Claim: The People vs. Larry Flynt is a biopic.

The People vs. Larry Flynt is a 1996 American biographical drama film directed by Miloš Forman and starring Woody Harrelson , Courtney Love , and Edward Norton . It chronicles the rise of pornographic magazine publisher and editor Larry Flynt and his subsequent clash with religious institutions and the law .   The film was written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski . It spans about 35 years of Flynt 's life from his impoverished upbringing in Kentucky to his court battle with Reverend Jerry Falwell , and is based in part on the U.S. Supreme Court case Hustler Magazine v. Falwell . Though not a financial success , the film was lauded by critics , and garnered Woody Harrelson , Courtney Love , Edward Norton and director Miloš Forman multiple accolades and award nominations .