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 .