The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996)

The story of a controversial pornography publisher and how he became a defender of free speech.

Director:

Milos Forman

Writers:

Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski

Stars:

Woody Harrelson, Courtney Love, Edward Norton

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 22 wins & 33 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Woody Harrelson	...	Larry Flynt
Courtney Love	...	Althea Leasure Flynt
Edward Norton	...	Alan Isaacman
Brett Harrelson	...	Jimmy Flynt
Donna Hanover	...	Ruth Carter Stapleton
James Cromwell	...	Charles Keating
Crispin Glover	...	Arlo
Vincent Schiavelli	...	Chester
Miles Chapin	...	Miles
James Carville	...	Simon Leis
Richard Paul	...	Reverend Jerry Falwell
Burt Neuborne	...	Roy Grutman
Jan Tríska	...	The Assassin
Cody Block	...	10-Year-Old Larry
Ryan Post	...	8-Year-Old Jimmy

Storyline

Larry Flynt is the hedonistically obnoxious, but indomitable, publisher of Hustler magazine. The film recounts his struggle to make an honest living publishing his porn magazine and how it changes into a battle to protect the freedom of speech for all people.

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Plot Keywords:

hustler magazine | lawyer | female nudity | female frontal nudity | magazine | 

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Taglines:

You may not like what he does, but are you prepared to give up his right to do it?

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexual material, nudity, language and drug use

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 January 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Larry Flynt

Filming Locations:

USA

Box Office

Budget:

$36,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$607,652, 29 December 1996, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$20,191,312, 27 April 1997

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Filmhaus, Illusion Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

129 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

John DeLorean's original F.B.I. surveillance footage is used in the film.

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Goofs

Los Angeles County Sheriff deputies are used in Federal Court when Larry Flynt is being asked to reveal his source of the John DeLorean tapes. State law enforcement is not used in Federal Courts.

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Quotes

Larry Flynt: [speaking for the first time, over the phone] This is Larry Flynt
Ruth Carter Stapleton: Praise the lord. I've found you
Larry Flynt: Hallelujah, what can I help you with?
Ruth Carter Stapleton: We have a mutual friend: a television producer and he suggested we get together. He thought you and I could "hit it off."
Larry Flynt: I don't understand you're an evangelist, I'm a smut peddler
Ruth Carter Stapleton: I don't believe in labels. I believe you and I could teach other a lot, so are you free for dinner tomorrow night?
Larry Flynt: I have a hectic schedule
Ruth Carter Stapleton: You know what's nice about people like you...

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Connections

References The Wizard of Oz (1939)

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Soundtracks

Hang on Sloopy
Written by Bert Berns & Wes Farrell
Performed by The McCoys
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

Edward Norton Is the True Star of This Biopic

Two-time Academy Award winning director Milos Forman ("One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "Amadeus") won his third nomination for directing this biopic about the infamous creator of "Hustler" magazine.

Woody Harrelson, also Oscar nominated, plays Flynt while rocker turned actress Courtney Love plays the long-suffering wife that apparently every biopic must have. Love received a ton of attention for this film, and most people expected her to be recognized by the Academy, but she was one of two singers turned actresses that year (Madonna being the other for "Evita") to receive tremendous awards buzz and then come up empty handed on nomination morning.

Though Harrelson and Love received all the attention, it's the then-fairly-unknown Edward Norton who steals this show as Flynt's committed attorney.

Grade: B