The People vs. Larry Flynt
Columbia Pictures | Release Date: December 25, 1996
8.4
USER SCORE
Universal acclaim based on 129 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
116
Mixed:
12
Negative:
1
Watch Now
Stream On
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand
Review this movie
VOTE NOW
 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Check box if your review contains spoilers 0 characters (5000 max)

User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
9
PatC.Sep 12, 2005
A precise solidly crafted movie in full control of its volatile actors, story line and editing. Not quite uplifting, but still reassuring, not to mention both cerebral and provocative.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
EvanW.Mar 3, 2009
Flynt is, ironically, moralistic. He stands up for what he believes in and doesn't back down.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
HalfwelshmanMar 5, 2012
The People vs. Larry Flynt is a truly great biopic. When telling the story of such a controversial public figure, filmmakers are required to make their views of the person clear from the off, to come down definitively on one side of theThe People vs. Larry Flynt is a truly great biopic. When telling the story of such a controversial public figure, filmmakers are required to make their views of the person clear from the off, to come down definitively on one side of the argument or the other. Director Milos Forman and veteran writing duo Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski choose to present Larry Flynt as a defender of liberty, a man who bravely fought against the hypocritical American legal system to preserve what he believed in. Their argument is presented extremely convincingly, and Woody Harrelson's natural charisma and bad-boy charm make Flynt an extremely engaging, entertaining protagonist. A baby-faced Edward Norton is also extremely impressive in his second big-screen role playing Flynt's despairing lawyer Alan Isaacman, and Courtney Love is simply mesmerising as Flynt's increasingly broken-down and drug-addled wife Althea Leasure. What the film gets just right is the balance between fact and fiction - enough of the true events in Flynt's life remain to make the film credible as a biopic, but there is just enough romanticising to make the story dramatically effective and emotionally involving. If you want the facts about Larry Flynt's life and career, warts-and-all, then there are documentaries about, and both entertainment and academia-based books featuring the publisher widely available. If you're prepared to indulge a bit of artistic licence for the sake of big-screen drama, then The People vs. Larry Flynt is a very rewarding viewing experience. It has great performances, tragedy and comedy aplenty, and it bravely confronts attitudes to some of the more morally frowned-upon industries in society, making you think, and consider the validity of your own attitudes to the world. Simply put, it's a really good watch.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
10
ScarTissue1990Aug 7, 2012
This movie is truly amazing. Woody Harrelson's portrayal of Larry Flynt is so realistic and Courtney Love's portrayal of his wife is truly mesmerizing. What can't this woman do? Edward Norton's character is also amazing and realistic. A trulyThis movie is truly amazing. Woody Harrelson's portrayal of Larry Flynt is so realistic and Courtney Love's portrayal of his wife is truly mesmerizing. What can't this woman do? Edward Norton's character is also amazing and realistic. A truly amazing, funny, but yet tear jerking and gasping film. Truly one of the best movies of all time.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
4
SpangleJan 13, 2017
From the very beginning of the film, The People vs. Larry Flynt spirals out of control. While featuring great performances and a compelling subject, the film feels abbreviated. Directed by Milos Forman, the film won him the Golden Globe forFrom the very beginning of the film, The People vs. Larry Flynt spirals out of control. While featuring great performances and a compelling subject, the film feels abbreviated. Directed by Milos Forman, the film won him the Golden Globe for Best Director and he got a nomination at the Academy Awards in the same category. Though a legend in the director's chair, it is hard to imagine why Forman would receive these honors. For a film this ambitious and trying to cover such a large stretch of time, the film is done in a blink because scenes smash together, things progress quickly, and events are skimmed over to just give you a taste and then it takes them away. All told though, the film is just a middling biopic that does not really analyze its characters as much as it champions as a patriot for the little man who wants to call Jerry Falwell a moron (a valiant enterprise, admittedly).

Starring Woody Harrelson as the infamous smut peddler, Harrelson is brilliant. Both bombastic, reserved, and solemn, Harrelson gives a real bite and edge to Larry Flynt, but makes him entirely sympathetic. Every time he acts like a moron in court, you feel sympathy and compassion for a man who is throwing his life away. Harrelson's brilliance is highlighted in a scene with the Americans for a Free Press rally. In it, the great dialogue in the scene hands Harrelson an impassioned speech about the morals of America and how out of wack they are. While soldiers and war are celebrated, sexuality is taboo and not to be discussed. The speech really spoke to his character and Harrelson nails this fiery speech. Alongside is his Edward Norton, appearing as his lawyer Alan Isaacman. A bit awkward and young, Isaacman is unassuming and really should not have volunteered to be Flynt's lawyer. Yet, Isaacman is along for the ride all the way and is excellently captured by Norton. The scene in front of the Supreme Court is a really highlight with the young, but smart Isaacman holding his own under direct questioning as to his client's intents with the publication of an anti-Falwell article and advertisement. Though he seems awkward and cracks a few jokes, he is composed and knowledgeable at every turn. This is a real credit to Norton who captures both the bulldog and the shih tzu of Isaacman.

On the flip side, however, is Courtney Love. Portraying Althea Leasure, the wife of Larry Flynt, Love is an AIDS infested junkie whore. Fortunately, this makes her perfect for the role. Maybe that is harsh, but Love injects Larry with heroin and then injects herself and it just really felt like a home video instead of a film. As may be clear, Love is grating in the role. She is so bad, melodramatic, and is a real blight on this film. Had the editing and storytelling not be so inept as well, Love would stand as the worst part of this film. Just because is the exact same person as Althea was does not mean she is good casting. She simply cannot act and just goes through the motions and plays herself.

As for the editing, it is horrible. With scenes ending too early and smashing into one another throughout, the best scenes are the ones that Forman actually lets play out. However, these are few and in between as he insists of flying through this film. With a runtime just over two hours and covering 35 years (more like 25) of Flynt's life, the film just has too much material for a two hour film. Forman knows this and, as such, abbreviates key moments into a highlight reel. This is largely ineffective and would not provide a good portrait of who Flynt is as a person. Thus, he must resort to having on-the-nose dialogue where Flynt just spews exposition as to what he stands for as a person. This is not ideal, but a man has to do what a man has to do when the story does not tell itself. Without these monologues, the film would just be a loose collection of scenes that, when put together, do not really add up to much. Though I dislike Jerry Falwell as much as the next guy and Flynt's contributions by bringing him down a peg (as if Falwell and his disciples are not massively self-righteous) are valuable, the film does a poor job introducing Falwell and has to have Norton's character explain at the end why Flynt hates Falwell. He is a religious leader, yes, but other than a brief mention by Althera, he does not factor in until the end. The mention from Althera also comes off as an after thought by Forman when her realized nobody mentions Falwell until the court case.

A meandering, poorly edited, and poorly told film from a great director, The People vs Larry Flynt is nearly saved by a workmanlike performance from Woody Harrelson and a typically great turn from Edward Norton is one of his first roles. However, they are dragged back down by Courtney Love. A misfire, the film simply does not work as a biopic or really any other genre.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
9
MovieGuysSep 8, 2014
Although this movie is essentially about a sleazy porn magazine publisher, The People vs. Larry Flynt never feels sleazy itself, thanks to great direction and a script that promotes the message of civil liberties without exploiting itself.Although this movie is essentially about a sleazy porn magazine publisher, The People vs. Larry Flynt never feels sleazy itself, thanks to great direction and a script that promotes the message of civil liberties without exploiting itself. There is character development, great performances, and clear themes and messages. It may run a bit long in the middle passages, but it is still an important film about standing up for what's in the boundaries of the law, and not exactly what is popular or moral.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
10
googolendtimesApr 20, 2014
Woody Harrelson performs at the height of his acting ability as the eponymous Prince of Porn, embodying Larry Flynt with a riotous irreverence interspersed by moments of superbly nuanced vulnerability and pain, particularly in the scenesWoody Harrelson performs at the height of his acting ability as the eponymous Prince of Porn, embodying Larry Flynt with a riotous irreverence interspersed by moments of superbly nuanced vulnerability and pain, particularly in the scenes where Flynt dissolves almost completely into madness. The chemistry between Harrelson and Courtney Love (who plays Flynt's wife Althea) is fantastic; they depict, in a way that's quite bittersweet, how the two came to need one another. The acting in this film is magnificent, and makes it worth seeing, especially for Harrelson and Love. "The People vs. Larry Flynt" is highly entertaining, and provokes some interesting thought about the ideal of freedom of speech, and what it should and does protect.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
7
amheretojudgeAug 28, 2018
more innocence than you could ever hope or expect for..

The People VS. Larry Flynt The People VS. Larry Flynt is a character driven dramatic biography about a disavowed man seeking the rights of a normal citizen. Clocking at two hours, themore innocence than you could ever hope or expect for..

The People VS. Larry Flynt

The People VS. Larry Flynt is a character driven dramatic biography about a disavowed man seeking the rights of a normal citizen. Clocking at two hours, the feature is entirely busy that makes it thoroughly entertaining. And even though the "entertaining" part comes from the humorous aspect of it their also resides enough craft to work and explore in it. Forman's overt world is diplomatic and rubs the ethic with competitive arguments and debates that keeps the audience tangled in it. Unlike any other biographies, it doesn't walk on usual structure but breaks barriers unflinchingly. The primary strength of the feature is the chemistry and relationship between the lead characters especially when it starts aging on screen and grows more innocence than you could ever hope or expect for. It is short on technical aspects like sound department, costume design, cinematography and background score although it is edited aptly. The camera work is appreciative with dark and quirky theme that is palpable to the surrounding. Harrelson has never been better with a sassy vocal that is both funny and effective at the same time. Norton too is doing some of his best work on supporting him with Love whose evolution is one of the best part of the feature. The writing is gripping, adaptive, layered and metaphorical that attains a perfect balance between humor and drama. Armed with such strong script, Forman's execution exceeds the words that are projected in here on his own terms that is free from any rules. Pragmatic conversations, three dimensional characters and fragile love track at the heart of it are the high points of the feature. The People VS. Larry Flynt is a Harrelson's passion as much as it of Forman's and fortunately, the communication is crystal clear with the audience.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
7
RyanGoslingFanJun 5, 2018
Very simular movie to Forman's One Flew Over, in scheme. Larry Flynt is a symphatic and racionally thinking person, who is restricted in the way of sharing his art with the people. His art, which is the non-censored pornography. HisVery simular movie to Forman's One Flew Over, in scheme. Larry Flynt is a symphatic and racionally thinking person, who is restricted in the way of sharing his art with the people. His art, which is the non-censored pornography. His relationship with his woman is cute and heart-warming.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
8
geewahMar 30, 2021
A clever and original biopic about an eccentric man who peddles in porn yet this movie never ventures down that path.
While some may question Flynt's morals (unfairly in my opinion) one can't question him for his lack of principles.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
More From This Movie

79 Critic Reviews

8.4 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 81 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2 77 Project Hail Mary
3 75 Send Help
4 73 Hoppers
5 72 The Sheep Detectives
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL