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''Prick Up Your Ears'' is a 1987 British film that is a {{Biopic}} of playwright Joe Orton, directed by Creator/StephenFrears. It stars Creator/GaryOldman as Orton and Creator/AlfredMolina as Orton's lover (and eventual murderer) Kenneth Halliwell.

Told in flashbacks which trace Orton and Halliwell's initial meeting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, when the older and more worldly Halliwell takes eighteen-year-old Orton as both a lover and a Protégé. Eventually Orton's writing career takes off, turning the power dynamic in their relationship on its head. Halliwell grows increasingly insecure and smothering as Orton grows more popular and successful, leading to an ultimately fatal downward spiral.
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!!This film provides examples of the following tropes:
* BuryYourGays: Unfortunately, this is a case of RealLifeWritesThePlot: Halliwell murders his lover Orton before committing suicide himself.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Halliwell's improvised scene with the "cat.
* LoverAndBeloved: Halliwell and Orton, respectively, at the beginning of their relationship. Orton outgrowing the "beloved" role is the primary source of the film's conflict.
* MostWritersAreWriters: The film is structured as a book writer researching a playwright.
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