Pecker 1998

A witty send-up on the contrast between the New York art world and blue-collar Baltimore, Pecker tells the story of a goofy eighteen year old who works in a Baltimore sandwich shop and takes photos of his loving but peculiar family on the side. Pecker, so named for his childhood habit of "pecking " at his food, stumbles into fame when his work is "discovered" by a savvy New York art dealer. Pecker's pictures - sometimes grainy, sometimes out of focus - are anything but professional, but they strike a cord with New York collectors. Instant over-exposure and success has its downside, however, and Pecker must soon choose between his new-found celebrity and protecting the life - and the people - that are his inspiration.