The distressing Mr. Flynt

[Adam J. Thornton]

> On Thu, 23 Jan 1997, David Casseres wrote:
> What I really want to
> know, and I don't think anyone has fessed up to it, is whether anyone has
> actually seen this movie?  And is it any good/though-provoking aside from
> all the questions of how honest it is about its real-life protagonist?

I've seen it.  I enjoyed it thoroughly.  Frighteningly, I was impressed by
Courtney Love's performance as Mrs. Flynt.  And the message is perhaps a
little trite: "If the First Amendment will protect a scumbag like me, it'll
protect all of you," but something that one doesn't hear much of in the
current climate, which now as always, prefers to champion Mrs. Grundy.
What elected official is going to defend pornography?

It was fairly thought-provoking.  I read Flynt's justification of wanting
to do something meaningful as a transparent fabrication; within the context
of the movie, it seemed pretty clear that what drove his desire to take the
case to the Supreme Court was sheer ire at Jerry Falwell's public position
that AIDS--which killed Mrs. Flynt--was God's punishment on the unrighteous.

That seems a motive I can assign to what I know of the real Larry Flynt
without much difficulty.  But aside from that, yeah, I liked the film; I'd
say it's a good film.

On the other hand, since I just ordered the ABBA _Thank You For The Music_
boxed set--four whole CDs of everyone's favorite Scandinavian
supergroup--you'd all probably be wise to utterly ignore anything I have to
say about absolutely anything whatever.

Adam
-- 
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