More of my Oscar Shame, though this one I’m less ashamed of. I wasn’t old enough to se this on my own when it first came out, and it just became a matter of never catching up on this double nominee. Nominated for Best Director for Milos Foreman and Actor for Woody Harrelson, it is easy to write this film off as inconsequential. In fact, I assume that is why it doesn’t have audio description on Paramount Plus. but, ultimately, the film is very much about free speech, whether you agree with that speech or not. And that is the case Larry Flynt is fighting.

I’ll cop to having seen some of these magazines back in the day, but oddly never Hustler. I don’t know how they stayed in business. I remember becoming of age, and feeling like my right of passage was the ability to buy one of these tawdry magazines, but as a teenager with internet, and gay, Playboy became about the articles. Apparently, Larry Flynt liked to say things too, which is how he lands in hot water.

This film is one of Courtney Love’s short-lived acting career, where she’s surprisingly good. It also has Edward Norton doing his 90’s thing, where he was establishing himself as a reliable and strong actor out of the gate every time. The performance here is supposed to be Harrelson but he doesn’t sound like Flynt. Honestly, I don’t think Woody can change his voice, though I’d love to see him try some Cockney. Just for my amusement.

Sadly for this film, I can’t grade it. I think its heart is in the right place, and I love me a really good courtroom drama. but at the heart of this is porn. This is a movie about porn, and indecency, and what constitutes legal action and without audio description, this is a rather tame film. There is language, but all the photo shoots have no context, which they need. There’s one scene where Flynt is trying to get “the most” out of one of his models during a shoot, and the question remains, what was in the shot? I’m guessing, knowing the MPAA, nothing. But, I also don’t know that to be true.

I have more context than i did, but aside from Love whose resume is so short, everyone here seems to have a better role or film. It’s likely a solid courtroom drama, but it still needs accessibility.

Final Grade: Unwatchable

Predicted Grade Range: B-, B, B+