Prick Up Your Ears
1987 · 111 min · Director: Stephen Frears
Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)
This movie is the story of the spectacular life and violent death of British playwright Joe Orton (Gary Oldman). In his teens, Orton is befriended by the older, more reserved Kenneth Halliwell (Alfred Molina), and while the two begin a relationship, it's fairly obvious that it's not all about sex. Orton loves the dangers of bath-houses and liaisons in public restrooms; Halliwell, not as charming or attractive as Orton, doesn't fare so well in those environments. While both long to become writers, it is Orton who achieves fame. His plays "Entertaining Mr. Sloane" and "Loot" become huge hits in London of the sixties, and he's even commissioned to write a screenplay for the Beatles. But Orton's success takes him farther from Halliwell, whose response ended both his life and the life of the up-and-coming playwright.
Emotional fingerprint
Prick Up Your Ears (1987) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Empathy 30%, Sadness 25%, Humor 20%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure
- Empathy30%
- Sadness25%
- Humor20%
- Love15%
- Melancholy10%
AI estimate · no viewer votes yet
How we measure
AI estimate
Share of emotional signal, not the percentage of people or a probability of enjoyment.
Each viewer contributes one response, split equally across their selected emotions. When available, an automated estimate supplies a prior that is blended with those responses. Counts include distinct viewers, not automated estimates or archived anonymous votes. Fewer than 3 viewers is an early estimate; more responses do not guarantee certainty.
Why it feels this way
The strongest emotional signals are Empathy, Sadness, Humor. Genres: Drama, Biography. AI estimate.
Is it worth watching?
Consider this title if you are looking for Empathy, Sadness and Humor. Its IMDb rating of 7.1/10 suggests a generally positive audience reception. For these leading emotions, its Feel Score is 70/100.
How did it make you feel?
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Pick up to three · 0/3
Emotional journey
- Humor
- Sadness
- Sympathy
Not enough subtitle evidence
No dominant emotion
Dominant emotion: Curiosity
Dominant emotion: Humor
Dominant emotion: Sympathy
Dominant emotion: Sadness
Dominant emotion
| % | Approximate minute | Dominant emotion | Overall intensity | Humor | Sadness | Sympathy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 % | ≈ 3′ | Curiosity | 50 % | 33 % | 20 % | 17 % |
| 7.5 % | ≈ 8′ | Curiosity | 49 % | 34 % | 24 % | 26 % |
| 12.5 % | ≈ 14′ | Humor | 50 % | 41 % | 20 % | 31 % |
| 17.5 % | ≈ 19′ | Humor | 56 % | 54 % | 14 % | 26 % |
| 22.5 % | ≈ 25′ | Humor | 57 % | 59 % | 10 % | 19 % |
| 27.5 % | ≈ 31′ | Humor | 51 % | 48 % | 11 % | 20 % |
| 32.5 % | ≈ 36′ | Sympathy | 45 % | 35 % | 16 % | 26 % |
| 37.5 % | ≈ 42′ | Humor | 46 % | 40 % | 11 % | 23 % |
| 42.5 % | ≈ 47′ | Humor | 53 % | 48 % | 14 % | 25 % |
| 47.5 % | ≈ 53′ | Sympathy | 54 % | 44 % | 30 % | 39 % |
| 52.5 % | ≈ 58′ | Sympathy | 53 % | 43 % | 30 % | 39 % |
| 57.5 % | ≈ 64′ | Humor | 53 % | 48 % | 18 % | 29 % |
| 62.5 % | ≈ 69′ | Humor | 56 % | 53 % | 18 % | 33 % |
| 67.5 % | ≈ 75′ | Humor | 60 % | 50 % | 28 % | 46 % |
| 72.5 % | ≈ 80′ | Sympathy | 56 % | 40 % | 31 % | 49 % |
| 77.5 % | ≈ 86′ | Humor | 54 % | 36 % | 34 % | 43 % |
| 82.5 % | ≈ 92′ | Sadness | 60 % | 36 % | 48 % | 45 % |
| 87.5 % | ≈ 97′ | Sadness | 73 % | 30 % | 65 % | 55 % |
| 92.5 % | ≈ 103′ | Sadness | 78 % | 29 % | 70 % | 56 % |
| 97.5 % | ≈ 108′ | Sadness | 70 % | 38 % | 63 % | 48 % |
Riches to rags
Rags to riches: The emotional tone rises from negative to positive.
Riches to rags: The emotional tone falls from positive to negative.
Man in a hole: The tone falls, then recovers.
Icarus: The tone rises, then falls.
Cinderella: The tone rises, falls, then rises again.
Oedipus: The tone falls, rises, then falls again.
AI reading of the film’s English subtitles (dialogue and sound cues) — not viewer votes. How we measure ↗
Kadri — your film companion
AIAsk anything about Prick Up Your Ears. From the film’s own dialogue and FeelDB data, at your spoiler level.
Afterward Reveal viewer responses · may contain spoilers
Viewer responses about feelings after the title ended, separate from feelings while watching. No AI estimates.
0 responses so far
Feeling details appear after at least 3 viewers respond, to protect privacy.
Cast
William Orton
Mrs Sugden
Mr Sugden
Education Officer
RADA Chairman
RADA Judge
RADA Judge
RADA Instructor
Janet
Orton's Friend
Brickie
Details
- Directed by
- Stephen Frears
- Written by
- Alan Bennett, John Lahr
- Type
- Movies
- Released
- 1987
- Runtime
- 111 min
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Ratings
- Feels mostly
- Empathy
- Data updated
Where to watch
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Also on
Availability varies by country
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