Leave it to Czech director Milos Forman (One Flew Over to Cuckoo's Nest) to make the most entertaining and offbeat celebration of the American Constitution that the movies have ever given us. You think the First Amendment was designed to protect you from offensive speech? Think again. The real glory of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights--as brought to life in this splendidly quirky and alternately reverent and irreverent comedy--is that it ensures everyone's freedom by protecting a whole range of expression, from the banal to the outrageous. Scripted by the writers of Ed Wood (another affectionately twisted biography of a disreputably eccentric entertainment figure), The People vs. Larry Flynt applies a similar sort of exaggerated and telescoped editorial-cartoon sensibility to the wild life and times of Hustler skin-magazine publisher Larry Flynt. It's the great (and fictionalized-but-true) American story of how smut-peddler Flynt--the poor man's redneck Hugh Hefner--ended up appealing a libel case (brought by televangelist Jerry Falwell) to the Supreme Court and winning a major legal victory that affects us all. Terrific performances by Woody Harrelson as Flynt, grunge-star-turned-glamour-puss Courtney Love as his wife Althea, and Edward Norton as their lawyer (a composite character). --Jim Emerson
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: Unbelievably boring Comment: Who cares about Larry Flunt? He's some redneck who tried to make a splash with a dirty pictures magazine. Big deal. That was two boring hours of my life I'll never get back.... Customer Rating: Summary: Nice new edition of the DVD Comment: I always liked this movie, but this edition with the new documentary and the commentaries from the director and some of the actors is a nice bonus.
It was definitely worth paying the extra few dollars in order to hear that, especially Woody and Milos each talking about the making of the movie. Customer Rating: Summary: A non conformist for the ages Comment: This is an awesome movie. Funny a lot of the time yet gripping to see all the things Larry Flint went through . I was purley fascinated. I am now reading his autobigography, which is also good. Customer Rating: Summary: Makes Boogie Nights Boring Comment: Great movie. I laughed, and cried, and laughed again at this incredibly wild film. Boogie Nights can't hold a candle to this one. Look for a guest appearance by THE Larry Flynt. Customer Rating: Summary: Very well done, Woody was terrific and should have been Comment: nominated for an Academy Award. Courtney was also terrific and also should have been nominated. They both played off each other well and pulled off a piece of history regarding "free" speech. which we know there really isn't any "free" speech in this country. Enjoy!
