Pecker (1998)
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52% of critics liked it
(44 reviews) -
62% of users liked it
(15,506 ratings)
John Waters wrote and directed this $6.5 million satire on the Manhattan art world, a rags-to-riches comedy about 18-year-old amateur photographer Pecker (so named because he pecks at his food). Pecker (Edward Furlong) is a blue-collar kid who works in a Baltimore sandwich shop and takes snapshots… More John Waters wrote and directed this $6.5 million satire on the Manhattan art world, a rags-to-riches comedy about 18-year-old amateur photographer Pecker (so named because he pecks at his food). Pecker (Edward Furlong) is a blue-collar kid who works in a Baltimore sandwich shop and takes snapshots of family, friends, and customers. His mom, Joyce (Mary Kay Place) runs a thrift shop where she offers fashion advice to the homeless, while sis Tina (Martha Plimpton) recruits go-go boys to dance at the local Fudge Palace. Pecker's younger sister, Little Chrissy (Lauren Hulsey), has a sugar addiction, and his grandmother, Memama (Jean Schertler), the "pit beef" queen of Baltimore, conducts prayer meetings with her talking statue of Mary. After hip Manhattan art dealer Rorey Wheeler (Lili Taylor) becomes fascinated with Pecker's photos, a big exhibition is in the offing, followed by overnight fame as the young man becomes the new darling of the New York art scene. Soon Pecker discovers that fame has its price. Shown at the 1998 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Directed By
- John Waters
- Written By
- John Waters
- Genres
- Drama, Comedy
- In Theaters
- Sep 25, 1998 Wide
- Studio
- Fine Line Features
Critic Reviews
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Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
There are many odd treats, like seeing former SLA hostage Patty Hearst dancing on a bar in a low-cut slip and getting a crash course in "tea-baggng."
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Bill Gibron, DVD Verdict
Pecker is Hairspray with Kodak film stock, or Crybaby without the juvenile delinquency angle
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Nick Schager, Lessons of Darkness
A transparent, laugh-free parable about Waters' own rise to fame.
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Lacks an edge.
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Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
I had a great time. It was like skipping school, stealing some comic books, and reading them behind an old abandoned warehouse.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Edward Furlong
as Pecker
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Christina Ricci
as Shelley
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Mary Kay Place
as Joyce
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Martha Plimpton
as Tina
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Brendan Sexton III
as Matt
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Mark Joy
as Jimmy
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Mink Stole
as Precinct Captain
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Lili Taylor
as Rorey
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Bess Armstrong
as Dr. Klompus
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Patricia Hearst
as Lynn Wentworth
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Jean Schertler
as Memama
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Lauren Hulsey
as Little Chrissy
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Donald Neal
as Mr. Bozak
