Pecker

Part of the special series JOHN WATERS: THE RESPECTABLE YEARS

Pecker: Here’s to my little sister Chrissy, for teaching me that life is nothing if you’re not obsessed.

Pecker (Edward Furlong), an 18-year-old sandwich shop employee, photographs his family, friends, and neighborhood—spontaneous, unpolished snapshots of a chaotic yet loving everyday life. When a New York gallerist (Lili Taylor) discovers his work, Pecker becomes an overnight sensation, and the art world descends on him and everything he has ever photographed.

The sudden fame brings not only money but also conflict. The people Pecker loves begin to feel exposed, exoticized, or simply overwhelmed. Waters takes a look at authenticity after it has been put through the meat grinder of the art scene—both humorous and, at times, tinged with melancholy.