The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996)
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A biographical comedy-drama follows the tumultuous life of pornographer Larry Flynt as he navigates the rise of Hustler magazine and a high-profile Supreme Court battle.
The story
In 1972, Larry Flynt and his younger brother, Jimmy, run a struggling strip club in Cincinnati. To improve business, Flynt begins publishing a newsletter featuring nude photos of his strippers, which eventually evolves into Hustler magazine. After a sensational publication involving Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Flynt decides to focus on the magazine full-time. As his success grows, he becomes a target for anti-pornography activists. The film follows his rise to fame, his complicated personal life with dancer Althea Leasure, and his involvement in various prominent court cases as he defends his right to free expression.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film spans 35 years of Larry Flynt's life, beginning in 1972 in Cincinnati where he and his brother Jimmy run the Hustler Go-Go. Flynt creates Hustler magazine, which becomes a national sensation after publishing nude photos of Jackie Kennedy Onassis. He falls in love with Althea Leasure, a young bisexual dancer, but faces intense opposition from anti-pornography activists. In 1975, Flynt is convicted on pornography charges but released on appeal. After a brief period of attempting to reform his life following a meeting with Ruth Carter Stapleton, Flynt is shot in 1978 during a trial in Georgia, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. He spirals into drug addiction before undergoing surgery in 1983 that allows him to return to an active role at Hustler. The narrative follows his increasingly erratic courtroom antics, including a libel suit from Reverend Jerry Falwell in 1984, where he is found liable for emotional distress. After Althea dies of AIDS, Flynt convinces his lawyer, Alan Isaacman, to represent him in a 1987 Supreme Court case. The court ultimately overturns the original verdict in a unanimous decision, leaving Flynt to reflect on his life.
- First release year
- 1996
- Runtime (minutes)
- 130
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Miloš Forman
- Writers
- Scott Alexander · writer; Larry Karaszewski · writer
- Cast and characters
- Woody Harrelson · Larry Flynt; Courtney Love · Althea Leasure; Edward Norton · Alan Isaacman; Richard Paul · null; Brett Harrelson · Jimmy; Larry Flynt · William J. Morrissey Jr.
- Genres
- biographical; comedy-drama
- Themes
- free speech; rugged individualism; substance abuse; marriage; atheism
- Tone and mood
- funny; serious; shamelessly entertaining
- Premise and plot tags
- biographical; courtroom drama; legal drama; LGBTQ-related; freedom of expression
- Source material / true-story basis
- biographical
- Content notes
- HIV/AIDS; substance abuse; paraplegia
- Reception
- The film was widely acclaimed by critics despite limited box office success, though it faced significant controversy from feminist groups who condemned it as a glorification of Flynt.
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Globe Award · Best Director · won; Academy Awards · Best Actor · nominated; Academy Awards · Best Director · nominated; Golden Globe Award · Best Actor – Drama · nominated; Golden Globe Award · Best Actress – Drama · nominated
- Production trivia
- Bill Murray and Tom Hanks were considered for the role of Larry Flynt.; The film's distributor, Sony Pictures Releasing, released a special edition DVD in 2003 and a Blu-ray in 2019.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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