The People Vs Larry Flynt

Beautifully directed by Czech emigre Milos Forman, this insightful work ironically exposes the strange and controversial life of Larry Flynt (Woody Harrelson), the publisher of the ultra-raunchy porn magazine Hustler. The film chronicles three events that Flynt is best known for: a Supreme Court battle that made him an unlikely poster boy for the First Amendment; an assassination attempt that rendered him paralyzed from the waist down; and his battles with Moral Majority leader Jerry Falwell. The film also provides insight into lesser-known areas of Flynt's life, particularly his relationship with soulmate Althea Leasure (played shamelessly by rocker Courtney Love), a sleazy, drug-addicted wildcat who was wholly devoted to Flynt. Leasure provided the balance that Flynt needed in his incredible life up until her AIDS-related death in 1987. The screenplay by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski proves to be a powerful parable that bravely explores the intricacies of freedom of speech.