The People vs. Larry Flynt

Columbia Pictures | Release Date: December 25, 1996

8.4	USER SCORE Universal acclaim based on 129 Ratings

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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

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