Prick Up Your Ears (1987)

Synopsis of Prick Up Your Ears

This unadorned biography of playwright Joe Orton (Gary Oldman) charts his bawdy, dangerous relationships. Alfred Molina plays Orton's brutish lover, Kenneth Halliwell, a pathetic figure who becomes horrific and then tragic before the film is over. The hilarity of scenes from such Orton plays as Loot and What the Butler Saw is evenly balanced by the bleakness of the playwright's tormented (and tormenting) off-stage existence, which ended suddenly at age 34 with half a dozen blows to the head from a hammer. Prick Up Your Ears is based on the book by theater critic John Lahr, who is played in the film by Wallace Shawn. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Theatrical Feature Running Time:

110 mins

Director(s):

Stephen Frears

Writer(s):

Alan Bennett

Producer(s):

Andrew Brown

Theatrical MPAA Rating:

R(Violence, Adult Humor, Profanity, Strong Sexual Content, Adult Situations)

• 1987 - Cannes Film Festival - Best Artistic Contribution
• 1987 - New York Film Critics Circle - Best Supporting Actress

Warning:  This product is intended for mature audiences only. It may contain violence, sexual content, drug abuse and/or strong language. You must be 17 or older to purchase it. By ordering this item you are certifying that you are at least 17 years of age.

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