Preview

Film Analysis: The People vs. Larry Flynt

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1811 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Film Analysis: The People vs. Larry Flynt
Larry Flynt, an infamous photographer and free-speech activist, has brought

about controversy in the film, "The People v. Larry Flynt". The movie functions as a

general biography, but it focuses on legal issues to a large degree. Flynt, the editor of Hustler magazine, publicized pornographic obscenities in

many ways. By doing so, he has challenged the First Amendment and the Charter's

guarantee of the right to free expression.

Larry at first glance seems like an odd figure for a hero. He is outspoken,

opinionated, and perverted. If there is one word to sum him up it would be, unapologetic.

In "The People v. Larry Flynt", Flynt stood up for his rights, never quit, and never

apologized for what he did.

Flynt started out as a strip joint owner with his younger brother Jimmy. He was

not making any money, so he decided to advertise his dancers in a pictorial magazine.

Eventually Larry gets an offer to publish nude shots taken of someone famous, Jacqueline

Kennedy Onassis.

He decides that this is his big break and decides to do so. This eventually brings

his magazine into the public eye. Flynt gets arrested for this, because it is an alleged

violation of community standards.
In 1976, Flynt was arrested on charges of obscenity and organized crime. The

disputed notion in the trial became the method by which to judge whether something

is seen as obscene or not. Flynt's initial loss in which he was given a jail sentence,

suggested that individual communities had the right to define what is obscene and thus be

able to control what is sold in stores.

Larry hires a lawyer when he learns he is being taken to court. He ends up with

Alan Isaacman, a young lawyer who defends him from the beginning to his most famous

case. The primary case involving Reverend Jerry Falwell, who is suing Flynt for

defaming him in one of Hustlers' ads.

After Flynt was released on bail, he stated "we're the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Hustler Magazine versus Jerry Falwell was a case that involved many key elements. First of all it was a case that examined if a public figure such as Jerry Falwell could collect for emotional damages sustained to him by a parody that was published in an issue of Hustler Magazine. Secondly, did Hustler invade Falwell's privacy by publishing the contents of the parody? The most important aspect of the case, that was under review, was if Hustler was in accordance with their First Amendment Rights, of freedom of speech, by publishing the parody.…

    • 505 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Movie Analysis: Fly Boys

    • 657 Words
    • 3 Pages

    As World War I rages in Europe and Allied forces in France, Italy, and England find their resolve quickly diminishing due to the overwhelming force of the German juggernaut, a handful of brave American soldiers volunteer to join their French counterparts in learning to fly and fighting for freedom from above as the true story of the legendary Lafayette Escadrille comes to the screen in a breathtaking war adventure from Academy Award-winning director Tony Bill and famed producer Dean Devlin. They have come from all over the United States, ready and willing to put their lives on the line despite their country's initial pledge to not get involved with the all-consuming war that rages throughout Europe. Few could have foreseen the challenges faced by the world's first fighter pilots, however, and upon arriving at their aerodrome in France, the aspiring aviators are assigned to a new squadron…

    • 657 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    He examines the convoluted nature of the law by looking at the first amendment of the US Constitution that refers to freedom of speech, press etc. Obscenity law seems to be the only one of all the restrictions against freedom of speech that is to do with the intrinsic evil nature of a message, that it doesn’t necessarily incite a certain action, but looks at preventing certain thoughts.…

    • 2333 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    marks a turning point. He knows his actions will put an end to his blossoming friendship with…

    • 497 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    For my presentation, I reported on the Falwell vs. Flynt lawsuit, which was based upon the extent to which Americans have freedom of expression. An important aspect of this case was the dissimilarity of the two men involved: Jerry Falwell and Larry Flynt. Jerry Falwell was an important religious leader of the time. He was a radio evangelist, leader of a religious group called the moral majority, and voted 2nd most influential person in America (the first being the president). Falwell represented a pure America, a decent society in which its members were committed to moral standards. Larry Flynt was his complete opposite. Flynt was editor of the infamous Hustler…

    • 873 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    When adapting a well-known and loved play into a movie, the adaptor must keep in mind how the audience will react to a new version of a beloved story. An example of this is A Raisin in the Sun, which was adapted into a movie in 2008. Lorraine Hansberry wrote the original play and Paris Qualles adapted that play into a TV movie. The main themes of the story are family, faith, and hope. Following the narrative of a lower-class family living in Chicago in 1959, the play deals with racial tension, family issues, the journey from childhood to adulthood, and how each individual person impacts others around them, within the family unit and out in the world. Some minor issues with the play were resolved in the movie, such as the role of women and how they did not seem to have lives outside of the apartment. The 2008 movie adaptation stayed true to the original framework of the play while enriching the story for a modern audience.…

    • 1241 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Larry is successful because his…

    • 1547 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Movie Analysis: Doubt

    • 480 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Sister James and Sister Aloysius play a very important role in John Patrick Shanley’s movie Doubt, which is about the mistrust that takes place in a school directed by the church on priest Flynn command. There, sister Aloysius is the principal, so she is in charge of the student’s rights and responsibilities. On the other hand Sister James is a history teacher. Both characters are important for their way of handling the doubt.…

    • 480 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Mr. Marvin because his material was obscene. Miller found that the arrest violated his 1st…

    • 421 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Razors Edge

    • 857 Words
    • 4 Pages

    After Larry comes back from the war things do not get much better at all. Larry had to face the death of someone who became very close to him. He is suffering and its hard for him to be happy at all. He breaks off…

    • 857 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lincoln Movie Analysis

    • 754 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Lincoln is a movie based off of Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin, which portrays the latter end of Abraham Lincoln’s illustrious career. The film is based around Congressional debate and Lincoln’s attempts to pass the 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery in the United States. The movie is centered in Washington D.C. and the areas surrounding it between the Emancipation Proclamation in January, 1863, and the death of Lincoln in April, 1865. The film raises the issues of slavery, ending the Civil War, political strife, familial strife and general morality. Lincoln, being a Hollywood film, was meant to entertain the viewers. However, the movie sticks so close to reality that the movie is not as entertaining, rather more informative. The major themes of the film all…

    • 754 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Military Funeral Protest

    • 561 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Marine’s Dad, Albert Snyder later sued the Westboro Baptist Church for causing him health problems, due to emotional stress. Snyder won 11 million in the suit, but by the time it got to the Federal Court it was thrown out, because of the fact of the churches First Amendment Rights.…

    • 561 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    This essay will look at the friendship and relationship between Rosa and Raymond Parks in the movie The Ride to Freedom: Rosa Parks Story, which was directed by Julie Dash.…

    • 552 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Controversial Pornography

    • 3871 Words
    • 16 Pages

    marvel and delight in its details. Those who do not should simply look away. In…

    • 3871 Words
    • 16 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Prompt: Should offensive speech, like hate speech and bullying - online or in person - be restricted and prohibited?…

    • 1236 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays