User Reviews

The best thing about this movie is that it is fun. It is full of humorous characters and interesting situations, starting with the blithe, innocent Pecker (played appealingly by Edward Furlong) who likes to photograph almost everything he sees in every day life. Other great characters include Pecker's friend Matt ("he's a thief, but he's really a nice guy"), Pecker's sister Chrissy (who is addicted to sugar), and Pecker's Catholic grandmother who discovers life in a statuette of the Virgin Mary in her room.

The movie gently makes a point about how every day life has many riches to offer, and it succeeds in making this point without being too heavy-handed about it. There is always a risk, when making messages about the value and dignity of "common people", of sliding into a kind of reverse "holier than thou" - but "Pecker" avoids these traps, allowing the audience to get the point while allowing enough breathing room for viewers to compare this message to their own thoughts on the subject.

I recommend the movie mostly because it is a lot of fun.

"Pecker" is a young, unknown photographer from Baltimore who becomes a big star in the public, the media and the local art scene with his pictures showing the dirty reality of all-day life just as dirty underwear or human excrements. It's a typical topic of John Waters Baltimore-based independent comedies to show the weird sides of the American way of life between political correctness fashion and conservative backlashes by exploring the backgrounds of the middle class society of his hometown.

Edward Furlong of "Terminator 2" fame plays Pecker, supported by Christina Ricchi, photographer Cindy Sherman, legendary Patricia Hearst and Water's long-time actress Mink Stole. Although the pacing of the plot becomes a big flaw sometimes and can't compete with the fast and furious joke attacks of Water's brilliant "Serial Mom", it's still has some good laughs in it and some unforgettable scenes like a former junkie-girl who became a vegetarian by sniffing peas from a vegetable dish... "Pecker" is a great comedy about the arrogance of the art scene, media hypes, middle-class sex angst and the strange ways of how to become a pop star without realizing it. Recommended!

As I am no fan of almost any post-"Desperate Living" John Waters films, I warmed to "Pecker". After he emerged from the underground, Waters produced trash-lite versions of his earlier works ("Cry Baby", "Polyester", Hairspray") that to die-hard fans looked and tasted like watered down liqueur. "Pecker", which doesn't attempt to regurgitate early successes, is a slight, quiet, humble commentary on the vagaries of celebrity and the pretentiousness of the art world. Waters clearly knows this subject well because he has also exhibited and sold (at ridiculous prices) some of the most amateurish pop art ever created that you couldn't imagine anyone being able to give away if it wasn't emblazoned with the Waters "name". Edward Furlong is fine as "Pecker" and Waters' non-histrionic style is at ease with the subject.

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.

Pecker is another John Waters tribute to the less fashionable side of his native city of Baltimore. Unlike previous films Pecker is set in modern Baltimore of 1998.

And it's centered around a young man named Pecker. Lest you think it describes him anatomically or behaviorally, what it really does describe is his way of eating as a child, sort of pecking at his food. Of course it wouldn't be John Waters without the double entendre.

Pecker as played by Edward Furlong was given a camera as a kid and it's become an obsession with him, to photograph life and find art in it. Art's everywhere, in his girlfriend's laundromat, in the sandwich shop where he works, in his grandmother's obsession with her talking Virgin Mary icon, even in the garbage where two rats are mating.

Soon his pictures attract attention from the art world. But when that happens Pecker's own world starts to crumble around him. How and will he get it back is the story of Pecker.

John Waters surrounds Furlong with a nice cast of supporting players with the usual Dickensian names for their characters. Best are Christina Ricci as Pecker's girl friend, Baltimore's laundromat Queen, and Brendan Sexton as his best friend and professional kleptomaniac.

Pecker is another of John Waters's lighthearted look at life and some of the strange things we find in it. I think only the most hidebound of rightwing people will not find something amusing in Pecker.

John Waters most accessible film to date is one of his better ones, considering it cut down on all of the campiness and outright vulgarity which seem to litter most of his previous work. Sure, the nudity and the sexual references are still there, at least it is presented in a fashion

that cannot be deemed too foul or disgusting. Due to some great casting choices, this film really brought out the silliness associated with modern art and the subjective nature of your modern artist. Funny and somewhat lighthearted (if that is possible for Waters), this is one of those films I would watch on a rainy day.

After making grotesque pictures with heavy commentary subtly thrown in, writer/director John Waters ventures out of his comfort zone and jumps into the mainstream world. Pecker is a landmark for Waters since this is his first effort that was very mainstream in 1998, but for audiences and fans of his older work, it will most likely be a mediocre excursion. At least it's over pretty quickly.

Nothing in Pecker is very funny. It lacks the satire and wit of Waters' previous pictures that weren't in his comfort zone. In his more modern films like, Cry-Baby and Serial Mom, I was able to retract a moral, a message, or even a clever parody element currently absent from Hollywood films. I wasn't able to pick up too much from Pecker, although it might be trying to play off of the rags to riches formula. If it is, it's too subtle to even notice.

The story revolves around a teen nicknamed Pecker (Furlong). Apparently, he pecks at his food a lot and, viola, a strangely placed, perhaps innuendo-driven name was born. Nevermind. Pecker is an amateur photographer, which is already annoying. He is constantly snapping pictures. Click, click, click. Snap, snap, snap. And he never stops. It's almost maddening to see how many times he does it. Granted, real photographers don't care if you're in the middle of a conversation, if something appears to be interesting they'll interrupt you with a snap of a camera. It is realistic, but it's incredibly overdone.

Pecker takes pictures of all kinds of things. From random facial expressions to private parts and sex acts. He captures them all. His long suffering girlfriend (Ricci) is oblivious to art, and she pretty much captures the personality of the rest of us as we wait for Pecker to break new ground or for Waters to win us over with some great comedic relief. But it's like waiting for Christmas in the dead of July. It's not going to come anytime soon, and it's foolish to expect such an occurrence.

Pecker's work becomes recognized by a famous art dealer. His dysfunctional family is the ones that are the true victim to his acts. They are the ones exploited, and Pecker just sits back, wondering if he did anything to start this. One character that I found cute, but very underwritten (much like Christina Ricci's character) was the borderline kleptomaniac best friend of Pecker played by Brendan Sexton III, a terrific and underrated talent in the world of film. The problem is he never gets his time to shine either. Instead he's replaced by such desperate antics like Pecker's grandmother's talking Mary statue that is nothing but a frozen plot device that is practically useless. Not to mention, the film's love affair with constant flat jokes.

Waters' regulars like Mary Vivian Pearce and Mink Stole are here, but not in mass amounts. Perhaps including Mink Stole as the grandmother would've provided a great deal of laughs. Laugh at you must but it would (1) make Pecker more tolerable than it already is, and (2) be the perfect, out of place role for her since she did such a wonderful job in Female Trouble as a fourteen year old girl who didn't look any younger than thirty.

I've always said that anyone can throw on a cheesy costume and make a parody, many can make an homage to their favorite film, but only few could pull of a very good satire. John Waters can pull of a great satire and possibly do all of those other things very well. So why did he choose to focus on a film with no wit, direction, fun, laughs, or purpose? Pecker isn't long at eighty-six minutes, but becomes a monotonous excursion through recycled screenplay odds and ends before eventually arriving at a questionably worthy conclusion. What the *click* was that all about? Starring: Edward Furlong, Christina Ricci, and Brendan Sexton III. Directed by: John Waters.

I thought this was an utterly charming film. The story seems to be a thinly veiled autobiography of John Waters: Pecker's greatest gift is his ability to find beauty in unexpected places. Edward Furlong does well in the lead, but the best performances are by his grandmother, Mink Stole (a hilarious cameo) and, of all people, Patty Hearst. I think the reviewers are way off base on this one. They seem to be taking Pecker's worst valuation of his work as gospel, when I think the film pretty clearly states that he is indeed a promising artist.

Edward Furlong and Christina Ricci are an excellent couple and demonstrate it with their unique charisma featured in this movie.

This is the typical "alternative" or indie movie with a plot that features a rare situation that suddenly becomes really important.

Pecker is an average boy who has an old camera and his main hobby is to take photographs of the exotic habitants of the small town where he lives in. Suddenly an alternative artist pays attention to his work and hires him in order to expose his work in some important festivals and more.

But Pecker life changes drastically as now fortune and fame seem to infuriate the town's people who are Pecker's main inspiration. Even his sexy girlfriend gets mad because now he does not pays the "adequate" attention to her.

Well this is an Indie movie with an edge but not for everyone. It may seem boring or pretentious for some people but still I think it worths a watch only because it offers something "different" than Hollywood's typical standards.

To describe in a few words: This is the typical Christina Ricci and John Waters movie. That's it.

Oh and I almost forgot to mention that the "Full of Grace" lines are really annoying. Geez.

GOOD INTERESTING STORY THAT IS FUN AND PRETTY EASY TO FOLLOW = 1/2 Star

MEMORABLE DIALOGUE = 0 Stars

FEEL A PULL TO WATCH IT AGAIN = 0 Stars

MUSIC OR SCORE STANDS OUT = 1/2 Star

NO NOTICEABLE PLOT HOLES = 1/2 Star

STORY GETS RESOLVED OR FEELS COMPLETE IN SOME WAY = 1 Star

I PERSONALLY LIKE OR FEEL A CONNECTION TO THIS STORY = 1/2 Star

MEMORABLE OR LIKABLE CHARACTERS = 1 Star

MOST THINGS ABOUT THE STORY COULD ACTUALLY HAPPEN OR ARE BELIEVABLE = 1/2 Star

STORY ISN'T BORING OR REPETITIVE = 1/2 Star



This movie is full of awesome talent through many of the actors. But at points I think the acting is not totally believable and even a tad under acted for the bigger names associated with this picture. It's a good story from a cult status writer/director, and it's worth a watch just for that title! PECKER.

I´m from Germany and I love the mvovies. I go 200 times a year. Tonight I saw "Pecker", it was a wonderful evening. Thank you, Mr. Waters. Everybody who has a chance to see the movie, go!!!

Great light hearted characters that each bring their own special style to the story. Pecker see's the world through his camera and one day unexpectably shares that with the world but not to everyone's liking. It's not like anything I've seen before but brings a certain familiar teenage coming of age feel to it. I most likely wouldn't go out of my way to purposely putting this one again but i would sit down and watch it if I flicked passed it on late night TV. The whole concept is good but does feel a little jumbled at times. If your looking for a light hearted comedy than i recommend giving pecker a go.

One of furlongs better films in that later of his career 7/10

From the first five minutes on, I kept shielding my eyes, throwing things, and swearing out of embarrassment for the actors, but especially for the writer/director John Waters. This was like a poorly-written, drawn-out, poorly-directed 90-minute Saturday night Live skit. Boring, transparent, novice, and trite.

John Waters does what he does best, creating comedies that hang on

that line between normal and strange. In this time around, Waters directs PECKER, about how the seemingly normal photographs taken by an average small-town kid named Pecker (Eddie Furlong) become over- night successes by different art moguls. Of course, many misadventures abound as Pecker encounters many people with different opinions about his "works of art."

The performances are basically the main highlight of the film. Furlong does a good portrayal of the snapshot-taking teen, while Christina

Ricci also shines as Pecker's alienated girlfriend. Low-key teen actor Brendan Sexton III steals the film as Pecker's best friend Matt, a go-go-dancing klepto, just the right kind of character found in a John Waters' flick!

Lily Taylor ✅ Check Interesting/fun indie song opening he film ✅ Check Deviant/Controversial topics dealt with in a non polarising way staying true to the mood of the story ✅ Check Not much of a revelation/story arc but you enjoy it nonetheless ✅ Check Likeable characters leaking in from everywhere ✅ Check

This is John Waters best film to date. The characters are obvious and symbolic, just as in his other films. So there are no surprises or character changes. I enjoyed the film because of the wittiness and pace of the story. It was good story-telling with honest people.

Not quite as 'different' as typical John Waters fare. No really offensive characters (this time). This movie shows a brief time in the life of a young man nicknamed Pecker. His slight brush with fame due to his photography is a good story, but it winds up going nowhere, really. A little more development of the story and better direction, and they might have had something here.

John Waters movies are like John Travolta movies. There is a wide range of good and bad within both of their bodies of work. That said, this is my all-time favorite John Waters movie because he tackles the story of an artist making his art on his own terms in a sweet and funny way. If you liked "Hairspray", "Cry Baby" and "Lust in The Dust", you will definitely like this film. The dysfunctional characters are wonderful and I think this flick says a lot about where we must draw our inspiration as artists. "Pecker" fits in really nicely with other dysfunctional family classics like "Orange County" and "Little Miss Sunshine". The soundtrack is perfect, and the movie has a great pace from start to finish. If you are an artist or dream of being an artist, you absolutely must see this film!

After "A Dirty Shame", I never thought that I was going to see another John Waters movie. That movie was really so bad, that I was convinced that all his movies would be like that. But when the DVD of this movie was reviewed in a popular magazine and they said that this was an excellent movie, I decided to give it a try anyway. Only a couple of days later it was shown on television. I taped it out of curiosity and now that I've seen it, I can tell you that this "Pecker" sure is a lot better than "A Dirty Shame".

In this movie we see how a young 'nobody' from Baltimore becomes an overnight sensation in the art world of New York. He's a sandwich shop employee who photographs his weird family or things that he sees on the street as a hobby. When he keeps his very first 'exhibition' in the shop where he works, his pictures are noticed by a gallery owner who loves the pictures full of misery and weirdness. His photographs are sold for enormous prices, but when he sees how his family, friends and strangers react to his success he decides that he will no longer go to New York, they will have to come to him if they want to see more of him. And they do, but what they get to see there, is a bigger shock than they could ever imagine...

It's not difficult to see why I loved this movie a lot more than "A Dirty Shame". The first reason is that this movie has an actual story. This movie really has something to say and isn't just intended to shock as many people as possible. The fact that they make fun of the art world who considers everything out of the ordinary as art because they don't know what the reality is like, isn't just funny, it's not that far from the truth either. I guess there are many people who feel about modern art that way. Nobody understands why they are making such a fuss about it, but apparently we are all supposed to like it. The second reason why I liked this movie is because this one had much better acting performances to offer. I'm not saying that everything that you will see is great, but at least the characters have some meaning thanks to the performances of the different actors like Edward Furlong, Christina Ricci,...

Overall this isn't a great movie, but thanks to its criticism and some good jokes - which never really go too far - this is an enjoyable movie. It certainly isn't the best comedy ever, but I liked it a lot more than "A Dirty Shame". I give this movie a 6.5/10.

Once again John Waters attempts to "Shock" us with his "Bad taste" and "outrageous" casting, but does nothing but bore the audience to death with another pointless dumb movie. The story is about some kid who is nicknamed "Pecker" and he takes pictures of just about anything like an old lady putting clothes into a washing machine or a chef holding a bottle of ketchup...you get the idea. This kid sees art in everything. The movie is so pointless and bad, it plays like a bad student film. A bad student film where the young director is trying to emulate David Lynch or something. There is an old lady in the movie that walks around carrying a talking statue of the virgin Mary. She makes it talk and she just walks around with it. You can hear John Waters saying: "The audience is gonna think this is so weird. I'm just soooo strange" No, John your just boring. Patty hearst makes an appearance as an art admirer or something and you just can tell John Waters thought it was just sooooo outrageous to cast her. No, John it is just boring. Maybe if she could act it wouldn't be quite so bad. There is also a Little sister character who constantly eats and she just likes candy. I suppose that's supposed to be hysterical. Lilly Taylor is also in it in case we forget it's supposed to be a small quirky film! Pass on this one.zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Going for something far away from the deliberately gross stuff that he usually makes, John Waters (happy birthday, John!) made this parody of the celebrity/art world. Edward Furlong plays the title character, a working-class teenager in Baltimore who loves to photograph things. When a New York agent (Lili Taylor) discovers his work, she offers him his big break, which he accepts. But once he hits it big, he has to reconsider everything.

Basically, "Pecker" looks at how he loses his friends and his normal life once he becomes a celebrity. The sort of thing that we might expect, sure, but with Waters directing, there's always a few things to shock us (you'll know them when you see them). I certainly recommend it. Also starring Christina Ricci, Mink Stole and Patty Hearst.

Saw this again recently on Comedy Central. I'd love to see Jean Schertler(Memama) and Emmy Collins(Hippie in supermarket) cast as mother and son in a film, it would probably be the weirdest flicker ever made! Hats off to Waters for making a consistently funny film.

I'm a big fan of Cry-Baby. It was a great movie where the characters were ridiculous, they all had some quirky idiosyncrasy and it all fit because it was set in the 50s and while telling a good story and being "just plain weird' it was a musical, which generally are a little weird, and it managed to indirectly make fun of the cheesy movies about teens that were played in theaters in the 50s... I thought John Waters had done all this intentionally for that film. I was wrong, it turns out he does that for every film of his, and Cry-Baby is simply the one time when it made sense. Pecker is a terrible mess of a film where these kooky character types just walk around spouting lines that make sense for their weird characters and then every once and awhile a straight character is introduced so that the story can just barely follow a very tired and clichéd plot line. This movie was equivocal to watching a grade 8 acting class play an improv game where they are all zany people for different reasons and must interact. It was terrible, and full of wasted talent. The modernity of the setting and the lack of the musical element should have evoked a change in his style, sadly it did not. This film was just stupid. And when you get passed the quirks of the characters, you realize how vapid and bland the story attempted to be, I say attempted because it seems as though the players are acting independent of the plot through the entire movie, there is no cause and effect for events, they simply happen, so that the movie can seem like it's actually going somewhere. If you've heard any good things about Waters and you are curious rent Cry-Baby, stay far away from this mess.