Pecker

An unassuming 18-year-old Baltimore photographer whose grainy, intimate studies of family and friends resonate with art collectors. His growth is tempered by loyalty to his roots and discomfort with the sudden, outsized attention his work attracts. He ultimately rejects a high-profile Whitney show to invite collectors to Baltimore, insisting on presenting his subjects on his own terms.

Pecker’s obsessive girlfriend who runs a laundromat and becomes entangled in the media’s mislabeling of her as a ‘stain goddess.’ She embodies a blend of affection and pressure, illustrating how fame can distort intimate relationships. Her reactions to publicity reveal the strain between personal identity and public perception.

Pecker’s mother, a practical, loving matriarch who tips and tips-toe through her thrift-shopped world. Her life is upended as the family’s fame bleeds into public spaces, revealing the limits of generosity when scrutiny intensifies. She remains a stabilizing force amid the shifts caused by Pecker’s notoriety.

Pecker’s grandmother, a figure of wisdom whose life experiences become national news after a talking statue of the Virgin Mary is covered by a magazine. Her dignity and humor resilience anchor the family’s reaction to fame and its ridiculousness. She embodies a generation shaped by faith and practicality.

Pecker’s older sister who navigates work as a go-go dancer and faces job consequences when Pecker’s work encroaches on the boundaries of privacy and propriety. Her arc highlights the collateral impact of fame on the siblings who share the spotlight.

Pecker’s best friend whose own behavior shifts as the photographer’s visibility grows. Once a collaborator in shoplifting, his sense of camaraderie is tested by the new social hierarchy and the pressures of being connected to a suddenly famous figure.

A savvy New York art dealer who discovers Pecker and catalyzes his transformation into a contemporary art phenomenon. His push for sensational promotion sets the stage for a collision between authentic, unpolished work and market-driven hype.

An overzealous critic who labels Pecker’s family as culturally challenged, embodying the harsh judgments of the art press. She functions as a critique of how critics can shape a narrative to fit a particular market or trend.

Pecker’s six-year-old sister whose eating disorder and public exposure draw attention from child welfare agencies. Her experience underscores the vulnerable costs of celebrity and media in a family’s life.