in one scene from " the people vs .
larry flynt ,
" the hustler magazine publisher appears at a self - staged free speech rally .
as graphic photos flash on a huge screen behind him , flynt strides confidently across the stage , delivering a rousing speech over what really constitutes obscenity .
the spectacle was reminiscent of the scene in " patton " where the general spoke in front of a giant american flag .
both scenes were stirring , larger than life , richly entertaining , and felt totally like contrived set pieces for big hollywood movies .
overall , that sums up " the people vs .
larry flynt .
"
the film is a wildly entertaining hoot which , despite being based on fact , feels like a big , phony hollywood movie .
the son of a kentucky moonshiner , flynt ( woody harrelson ) ran away from home and ended up operating strip clubs in cincinnati .
there he met althea leasure ( courtney love ) , a bisexual stripper who became his fourth wife and the love of his life .
to bolster interest in his clubs , he started a sexually explicit newsletter that grew into hustler magazine .
flynt , along with the magazine 's rag - tag management team , headed by his brother jimmy ( played nicely by woody 's real - life brother , steak & shake commercial veteran brett harrelson ) , viewed playboy magazine with contempt .
they mocked its slick articles and airbrushed photos , striving to keep hustler focused on " what guys really want , " explicit photos that would make a gynecologist squirm , and extremely crude humor .
the film 's prime example of hustler 's attitude is a cartoon depicting characters from the wizard of oz in an orgy , giving the audience an opportunity to giggle at flynt 's " naughtiness .
" director milos forman conveniently ignores the magazine 's frequent attempts to derive humor from child molestation , racism , and endless scatological cartoons .
flynt 's rag labored in well - deserved obscurity until he published nude photos of jacqueline onassis , which brought the magazine international attention , big money and the attention of conservatives .
an obscenity bust followed , the first in a long series of battles between flynt and the law .
lawyer alan isaacman ( edward norton ) enters the scene , hired by flynt 's wife .
norton ,
an exceptional actor , is wonderful as the beleaguered lawyer trying to navigate the legal system while dealing with flynt 's increasingly childish and bizarre behavior .
in court , we meet the sputtering conservatives , headed by citizens for decency leader charles keating ( james cromwell . )
as keating blathers about flynt 's immorality , the camera slowly moves in for a close - up of his name tag , inviting the audience to gloat at the notion of morality being trumpeted by keating , who was later convicted in a $ 2 billion s&l fraud .
flynt 's other prime foe is rev .
jerry falwell , who sues over a hustler parody involving him and his mother having sex in an outhouse .
tragedy strikes as flynt is shot by a would - be assassin , leaving him paralyzed from the waist down .
a dark period follows , as flynt and leasure hole up in an l .
a . suite , strung out on pain killers .
flynt eventually kicks drugs , but leasure succumbs to addiction , and later , aids .
after watch falwell on tv , describing aids as a punishment from god , flynt directs his lawyer to take the falwell case to the supreme court , leading to the film 's climactic courtroom scene .
"
the people vs , larry flynt " is at its weakest when moralizing on free speech and lionizing flynt .
"
if they 'll protect a scumbag like me , then they 'll protect all of you , " declared flynt .
he 's right , of course , but the director forman cheats in portraying the opposition as little more than hypocritical buffoons .
he also cheats in casting woody harrelson as flynt .
harrelson is an attractive , charismatic man , and his strong performance paints flynt as a colorful folk hero .
even a cursory look at the real flynt , who is making the talk show circuit , and plays the judge in an early courtroom scene , shows a bloated , morose and bitter man .
an accurate portrayal of flynt would have made a more difficult film to watch , but a richer one . despite its flaws , " flynt " is a fast moving , rousing movie with some terrific acting , especially by courtney love , whose vibrant performance will likely garner an oscar nod
.
the story may be candy - coated , but it 's still delicious candy .
Output: P