Pecker

Pecker

Year: 1998

Runtime: 87 min

Language: English

DramaComedy

A young man from Baltimore gains unexpected fame when his unique and unfiltered photography captures the attention of the art world. His portraits of ordinary people, taken with a simple camera, propel him from obscurity to the vibrant art scene of New York City, offering a humorous and insightful look at life and ambition.

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Timeline & Setting – Pecker (1998)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Pecker (1998). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Late 1990s

The narrative is grounded in the late 1990s, an era of analog photography and rising celebrity culture. Pecker uses a Canonet 28 and later a Nikon N50, signaling a pre-digital, film-based era of image-making. The period mood amplifies the tension between authentic, unglamorous subjects and commodified art-world fame.

Location

Baltimore, Maryland, New York City, New York

The film unfolds in a working-class Baltimore neighborhood, where everyday life centers around family, thrift shops, and a loyal circle of friends. As Pecker’s fame begins to bloom, the story shifts to the high-stakes New York art world, highlighting the stark contrast between his humble origins and the glamorous gallery scene. The setting underscores how a local photographer’s life can be upended by sudden exposure to the international art market.

🏙️ Urban Baltimore 🗽 New York art scene 🎭 Small-town charm

Last Updated: November 22, 2025 at 15:28

Main Characters – Pecker (1998)

Meet the key characters of Pecker (1998), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Pecker — Edward Furlong

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.

🎯 focused 📷 photographer 🧭 loyal 🏠 grounded

Shelley — Christina Ricci

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.

💖 obsessive 🧺 laundromat owner 🎭 complex

Joyce

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.

👩‍👧 motherly 🧵 thrift shop 🛡️ protective

Memama

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.

👵 grandmother 🕯️ spiritual 🗽 Baltimore roots

Tina

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.

💃 go-go dancer 🎶 nightlife

Matt

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.

🧢 friend 🗺️ sidekick

Rorey Wheeler

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.

🎨 art dealer 💼 NYC oriented

Lynn Wentworth

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.

💼 critic 💎 patron 📈 trendsetter

Little Chrissy

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.

👶 child 🍬 eating disorder

Last Updated: November 22, 2025 at 15:28

Major Themes – Pecker (1998)

Explore the central themes of Pecker (1998), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

✨ Fame

Fame arrives suddenly for Pecker through a gallery system that values striking images over lived reality. The attention reshapes how his family is seen, turning private moments into public spectacle. The film questions whether genuine art can survive the glare of sudden celebrity without losing its soul.

🏠 Family

Fame pressures Pecker’s family, exposing their quirks and vulnerabilities to critics and fans alike. The thrift shop mother, the grandmother’s publicized moment, and the sister’s workplace all become fodder for the art world’s gaze. The story uses intimate domestic scenes to contrast with the cold spectacle of public attention.

⚖️ Ethics

The rise of Pecker’s images highlights ethical questions about intrusion, exploitation, and consent in art. The press and dealers blur lines between admiration and sensationalism as they shape a family’s narrative for a market. The film scrutinizes whether art can remain honest when it thrives on other people’s exposure.

🎨 Art World

The film portrays the art world as a system of gatekeepers, critics, and collectors who monetize authenticity. Rorey Wheeler’s push for a sensational promotion clashes with Pecker’s preference for quiet, unglamorous subjects. It critiques how artistic value can be manufactured through publicity and prestige.

Last Updated: November 22, 2025 at 15:28

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Pecker Summary

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