Top 100 Movies: No. 68 - The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996)

Posted on March 12, 2008
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The People vs. Larry Flynt is on this list for three reasons: 1) The performances by Edward Norton, Woody Harrelson and Courtney Love; 2) the subject matter - free speech; and 3) it’s a great, entertaining movie (OK, that’s kind of a given).

Edward Norton is terrific as a lawyer who defends his client in an effort to protect our freedom of speech. Unfortunately for him, his client isn’t that sympathetic - he’s a pornographer.

Whether or not you find Larry Flynt’s chosen profession distasteful, the legal issues litigated were vital to our First Amendment rights. The clip below sums up what was at stake.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0X3T6-K22o