m3review: THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT

THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT

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12/15/96

"I never bought Hustler, and I doubt I ever will..."
- Milos Forman, Director

"I had never cared one bit about Larry Flynt; I don't know why -- I suppose I had the normal prejudices that anyone might have regarding the business Flynt was in."
- Oliver Stone, Producer

"I am not asking you to like what Larry Flynt does. *I* don't like what Larry Flynt does."
- Alan Isaacman, (Flynt's attorney, played by Edward Norton) THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT

What Larry Flynt does is he publishes Hustler, an infamously raunchy porno magazine. Launched in the early 70s, it challenged the airbrushed empire of Playboy and the limits of public tolerance. The strategy made Flynt both a rich man and a target -- not only of anti-porn crusaders, libel suits and law enforcement, but also of an assassin whose bullet paralyzed him from the waist down.

Unlike the magazine that provides the impetus for the movie, sex isn't what sells THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT. Neither is the freedom-of-speech issue, although that figures strongly. The reason I liked this movie is its captivating story. It encompasses a poor boy's rags-to-riches dream; the unconventional yet unbreakable relationship of Flynt with his wife, Althea Leasure; court struggles and moral dilemmas; physical incapacity and drug addiction. And, centrally, it shows how in standing up for freedom of speech, a low-brow pornographer served a higher purpose.

THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT has a lot of humor which is properly balanced with the seriousness of the struggles depicted. A perfect example of that is the scene in which one of Larry's case reaches the Supreme Court. I felt the rush of pomp as the justices took their places. Yet, the scene was quickly alive with humorous jabs from the bench and witty response from Flynt's attorney. And it concludes with a convincingly reasoned argument for the protection of all speech, even the unpopular speech of Larry Flynt. The movie is funny, but never ridiculous.

This isn't an easy movie to make. Fortunately, the cast is up to the task. Woody Harrelson stars as Larry, playing him with the necessary levels of offensiveness and likableness. Courtney Love is Althea. Edward Norton, who played the defendant in PRIMAL FEAR, plays Flynt's unlikely yuppie attorney, Alan Isaacman. Woody Harrelson's brother, Brett Harrelson, appears as Larry's brother, Jim.

The reason *I* wanted to see this movie was Courtney Love. I'll admit to being a Love admirer, but I have yet to be impressed by her acting. I thought she was *pathetic* as the hooker in BASQUIAT. She had maybe five lines and they all sounded like they were coming from a sixth-grader. The role of Althea is, of course, much more substantial. And she does create a compelling portrait of this troubled woman. But think about it -- Althea is a stripper with a horrible childhood, who excels at her business and becomes a drug addict along the way. Is this typecasting?

Oh yeah.

Director Milos Forman told her "I don't like acting. I picked you because you don't act." She *is* the closest thing to Althea he could find. In many ways, Love plays herself -- or, rather, the self she has constructed for display to the world. The way Althea moves, they way she talks, even the way she dresses near the end, is redolent of Love. Yet, I never felt I was watching Hole-leader, Cobain-widow, media-buffoon Courtney Love. I was watching Althea. It's typecasting that works. People are talking Academy Award. I could see that.

(Given her own battle against heroin addiction, I wonder what it must have been like for Courtney Love to do the scene in which Althea shoots up for the first time.)

There wasn't much I disliked about this picture, though I was annoyed by one or two points. Woody Harrelson's voice undergoes a transformation midway through the movie. It begins as perfectly normal and ends up sounding like he's trying not to swallow a goldfish swimming in his mouth. You've got to chalk that up to verisimilitude, though. The real Larry Flynt speaks that way. In fact, the real Larry Flynt has a small part in the movie. See if you can spot him by his trademark voice.

A more serious point: While the soundtrack works unobtrusively for most of the movie, I didn't like the swells of Smetana and Dvorak near the end. They seemed to force an apotheosis that felt out of place. We understand Larry has realized a higher purpose; we don't need the music to elevate him toward mythos.

That's the only misstep made by Director Milos Forman (of ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST and AMADEUS fame). Otherwise, he manages the performances superbly and works the details powerfully. For example, the strain on the faces of the choir at Larry's baptism and the way the doors close as Althea enters the bathroom instantly transmit warnings that cannot be spoken. Forman also included a bunch of scene transitions that made me say "wow!" for their effectiveness and subtlety.

If you hang a blue ribbon on your Web page, this movie is a mandatory must-see. But you'll get more than a free-speech rally. You'll get a wild, amusing and compelling ride through the fascinating life of a complex figure. You don't have to like what Larry Flynt does. But you'll likely have to agree this is one worthy flick.

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