A partially idealized film of the controversial pornography publisher (Woody Harrelson) and how he became a defender of free speech for all people.
Whether or not you like pornography or even care about it, this film is interesting and important. First, it makes the case that Flynt made: the First Amendment should be protected, even when the Amendment itself protects things we find objectionable. (Now, how much he believed this and how much it was a legal ploy is open to debate.) But he was also a big figure in America history, connecting in to Jimmy Carter, the AbScam case with the FBI, and various other important events. There was the question of organized crime connections. They are brushed aside here, but the question remains. When Flynt passes, the FBI files on him could be fascinating.
Whether or not you like pornography or even care about it, this film is interesting and important. First, it makes the case that Flynt made: the First Amendment should be protected, even when the Amendment itself protects things we find objectionable. (Now, how much he believed this and how much it was a legal ploy is open to debate.) But he was also a big figure in America history, connecting in to Jimmy Carter, the AbScam case with the FBI, and various other important events. There was the question of organized crime connections. They are brushed aside here, but the question remains. When Flynt passes, the FBI files on him could be fascinating.