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Pecker
1998
The winning 10th feature from John Waters straddles a fine line between the eager vulgarity of his earlier works and the sloppy sweetness of HAIRSPRAY and CRY-BABY. Set, as usual, in Baltimore, the film stars Edward Furlong as Pecker, a sweet-natured young fellow who happily passes the days photographing his surroundings with a .. Read more
| Starring | Edward Furlong, Christina Ricci, Beth Armstrong, Martha Plimpton |
|---|---|
| Director | John Waters |
| Genres | Comedy, Drama, Gay/Lesbian |
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Pecker
The winning 10th feature from John Waters straddles a fine line between the eager vulgarity of his earlier works and the sloppy sweetness of HAIRSPRAY and CRY-BABY. Set, as usual, in Baltimore, the film stars Edward Furlong as Pecker, a sweet-natured young fellow who happily passes the days photographing his surroundings with a cheap secondhand camera. Egging him on are his Virgin Mary-obsessed grandmother (Jean Schertler), his sugar-addicted younger sister (Lauren Hulsey), his kleptomaniac best friend (Brendan Sexton III), and his girlfriend (Christina Ricci), who runs a Laundromat with an iron fist. When Pecker's works are "discovered" by a slumming NYC art dealer (Lili Taylor), his simple life is turned upside down, and he quickly realizes that he was happier as an unknown.
A valentine to--and satire of--the art world, PECKER makes strangely poignant statements about the nature of art and the value of fame. As someone with a foot in both the New York art scene and the earthiness of Baltimore, the title character obviously has more than a touch of the director in him. As with all other Waters films, those who are familiar with Baltimore culture will be even more richly rewarded.
| Starring | Edward Furlong, Christina Ricci, Beth Armstrong, Martha Plimpton, Brendan Sexton III, Mink Stole, Cindy Sherman |
|---|---|
| Director | John Waters |
| Studio | ENTERTAINMENT IN VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 26 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Comedy, Drama, Gay/Lesbian |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Subtitles | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 18 Sep 2000 Production year: 1998 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (6)
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John Waters movies don't come more sweet and adorable than this portrait of a young and ingenuous Baltimore photographer (a rather low-key Edward Furlong) who becomes an instant “art star” after winning over New York's jaded establishment with his neighbourhood snaps. The scanty story charts the eponymous Pecker's rise to fame and the subsequent attempts to pluck him from his proletarian backwater. Waters gently — though at times didactically — satirises the vampiric art world as a frame for a comparatively sympathetic picture of his B-list Maryland hometown. Among the many mischievous delights are a ventriloquist act involving a Virgin Mary doll, Christina Ricci as the launderette operator from hell and Martha Plimpton as Pecker's spunky sibling. Not to mention Mink Stole.
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"...PECKER remains a refreshing reminder of Waters' spunky talents, and offers continued proof that there really is a very thin line between treasure and trash..."
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Most helpful member's review
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Brilliant, offbeat slice of life
A marvellous feelgood movie portraying the rise to fame of a young photographer and how his fame affects his family and friends.
John Waters' fillums are often meant to shock you out of your view of what's normal in life. This one has a wider appeal and I'd recommend it as an introduction to the great man's work. -
Most recent members' review
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[Highly rated reviewer]
Pecker
My introduction in to the ‘bad taste night’ began with this wonderfully eclectic film starring a fairly blasé Edward Furlong (remember him?). I’m told the the director of this film has gone down in history as a bit of a legend in bad taste circles, with previous efforts made for the sole purpose of shocking and disgusting the viewer. If true then he must have been having an off day when he made this cos in all honesty, barring being slightly mad, it was a bit of a chuckle. With a transitioning Christina Ricci along for the ride (man she blossomed rather well….ahem…) Pecker tells the story (some might say fairytale) of a local lad (Furlong) who takes pictures of almost everything he sees seeing the inherent beauty in anything from a fat lass on a bench to 2 rats humping. Then during a exhibition held at his café workplace Pecker gets spotted by a New York big wig who naturally buys one of his photos for lots of money. This begins a spiral as he becomes more and more nationally reknowned, where every aspect of life that Pecker had enjoyed before is suddenly tarnished, sucking the enjoyment out of something which before was just a hobby, as well as affecting the lives of his family and subjects. . In essence it’s a morality tale mixed in with some rather loopy characters (Peckers Grandmother being a certain highlight), and some baffling set pieces. Furlong looks like hes been told to look permanently constipated (either that or he was on something) and Christina Ricci looks forever confused. Theres a nice turn from xxxxx as Peckers sister and the rest are just along for the ride. The fact is while this might be an eclectic movie it has a simple story and a simple message. Its been done a thousand times before so you know where its going but that makes it no less worth a watch. Worth a punt if you want something out of left field.
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- gepete80 from London
- Posted 23 Feb 2009 14:34
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