Pecker
A Baltimore sandwich shop employee becomes an overnight sensation when photographs he's taken of his weird family become the latest rage in the art world. Year: 1998 Director: John Waters Starring: Edward Furlong, Christina Ricci
 


Editor's Note

Includes two John Waters classics. HAIRSPRAY: It's 1962 and Tracy Turnblad has the biggest bouffant on the block. She also has all the right moves to be on the local dance show and win the crown of Miss Auto Show, as well as the ex-steady of the snooty reigning princess, Amber. But Amber is not too happy and has other plans for Tracy. PECKER: The winning 10th feature from John Waters straddles a fine and wisely chosen line between the flaunted vulgarity of his early works and the sloppy kindheartedness of his later films. Set, as usual, in Baltimore, Edward Furlong (T2) stars as 'Pecker', a sweet-natured young fellow who gleefully fills his days photographing his surroundings with a cheap secondhand camera. Egging him on are his Virgin Mary-obsessed grandmother, his kleptomaniac best friend (Sexton III), and his girlfriend (Ricci), who runs a laundromat with an iron fist. However, when his works are 'discovered' by a slumming NYC art dealer (Taylor), Pecker's simple life and family are turned upside down, and Waters gets to take some well-deserved and on-target swipes at the pretentiousness of the art world and the true nature of fame. As usual with the works of Waters, those familiar with Baltimore culture will be even more richly rewarded.