Lovelace (2013)
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A biographical drama exploring the life of pornographic actress Linda Lovelace, from her rise to fame in the landmark film Deep Throat to the hidden reality of her personal life.
The story
In 1970, 21-year-old Linda Susan Boreman moves from New York City to Florida, where she develops a relationship with a much older man named Chuck Traynor. After a strained relationship with her domineering parents, Linda moves in with Chuck, who begins teaching her sexual acts. Desperate for money, Chuck persuades Linda to become a pornographic actress. By 1972, she begins working on the film Deep Throat under the stage name 'Linda Lovelace.' The film becomes a worldwide phenomenon, bringing Linda fame, public attention, and a life that appears glamorous to the outside world.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1970, 21-year-old Linda Susan Boreman moves from New York City to Florida, where she meets Chuck Traynor. After a strained relationship with her parents regarding her out-of-wedlock son, she moves in with Chuck. He teaches her sexual acts and eventually persuades her to enter the pornography industry. By 1972, she stars in 'Deep Throat' as 'Linda Lovelace,' which becomes a massive success. While she enjoys the fame and public attention, Chuck's nature is revealed to be violent and cruel; he chokes her during sex and forces her into prostitution at gunpoint. Despite her abuse, her mother encourages her to endure it due to religious beliefs. Years later, after a sadistic Chuck gang rapes her at a party, Linda seeks help from Anthony Romano, who has her checked into a hotel and attacks Chuck. Six years later, Linda marries Larry Marchiano and moves to Long Island. Before publishing her autobiography 'Ordeal,' which details Chuck's physical and sexual abuse and theft of her earnings, she appears on 'Donahue,' causing her parents to break down in tears. The film ends with the Marchianos traveling to Florida for Linda to reconcile with her parents.
- First release year
- 2013
- Runtime (minutes)
- 93
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Rob Epstein; Jeffrey Friedman
- Writers
- Andy Bellin · writer; Andy Bellin · writer
- Cast and characters
- Amanda Seyfried · Linda Lovelace; Peter Sarsgaard · Chuck Traynor; Hank Azaria · John Boreman; Wes Bentley · Larry Marchiano; Adam Brody · Harry Reems; Bobby Cannavale · Butchie Peraino; James Franco · Hugh Hefner; Debi Mazar · Dolly Sharp
- Genres
- biographical drama; independent
- Themes
- Domestic violence; Exploitation in the pornography industry; Mother-daughter dynamics
- Tone and mood
- Biographical; Dramatic; Somber
- Premise and plot tags
- Biographical; Nonlinear narrative; True story
- Source material / true-story basis
- Linda Lovelace's autobiography 'Ordeal'
- Reception
- Lovelace was met with mixed reviews, with critics praising the performances of Seyfried and Sarsgaard but noting a lack of depth in the narrative.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 54% · review count: 127; Metacritic · score: 51 · scale: 100 · review count: 37
- Production trivia
- Kate Hudson was originally offered the role of Linda Lovelace.; Sarah Jessica Parker's cameo as Gloria Steinem was deleted because the film's ending was changed from 1984 to 1980.; The film uses 'grainy' 16 mm film as a reference to the 70s films depicted in the plot.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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