Pecker (film)
Pecker | |
---|---|
Directed by | John Waters |
Written by | John Waters |
Produced by |
|
Starring | |
Cinematography | Robert M. Stevens |
Edited by | Janice Hampton |
Music by | Stewart Copeland[1] |
Production company | Polar Entertainment |
Distributed by | Fine Line Features |
Release date |
|
Running time | 86 minutes[2] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $6 million[3] |
Box office | $2.3 million[4] |
Pecker is a 1998 American
The film examines the rise to fame and potential fortune of a budding photographer, played by Edward Furlong. Co-starring Christina Ricci, Lili Taylor, Mary Kay Place, Martha Plimpton, Brendan Sexton III, and Bess Armstrong. The film received mixed reviews from critics, but grossed about $2.3 million in the United States box office[4] and was able to make profit.[6]
Plot
In a Baltimore neighborhood known for having the thickest
Unfortunately, Pecker discovers that instant over-exposure has its downsides. Rorey's efforts to turn Pecker into an art sensation threaten to ruin the low-key lifestyle that inspired him. He abandons his trusty old
When an overzealous critic dubs Pecker's family "culturally challenged", they begin to feel the uncomfortable glare of stardom. His mother Joyce can no longer freely dispense fashion tips to the homeless clientele at her thrift shop; his grandmother, Memama, endures public ridicule when her experience with a talking statue of the
Having seen his new-found fame disrupt the lives of his family and friends, Pecker upsets the art world by refusing to participate in a scheduled show at the
Asked what he plans to do next, Pecker replies that he would like to direct a film.
Cast
- Edward Furlong as Pecker
- Christina Ricci as Shelley
- Lili Taylor as Rorey Wheeler
- Mary Kay Place as Joyce
- Martha Plimpton as Tina
- Brendan Sexton III as Matt
- Bess Armstrong as Dr. Klompus
- Lauren Hulsey as Little Chrissy
- Mark Joy as Jimmy
- Mink Stole as Precinct Captain
- Patricia Hearstas Lynn Wentworth
- Jean Schertler as Memama
- Alan J. Wendl as Mr. Nellbox
- Greg Gorman as himself
- Cindy Sherman as herself
- Mary Vivian Pearce as Homophobic Lady
- Anthony Roger as Billy Heckman/Death Row Dave
- Doug Roberts as Mr. Heckman
- Patsy Grady Adams as Mrs. Heckman
- Susan Greenhill as voice of Miraculous Virgin Mary
- John Waters (uncredited) as Pervert on Phone
- Stacy Keibler (uncredited) as Blonde on Bus
- Brian Thomas as Larry the Lughead
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 52%, based on 46 reviews, with an average rating of 5.9/10.[7] On Metacritic, it has a score of 66 out of 100, based on 24 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[8]
Describing it as "John Waters' first stab at making a mainstream movie," Edvins Beitiks' review in
Soundtrack
The
- "Happy-Go-Lucky Me" – Paul Evans
- "The Love Chase" – Stewart Copeland
- "I'm a Nut" – Leroy Pullins
- "Memama" – Stewart Copeland
- "Uh! Oh! (Part 1)" – The Nutty Squirrels
- "Straight Boys" – Vicky Randle and Stewart Copeland
- "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter" – Billy Williams
- "In the Mood" – Henhouse Five Plus Too (Ray Stevens)
- "Back to Hampden/Sneaky Shelly" – Stewart Copeland
- "Baltimore, You're Home to Me" – Dave Hardin
- "Thrift Shop Fashion Shoot" – Stewart Copeland
- "Don't Drop the Soap (For Anyone Else But Me)" – Stan Ridgwayand Stewart Copeland
- "New York Montage" – Stewart Copeland
- "Swamp Thing" – The Grid
- "Woo-Hoo" – The Rock-A-Teens
References
- ^ Hornaday, Ann (September 25, 1998). "Movie review: Family values and goodness mingle with John Waters' trademark crude humor in 'Pecker". Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
- ^ "Pecker (15)". British Board of Film Classification. November 13, 1998. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
- ^ "Pecker". October 9, 1998 – via www.imdb.com.
- ^ a b Pecker at Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- ^ Ollove, Michael (April 19, 1998). "Delightfully Deviant Three decades after his first freaky film, John Waters has mellowed. But as his new movie proves, his humor remains twisted, his sensibilities bizarre. He's admired from Cannes to Wisconsin". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
- ^ "Tyro prexy Ordesky looks to lead niche player to fertile grounds". Variety. December 7, 1998. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
{{cite magazine}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Pecker (1998)". Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^ "Pecker". Metacritic.
- ^ Beitiks, Edvins (September 25, 1998). "John Waters approaches mainstream with "Pecker'". The San Francisco Examiner.
- Chicago Sun Times. Archived from the originalon October 7, 2012. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
- ^ Stack, Peter (September 25, 1998). "Poor 'Pecker' Gets Exploited". San Francisco Chronicle.
- ^ "Pecker". AllMusic. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
External links
- Pecker at IMDb
- Pecker at Box Office Mojo
- Pecker at Rotten Tomatoes
- Pecker at Metacritic