The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996)

What makes The People vs. Larry Flynt special is how it turns a disreputable American lightning rod into a surprisingly stirring test case for what free speech really means, without ever pretending its hero is a saint. Miloš Forman directs with a showman’s rhythm and a moral seriousness that keeps the film brash, funny, and occasionally heartbreaking, while Woody Harrelson gives a fearless performance that’s equal parts swagger, vulnerability, and stubborn conviction. Edward Norton grounds the story with intelligence and quiet decency as the lawyer caught between principle and chaos, and Courtney Love brings raw, lived-in ache to the film’s most fragile relationship. It’s definitely not for anyone who can’t stomach explicit subject matter and ugly behavior, but if you can meet it on its own terms, it’s an electric, unexpectedly human drama about the price of being loud in a country that claims to value liberty.

The People vs. Larry Flynt is trying to pull off a tricky balancing act: turning a famously abrasive porn publisher into a vehicle for a big, serious argument about free speech. When it works, Miloš Forman keeps the story brisk and watchable, with Woody Harrelson bringing raw charisma and Edward Norton grounding the courtroom material with real intelligence. But the film can feel a bit slick and selectively sanitized, smoothing over the uglier implications of Hustler so it can deliver its message, and some of the “isn’t censorship hypocritical?” points land like preaching to people who already agree. If you want a truly probing, uncomfortable look at exploitation and pornography’s impact, this may feel superficial; if you can accept a crowd-pleasing legal drama that uses a messy figure to make a principled case, it’s still an engaging ride.