 American short biographical film produced and directed by Todd Haynes, co-written by Haynes and Cynthia Schneider, and follows scenes from the final seventeen years of Karen Carpenter's life. The film was withdrawn from circulation in 1990 after Haynes lost a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by Karen's brother and musical collaborator, Richard Carpenter. The film's title is derived from The Carpenters' 1971 hit song, "Superstar".
Over the years, it has developed into a cult film and is included in Entertainment Weekly's 2003 list of top 50 cult movies.
Original Release
04/30/1988
US Release
04/30/1988
Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|
| Merrill Gruver | Karen (voice) / Karen |
| Melissa Brown | Mother (voice) / Mother |
| Rob LaBelle | Mr. A&M (voice) / Mr. A&M / Father / Dad |
| Nannie Doyle | Cherry / Cherry Boone |
| Larry Kole | Announcer |
| Gwen Kraus | Narrator (voice) / Narrator |
| Bruce Tuthill | Narrator (voice) / Narrator |
| Joanne Barnett | Self - Singer |
| Moira McCarty | (voice) |
| Laurie Stone | (voice) |
Directors
Writers
Cynthia Schneider, Todd Haynes
Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|
| Merrill Gruver | Karen (voice) / Karen |
| Melissa Brown | Mother (voice) / Mother |
| Rob LaBelle | Mr. A&M (voice) / Mr. A&M / Father / Dad |
| Nannie Doyle | Cherry / Cherry Boone |
| Larry Kole | Announcer |
| Gwen Kraus | Narrator (voice) / Narrator |
| Bruce Tuthill | Narrator (voice) / Narrator |
| Joanne Barnett | Self - Singer |
| Moira McCarty | (voice) |
| Laurie Stone | (voice) |
| Michelle Manenti | Michelle Hoyt, Musician |
| Celia Pearce | (voice) |
| Barbara Epler | (voice) |
| Sarah Varnoe | (voice) |
| Richard Nixon | Self - President of the United States / (archive footage) as himself |
| Ronald Reagan | Self - President of the United States / (archive footage) as himself |
| Cynthia Schneider | Dionne Warwick (voice) / Dionne |
| Todd Haynes | Todd Donovan, Disc Jockey / Todd Donovan |
| Michael Edwards | Richard (voice) / Richard |
Producers
| Name | Role |
|---|
| Cynthia Schneider | Producer |
| Todd Haynes | Producer |
