PECKER (New Line) Directed by John Waters Once renowned as the man behind such cinematic atrocies as "Pink Flamingos" and "Female Trouble," writer-director John Waters has gradually eased into the mainstream during the past decade, first with his 1988 "Hairspray," the movie that brought Ricki Lake to prominence, and then with the lavish 1990 musical "Cry Baby," showcasing Johnny Depp, a film that plays like an acid-soaked "Grease." Most recently, Waters gave Kathleen Turner her best role in ages when he cast the femme fatale as the title character in 1994's "Serial Mom," the story of a housewife who resorts to murder to solve her domestic troubles. Fans of "Flamingos" will probably gripe that "Pecker" is diluted Waters, but there's more than enough disturbing behavior and off-the-wall satire here to shock the faint-of-heart and delight those who enjoy the director's quirky sense of fun. Despite the pornographic-sounding title, "Pecker" is no skin flick. It does, however, manage to detail exactly what is involved in what male dancers call "teabagging," and to include the only voting booth sex scene in any film in recent memory. The action is underscored by songs by such 1950s novelty acts as The Nutty Squirrels and The Henhouse Five Plus One, which should give you an idea of how seriously the author takes his material. In his short career, Edward Furlong has been known to suffer from the Daryl Hannah Syndrome: He's only as strong as his director. Working with a James Cameron in "Terminator 2" or Tony Kaye in "American History X," Furlong can excel; under lesser talents, he generally flounders. Waters knows how to bring out Furlong's goofy/grungy appeal -- here, Furlong has the silly grin and wobbly voice of a little boy who managed to break into Daddy's liquor cabinet -- and the character of Pecker, a happy-go-lucky amateur photographer who is literally an overnight sensation among the culture vultures of New York's art scene, seems tailor-made for the actor. Waters has also handed juicy parts to Christina Ricci, who's divinely sour as Shelly, a laundromat manager who treats stains and customers with equal severity, and Martha Plimpton, a solid riot as Pecker's sister Tina who operates a bar specializing in "trade" dancers and who almost dies of grief when a burglar makes off with her prized Liza Minnelli CDs. Brendan Sexton III, best known as the scuzzy delinquent of "Welcome to the Dollhouse," is utterly charming and quite funny as shoplifting ace Matt, Pecker's best friend. In terms of its content, "Pecker" breaks little new ground in Waters' world. It's set in and around Baltimore -- his locale of choice -- and involves class clashes (as in "Hairspray" and "Cry Baby"), unsavory businesses (like "Polyester") and slightly twisted but kindly folk, such as Pecker's mom (Mary Kay Place), who runs a thrift store that puts streetpeople into colorful new outfits. There are also a few gross-out moments along the way, most of them involving either food or vermin. Although "Pecker" rarely hits the comic heights of Waters' best films (his movies just haven't had the same zing since the passing of his premiere leading lady Divine in 1988) and it will do nothing to convert those who abhor Walters and what he represents, it's a solid example of the director's rude but good-natured style. James Sanford
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