The People vs. Larry Flynt

** ½ out of ****

Clearly, screenwriters Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski must have enjoyed the courtroom antics of “Hustler” magazine publisher, Larry Flynt. Indeed, the historic 1988 Supreme Court case “Hustler Magazine vs. Falwell,” which occurs at the end of the film, makes a worthy climax. However, their admiration for the court appearances of Flynt, around which the film “The People vs. Larry Flynt” is seemingly built, weakens the rest of the film, making all other scenes seem like filler space. Nevertheless, the film, despite its obvious flaws, is thankfully carried along by superior performances from Oscar-nominee Woody Harrelson as the uncouth, eccentric “Hustler” publisher and a surprisingly solid debut performance from rock singer Courtney Love as the street-smart love of his life, Althea. This film is significantly weaker than director Miloš Forman’s other efforts (“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” “Amadeus”), but he still scored another Oscar nomination (somehow). In addition, the film itself made it to the top of several critics’ 1996 end-of-the-year Top Ten lists (somehow). 1996, 129 mins.