Trauma-Scene :: THE BEST LITTLE GIRL IN THE WORLD Gets a Check-Up

June 30th, 2009 by aunt john · 6 Comments

In the hazy, gimlet-soaked recesses of your Aunt John’s mind, the year 1983 holds two distinct memories:

‘70s pop superstar KAREN CARPENTER succumbed to anorexia nervosa
My middle school health class teacher, in an attempt to educate her students about the death of Ms. CARPENTER, traumatized a room of sixth graders by making us watch her taped-from-the-T.V. VHS copy of the 1981 telepicture THE BEST LITTLE GIRL IN THE WORLD

The movie, despite its stellar cast of JENNIFER JASON LEIGH, CHARLES DURNING, and JASON MILLER, did little to hold the attention of our rambunctious class. Collectively, we groaned at the JONI MITCHELL title track (“Songs to Aging Children Come”) and I remember we were more interested in watching the commercial breaks than the movie itself.

Fearing a mutiny, our teacher stopped the film and struck a deal with us along the lines of if we still hated it after the doctor’s office scene, she would gladly put the film away and we could go back to reading about hygiene, acne, or whatever the usual lesson plan entailed. Foolishly, we called her bluff, agreed to keep watching and this is what we saw:

With the simple drop of a medical gown, a pre-teen chorus of thirty or so horrified gasps reverberated around the room. Needless to say, we watched the rest of the movie in disturbed silence waiting for another peek at JENNIFER JASON LEIGH’s emaciated ribcage. Instead we only got the death of a spunky, pre-THIRTYSOMETHING MELANIE MAYRON.

Long out of print, THE BEST LITTLE GIRL IN THE WORLD is currently available on YouTube starting HERE. Did anyone else have to watch this in junior high health class?

Tags: Telenasties · Trauma-Scene

Stumble it!

Do Bad Things. Shop True Blood at the HBO Store

6 responses so far ↓

1 LaDracul // Jun 30, 2009 at 7:11 am

Actually, we saw this in high school. Along with the one with Lea Thompson as the girl with the drinking problem and repressed memories of sexual abuse.
2 mickster // Jun 30, 2009 at 8:23 am

I didn’t see this in school, but I remember watching it on TV. Yikes! I also watched The Karen Carpenter Story on TV. I think it came out in 1989.
3 unkle lancifer // Jun 30, 2009 at 8:40 am

Have you guys seen SUPERSTAR the karen Carpenter story told with barbies from director Todd Haynes???

It is great and can be watched here:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=622130510713940545
4 mamamiasweetpeaches // Jul 1, 2009 at 8:33 am

I love those Learn A Lesson movies from the 70s & 80s! For some reason I always get this one mixed up with the one where Viveka Davis does drugs (which I belive is called “Not My Kid”!)

I was also gonna mention the Karen Carpenter As Essayed By A BARBIE Doll movie but someone else beat me to it. I was – no joke- riveted!
5 Amanda By Night // Jul 1, 2009 at 2:55 pm

I only saw this movie for the first time a couple of years ago. Yowza! Very effective, if a little dated. Lovin’ on JJL big time. She’s so amazing.

Does anyone remember a spoof that was clips of this intermixed with the Exorcist? I swear it exists!
6 smidget28 // Aug 1, 2009 at 8:08 am

Yes, our teachers made us watch this. But it was not surrounding Karen’s death….which was 1983, it was WELL before that! I actually saw this….before she died in 1981 when it was first released on tv, I think. I could be remembering this wrong, but wasn’t it a TV movie of some kind?

You must log in to post a comment.