Pecker (1998)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

John Waters

Writer (WGA):

John Waters (written by)

Release Date:

25 September 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

He never realized how far 35 millimeters would take him.

Plot:

A Baltimore sandwich shop employee becomes an overnight sensation when photographs he's taken of his...

Plot Keywords:

Art | Photography | Dysfunctional Family | New York City | Laundromat

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Edward Furlong	...	Pecker
Christina Ricci	...	Shelley
Bess Armstrong	...	Dr. Klompus
Mark Joy	...	Jimmy
Mary Kay Place	...	Joyce
Martha Plimpton	...	Tina
Brendan Sexton III	...	Matt
Mink Stole	...	Precinct Captain
Lili Taylor	...	Rorey Wheeler
Patricia Hearst	...	Lynn Wentworth
Jean Schertler	...	Memama
Lauren Hulsey	...	Little Chrissy
Mo Fischer	...	T-Bone (as Maureen Fischer)
Donald Neal	...	Mr. Bozak
Carolyn Stayer	...	Miss Betty

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality, graphic nudity, language and brief drug use.

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | Iceland:12 | Argentina:13 | Canada:14A | France:U | Japan:R-15 | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/16 (video premiere) | South Korea:18 | Spain:13 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R (PCA #36080) | Israel:16

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Company:

Polar Entertainment

Trivia:

Pecker's camera is an early model of the Canonet, a compact camera made over a period of more than a decade (primarily in the 1960s) by Canon for the consumer market. The camera takes so-so pictures, and today might be worth $20-$40, when it can be found. It is entirely plausible that Pecker might find such a camera in a thrift store, at a garage sale, or the like.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Pecker is talking to Shelly in the laundromat, she is folding a bath towel with a rose print. The camera angle changes to the back of Shelly's head; when it pans back to her front, she folds the same towel again.

Quotes:

Memama: [talking through her Mary ventriloquist dummy] Full of grace! Full of grace!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in This Filthy World (2006)

Soundtrack:

I'm a Nut

Excellent, Mr. Waters...

In true John Waters form, "Pecker" offers a pure glimpse of human nature. Being human entitles us to our own unique quirks and eccentricities that make us individuals. When we 'seemingly' normal people are influenced by our ever-changing society, that is when the humor begins.

I think the true beauty of this movie is in the acting. Waters guides his cast into committed characterizations, adding layer upon layer of sub-text until they blossom before your eyes. Waters approaches his characters the way a painter approaches his easel and taking a mental snapshot, paints his perspective. Add all these factors in and you see why I say Pecker is a great movie!

Bravo, John. I always enjoy your work, thank you for sharing your art and perspective with the world.