They shared everything... except success.
When the young, attractive Joe Orton meets the older, more introverted Kenneth Halliwell at drama school, he befriends the kindred spirit and they start an affair. As Orton becomes more comfortable with his sexuality and starts to find success with his writing, Halliwell becomes increasingly alienated and jealous, ultimately tapping into a dangerous rage.
Prick Up Your Ears (1987) is a drama film directed by Stephen Frears, released on April 17, 1987 with a runtime of 1h 51m. It stars Gary Oldman, Alfred Molina, Vanessa Redgrave and Wallace Shawn. Viewers rate it 6.7 out of 10 across 106 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for Prick Up Your Ears before you stream it.
Official trailers, teasers, clips and featurettes for Prick Up Your Ears.
Trailer
Trailer
Gary Oldman
as Joe Orton
Alfred Molina
as Kenneth Halliwell
Vanessa Redgrave
as Peggy Ramsay
Wallace Shawn
as John Lahr
Lindsay Duncan
as Anthea Lahr
Julie Walters
as Elsie Orton
James Grant
as William Orton
Frances Barber
as Leonie Orton
Janet Dale
as Mrs Sugden
Dave Atkins
as Mr Sugden
Margaret Tyzack
as Madame Lambert
Eric Richard
as Education Officer
Directed by Stephen Frears, written by John Lahr and Alan Bennett, produced by Andrew Brown.
Average viewer score of 6.7/10 from 106 ratings.
Maybe now, a few decades after this was made and when the politically correct brigade advocate that only gay actors should play gay roles, they ought to watch this and see just how engagingly two straight blokes can do what it says on their CVs and act! This is quite a witty and telling retrospective on the turbulent lives of playwright John "Joe" Orton (Gary Oldman) and his general factotum, friend, confidante and…
Reviewed on January 29, 2025
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Prick Up Your Ears (1987) is available to stream on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel and MGM Plus. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of Prick Up Your Ears (1987) includes Gary Oldman, Alfred Molina, Vanessa Redgrave, Wallace Shawn and Lindsay Duncan. The film was directed by Stephen Frears. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
Prick Up Your Ears was released on April 17, 1987 and runs for 1h 51m.
Prick Up Your Ears (1987) holds an average rating of 6.7 out of 10 from 106 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy drama films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official Prick Up Your Ears trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
