People Vs. Larry Flynt
Script - Dialogue Transcript
Voila! Finally, the People Vs. Larry Flynt
script is here for all you quotes spouting fans of the movie directed by Milos Forman
starring Edward Norton, Woody Harrelson, Courtney Love, James Cromwell, yadda
yadda. This script is a transcript that was painstakingly
transcribed using the screenplay and/or viewings of People Vs. Larry Flynt. I know, I know, I still need to get the cast names in there and I'll be eternally
tweaking it, so if you have any corrections, feel free to
drop me a line. You won't
hurt my feelings. Honest.
Larry! Jimmy!
That's very good.
- How much is it?
- Two dollars.
There's one.
There's two.
Thank you.
It's locked.
He's in there again.
Pa!
What are you doin' in there?
Open up this door!
You'd better not be doin'
what I think you're doin'!
I told you I make that for peddlin',
not for you to drink.
You show some respect.
Larry! Jimmy!
Y'all get on to the house!
Supper's ready!
Why'd you hit him?
He was drinkin' my profits.
Can't be so ornery.
People think you're crazy.
I'm just tryin' to make
an honest buck.
Hello, walls
How'd things go
for you today
Don't you miss her
Since she upped
and walked away
And I'll bet you dread
to spend another
Lonely night with me
Don't call me at work.
Larry.
I'll call you back, Mama.
Give a big hand...
to Alanis...
from Ottawa, Tennessee.
Thank you, Jimmy.
I don't know if you feel
the way I do right now...
but we deliver the finest ladies
in Southern Ohio.
Don't you think?
Thank you.
And now, please give
a warm, warm welcome...
to Kimberley and Melissa.
They're all the way here
from Paris and London... Kentucky.
So, how we doin'?
Bad.
- What do you mean, "bad"?
- I mean, we're broke.
How can we be broke, Larry?
These giveaways are killing us.
The limousine.
The smorgasbord
was a stupid idea.
Then all your buddies are comin' in here
every night, drinkin' for free.
Don't bring my friends
into this.
Hey, ladies.
Hey, Larry.
We're ready to go.
You put forth some hard work.
Thank you.
Alanis, I'll be by in an hour,
and I'll bring the Ping-Pong balls.
Patricia...
I'II see you in two hours.
I liked the way
you blew that candle out tonight.
You know,
there's the secret.
If we could just somehow let people
know what great lays these girls are...
we'd have something.
Larry, you can't advertise that.
I know you can't, but...
Mister, what kind
of business is this?
I run the Hustler go-go clubs.
I'm sure you've heard of 'em.
Well, see, that's why
I need a newsletter.
I figured we'd run maybe
eight, ten pages per issue.
With nothing but nudie pictures?
Yeah, on this...
nice, smooth paper.
- That's called slick.
- Slick. Yeah.
But I could get in trouble
printing these.
Why?
Because there are laws.
You gotta have some sort of text,
like Playboy does.
God will punish the sinner!
Thank y'all for coming
to my establishment...
and keep in mind,
we welcome Christians in here too.
We don't want your kind here!
How many times
Have you heard someone say
If I had his money
I could do things my way
What do you think?
How much did it cost?
Would you forget the money
for one second?
What do you think?
That depends on
how much it cost.
Look, there it is.
The first Hustler newsletter.
It's all for the man on the go,
the man about town.
- News service, pictures...
- It's a magazine, not a newsletter.
How you gonna pay for that?
Don't interrupt me
when I'm talking.
Let's hear it for Camille.
You were wonderful, Camille.
Welcome to the stage now, gentlemen,
Calamity Jane from Moscow, Texas.
Let's hear it for her.
Hang on, Sloopy
Sloopy, hang on
Sloopy lives
In a very bad part of town
And everybody, yeah
Tries to put my Sloopy down
Sloopy, I don't care
What your daddy do
Who is that?
That's the new girl.
She got the moves, don't she?
And so I sing out
Hang on, Sloopy
She ain't bad.
- She ain't legal either.
- Yes, she is. I saw her I. D.
Look, you stupid briar-hopper,
my dog could get an I. D...
from my goat.
Hey, uh, listen.
When she gets done up there,
send her up to my office.
Sloopy, let your hair down, girl
Let it hang down on me
What's your name?
Jane.
We have a policy in this club.
Oh, yeah?
Okay. And?
The trouble is,
I have a sneaking suspicion...
that you're not... of age.
This could cost me
my liquor license.
I'd have to close up
and fire a lot of people.
- I'II tell you something.
- Please.
Yeah, well, you see this?
See that? That?
I am this far...
One second, one millimeter,
one second...
from being legal.
So I'm gonna have to ask you
to come back...
when you're, uh,
when that centimeter's up.
That would be
tomorrow morning, then.
I like the way you dance.
Don't get me wrong.
What's that?
Oh, just a little somethin'
I got from down home.
You're a classy guy.
I've heard about you.
This is moonshine.
Is that...
This is moonshine, right?
It's okay.
It's just from potatoes.
- What's it gonna do to me?
- It's fine. Natural.
Step away from the desk.
That's like fire!
- Sorry I made a mess.
- That's okay.
Could I ask a question?
Shoot.
I heard that you've slept with
every girl in every one of your clubs.
Sort of a prerequisite.
I'm just wonderin'
if that's true or not.
Well, it ain't entirely untrue,
if that's what you mean.
I'm just curious why you haven't
taken a stab at me.
Well, I just met you
five minutes ago.
It was six.
Tick, tick, tick.
Come on. One more time.
"One more time"?
Come on, Althea.
Even Superman has his limits.
That's the problem
with you men.
Your batteries run out.
We women,
our batteries never run out.
We could go on and on.
Well, then go fuck a woman.
"Go fuck a woman."
I do fuck women.
Excuse me?
You are not the only person
in this club...
to have had every woman
in this club.
After one night,
she's movin' in with you?
Well, this girl, she had it rough.
Grew up in an orphanage...
Hey, buddy.
Are you that sex paper guy?
Could be.
I love the pictures.
How do I subscribe?
Where'd you come up
on the newsletter?
I found it in a gas station bathroom.
Came in pretty handy.
Well, I'm glad we helped you out...
but it ain't for subscription.
Y'all want some chips?
Chips?
Ooh, look at her tits.
They're nice.
They're nice tits,
but they don't look real.
I don't understand
this magazine.
All these fuzzy pictures...
articles about I don't know
what the hell they're talking about.
You guys read Playboy?
- Well, yeah.
- Yeah.
Did you...
Excuse me, baby.
Did you enjoy
this month's article...
on how to hook up
your quadraphonic stereo system?
- What are you talkin' about?
- I think I missed that one.
Did you follow their advice
on how to make a perfect martini?
Hey, Larry, move over.
Who is this magazine for, anyway?
I mean, it's like if you don't
make -plus a year...
you don't jerk off.
Seven million people buying it,
and nobody's reading it.
Gentlemen, Playboy is mocking you.
- Give me a jelly doughnut.
- I got your jelly.
- How many pages do we have right now?
- We have .
- That's no good.
- Why not?
is good. that's good.
...
Are you connected with these numbers?
What difference...
It's gotta be an even number.
A paper has got two sides, right?
Two. Multiples of two.
No, a page has four!
Four. One, two, three, four.
You fold it and put in the staple.
- It's not even an even number.
- Right.
We'II figure it out.
We'll ask Larry.
What the hell's he doin'?
Hold that flower
in your left hand.
No, your other left hand.
We're not runnin' a flower shop here.
We're sellin' the girl.
Stop futzin' around with the props
and pillows and flowers...
and just shoot the girl.
Okay, let's go for
that leg thing.
Recline a little.
Open them legs a little bit.
Give me a little wider.
A little wider.
A little wider.
Just another touch wider...
Not quite that wide.
Wait, wait, wait, wait.
That's exactly what we want.
That's perfect.
That's what you want.
A woman's vagina...
has as much personality
as her face.
But you can't show
the genitalia.
Why not?
Larry, Rudy's right.
- Legally, you can't show the vagina.
- Shut up.
Rudy, are you a religious man?
- Yeah.
- You believe God created man?
God created woman?
Then surely the same God
created her vagina.
And who are you to defy God?
Just shoot her!
Jesus Christ.
Where is she?
Althea
Hey, baby.
Happy birthday, baby.
And I have...
a heart for my heart.
Oh, Larry, that's beautiful.
What's wrong?
The distributor called...
and, unfortunately,
we've had only a % sell-through.
Somebody wanna
translate that for me?
What that means is...
they're sending back
copies.
That's what it means.
You're just a stupid briar-hopper.
What made you think you could do this?
At least he has balls.
Well, he needs brains.
Oh, God. Einstein speaking.
I'm so impressed.
One more issue and we're broke?
Yeah.
Larry, you said yourself
it's not so bad to be poor.
Fuck you, Althea.
You go be poor.
Fuck me?
You're the one that got us
into this debt.
You think just 'cause it's your birthday
that you can be a bitch?
Yeah, and I'm feet tall
and you have a needle dick.
Don't ever hit me
like that again.
Don't talk to me like that.
I'II go back
and I'll eat dog food.
Take this.
I don't own this anymore.
Throw it out in the street.
Mr. Flynt, a guy on the phone claims
he has naked pictures of Jackie O.
Put him through. Hello.
- You the photographer?
- Yeah.
- What do you got?
- Is this Mr. Flynt?
Yeah.
I was watching that damn island
for four months.
Then one day
the cabana door opens...
and out comes Jackie O
with nothing on.
I mean, not a single stitch.
- You sure it's Jackie O?
- Yeah! Sure!
- And what do you see?
- Absolutely everything. Trust me.
And she's a good one. This ain't no
Mamie Eisenhower or Ladybird.
Oh, my God. First Pussy.
Everyone's talking about
local boy done good...
- or bad... Larry Flynt...
- Arlo, move!
whose Hustler magazine
has reached national sales figures...
of an astonishing
two million copies.
In a stunning disclosure...
- Cal, move your ass!
- WGBE-TV has learned...
that Ohio governor Jim Rhodes himself
was spotted at a newsstand...
buying a copy of
the infamous Jackie O issue.
- I spoke to the governor today...
- Arlo, move it!
and he had this response.
Everybody knows I've been a historical
buff about First Ladies for a long time.
Would you be interested
in nude photos of Martha Washington?
- She's a bit before my time.
- Arlo!
What about nude photos
of your wife?
A teacher educates our children...
and they become model citizens.
The clergyman preaches,
and we find spirituality.
My bank gives loans,
and homes get built.
But now...
there's a new, darker influence
in Cincinnati.
Mr. Leis, if you would.
I'm going to ask that you review
this material very, very carefully...
because it's important
that you know...
that I did not buy these
at a smut store.
These were not purchased at a...
dirty book shop.
I bought this...
in a neighborhood grocery store...
in full view
of our children.
Ma'am, you cannot hide from this.
Decent people...
are being corrupted.
Why, just look what happened
to our fine governor.
As members of the Citizens
for Decent Literature...
we cannot relent.
We must prevent the destruction...
of the soul of our country.
Take off your pants.
- What?
- Take off your pants.
Why?
Because...
I've never fucked
a millionaire before.
Look at that.
Happy birthday, America!
This is Larry's house?
- Ma! Pa!
- Must be it.
Hi, son!
- You came!
- It's so big.
Who are all these people?
Well, these are my friends, Ma.
- Oh. You have so many friends.
- Lots of money, lots of friends.
Oh! Look at you!
Hey, Arlo!
You know how many rooms
I have here?
- . You know who else has rooms?
- The President?
Hugh Hefner.
This is the best room in the house.
You're gonna like it.
This is the best room
in the house.
You know, there's a maid
still cleaning up in there.
Let me just say a word.
The maid's in there.
Listen, my folks are here...
so move the girls into the Jacuzzi
and I'll get with you later.
Your folks are here?
What in the world is that?
Hey, ladies.
Larry!
The party is just beginning.
She's nice.
And she's frigid.
Let's see what we can do
about that.
Do you ever think
about getting married?
Oh, God.
There's nothing more certain to ruin
a beautiful relationship than marriage.
As soon as you get that ring
around the finger...
suddenly you have
an ownership situation.
Prior to that...
it's friendly.
You're kind to each other.
I'll tell you something...
as much as I love you...
I want a variety
of different...
vagina, pussy.
- What did we just do?
- That's what I'm talking about.
So, do you think
I'm talking about monogamy?
You're not talking
about monogamy?
No. Of course not.
How could you misunderstand me?
I was wondering,
'cause I thought...
I don't wanna get married
and stop the way we live.
The way we live is great.
Nothing would change.
My God.
Why now?
Because I only wanna
be with you.
You're the only man
I wanna be with.
I want this ring on my finger...
to tell me that you love me
above all other women.
You want a ceremony?
I wanna go to a church.
I wanna stand in front of a preacher.
Pay the preacher first...
and we'll get a "cashectomy"
from the lawyer on the way out.
You are my life.
You're my life.
- I am here for the rest of my life.
- You're my life too.
Right now, right here, my life.
I can't speak for years from now.
- I can.
- You can?
- Let me say something.
- Oh, man!
- Just forget I brought it up.
- Listen to what I'm saying.
Would you marry me?
It's not funny.
I'm not joking.
Would you marry me?
Would you do me the honor
of becoming Mrs. Larry Flynt?
You're not fucking with me?
You mean it?
No, I'm just kiddin'.
You are?
No, I'm serious.
I'm serious.
She's got a dick!
You taped this on.
This is not real.
- Who would want to see that anyway?
- I do!
- I think it's genius.
- It don't matter.
It's just like when people slow down
at a car crash to take a peek.
We're breaking taboos.
I've got an idea.
The Wizard of Oz.
What?
Okay, Dorothy is laying there
in Kansas...
and there's the Tin Man...
and the Scarecrow and...
- Who's the other one?
- The lion.
The lion.
They're all gang-banging her...
and there's Toto, maybe, even?
Althea, I think
some things are sacred.
Shut up.
That is the best idea
I ever heard.
Yeah. It could work.
Where can I find Larry Flynt?
The Tin Man can have
a tin penis.
No, he's got that hat like a funnel,
that funnel hat.
Larry Claxton Flynt!
Stand up, sir.
Hands behind your back.
- What's this?
- You're under arrest...
on charges of pandering obscenity
in Cincinnati...
and engaging in organized crime.
Organized crime?
Sit down, lady.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say can be used
against you in court.
If you cannot afford an attorney,
one will be appointed by the court.
Mr. Flynt?
You Larry Flynt?
- Who are you?
- Alan Isaacman.
I'm your lawyer.
Your bail is all taken care of...
but we oughta talk
about the case.
Wait. Who hired you?
Your wife.
- My wife?
- Yeah.
Are you doin' her?
Wait... Am I what?
I'm just kiddin'.
I like you.
Give me a call
after you get out of law school.
Oh, no.
I'm out of law school.
- What are you, ?
- .
Harvard law school, three years
in the public defender's office.
Obviously you can get whoever you want
to represent you in this case...
but let me say one thing
to you...
You're pretty far out there, even for
the guys who do a lot of this stuff.
I am interested in your case.
The problem you've got is
very definitely what I know best...
and I am good at what I do.
What, do you specialize
in porn?
No, I don't specialize
in porn.
I'll be perfectly honest.
I don't particularly like what you do.
I specialize
in civil liberties.
I don't understand
why they've singled me out.
Look, this case is bigger
than just you and your magazine.
In your case, what's more troubling
is this organized crime charge.
Organized crime?
Larry's not in the Mob.
Mr. Flynt, I gotta ask you once.
Do you have any connections
in any way to organized crime?
Absolutely not.
I've gotta ask.
By the way, call me Larry.
All right.
In that case, Larry,
this is a bullshit charge...
but we have to take this
seriously...
because you could conceivably
be looking at to years.
Twenty-five years?
All I'm guilty of is bad taste.
My cousin Bobby
shot a preacher in the back.
He got six months for it.
Bobby shot a preacher?
What denomination?
Baptist.
Can we discuss Cousin Bobby later?
We need to discuss this
seriously.
I am serious.
I'm taking notes.
Good morning,
ladies and gentlemen.
Before we begin...
I must apologize...
for the unpleasantness
of this task.
What you're about to see...
is going to
take your breath away.
Hustler magazine...
depicts men and women...
posed together...
in a lewd
and shameful manner.
Hustler depicts women and women...
posed together
in a lewd and shameful manner.
Hustler magazine
depicts Santa Claus...
posed in a lewd
and shameful manner.
What's he talking about?
Jesus Christ, Larry.
With the court's permission, the defense
would like to introduce into evidence...
other men's magazines...
sold in the Cincinnati area.
Titles such as Penthouse, Playboy...
Objection!
Sustained.
"Sustained"?
Wait a second, Your Honor,
if I may.
These magazines...
contain material that is virtually
identical to Hustler magazine.
If these magazines are legal
and Hustler is not legal...
then this is clearly a case
of selective prosecution.
No.
I'm sorry.
Did you say "no"?
I will not allow them
into evidence.
- They're irrelevant to this case.
- But they are not irrelevant.
They very clearly demonstrate the
community standard which is laid out...
No, Counselor!
The jury is representative
of community standards...
not a pile of magazines.
I won't admit them.
You won't admit them.
Mr. Flynt, would you please
turn to page ?
Would you describe to the jury
what is on page please, sir?
It's a picture of Santa Claus.
What is Santa Claus doing?
Talking to Mrs. Claus...
and holding in his hand...
what appears to be...
a large, erect penis.
And would you read the caption
under that cartoon, please?
It says...
"This is what I've got
to 'Ho-ho-ho' about."
Mr. Flynt, do you think...
that the founding fathers
had a cartoon like this in mind...
when they wrote
the First Amendment?
Well, no, but I don't think
they necessarily had Playboy in mind...
or People either...
'cause I saw a couple of
swear words in there once.
But isn't a community allowed
to set its own standards?
No. That's just a disguise
for censorship.
This country belongs to me...
as much as it belongs to you,
Mr. Leis.
If you don't like Hustler magazine,
don't read it.
I don't.
But what about the innocent children
who gaze upon your magazine...
in our grocery stores?
If a kid gets caught
drinking beer in a tavern...
we don't ban Budweiser
across the nation.
Ladies and gentlemen
of the jury...
you've heard a lot here today
and I won't try to go back over it all.
But you have to go back in that room
and make some decisions...
and there is one thing I want to make
very clear to you before you do.
I'm not trying to convince you that
you should like what Larry Flynt does.
I don't like what he does.
But what I do like is...
that I live in a country...
where you and I can
make that decision for ourselves.
I like that I live in a country
where I can pick up Hustler magazine...
read it if I want...
or throw it in the trash,
if that's where I think it belongs.
Or I can not buy it.
I like that right.
I care about it.
And you should care
about it too...
because we live
in a free country.
We say that a lot, but sometimes we
forget what that means, so listen again.
We live in a free country.
That is a powerful idea.
That's a magnificent way to live.
But there is a price for that freedom,
which is that sometimes...
we have to tolerate things
that we don't necessarily like.
So go back in that room...
where you are free to think
whatever you want to think...
about Larry Flynt
and Hustler magazine.
But then ask yourselves if you want to
make that decision for the rest of us...
because the freedom
that everyone in this room enjoys...
is, in a very real way,
in your hands.
If we start throwing up walls against
what some of us think is obscene...
we may wake up one morning
and realize...
that walls have been thrown up
in places we never expected...
and we can't see anything
or do anything.
And that's not freedom.
That is not freedom.
So, be careful.
Thank you.
Madam Foreman,
have you reached a verdict?
Yes, Your Honor, we have.
Hand the verdict
to the bailiff.
Will the defendant please rise?
Madam Clerk,
read the verdict.
"We, the jury...
find the defendant,
Larry Claxton Flynt...
guilty as charged
on all counts."
Do you have anything to say
before I sentence you?
Your Honor...
you've not made...
one intelligent decision
during the course of this trial...
and I don't expect one now.
Knock yourself out.
I sentence you to years
in the Ohio State Penitentiary.
Your Honor, we request bail...
- Bail denied.
- Denied?
- Take him away.
- This procedure is completely standard.
All I do
is publish a magazine!
Mrs. Flynt, were you surprised
by the verdict?
No, I was not surprised
by the verdict at all.
We had a stupid judge
and an uptight prosecutor.
Are you ashamed to have
your husband locked up?
I never would be
ashamed of Larry.
I'd rather have a man who stands up
for what he believes in.
Of course I'm not happy
he's going to jail.
You guys can call this
a circus, a witch hunt...
Hi, baby.
You are so beautiful.
Hi, Larry.
How are you?
- I miss you.
- I've missed you too.
You got any girlfriends
in here?
You got calluses on your hands?
You know it.
I fantasize about you
all the time.
Our bed is so empty.
Baby.
Oh, baby.
Oh, God.
What can I do
to get you out of here?
Isaacman says there's no way
this is gonna hold up.
What if Alan's wrong?
What if you don't get out
till the year ...
and I'm fat and old and ugly
and you don't love me anymore?
You ain't never gonna be
old and fat and ugly.
I promise you.
- I love you.
- I love you.
Glory, glory, hallelujah
His truth
Is marching on
His truth is
Marching
On
Please. Please. Please.
And now,
Americans for a Free Press...
take extreme pleasure
in welcoming to Cincinnati...
direct from jail...
cleared %
by the Appellate Court...
This is great of the Americans for
a Free Press to invite us here tonight.
The Americans for a Free Press is me.
Who do you think's paying for all this?
...that freedom fighter,
Larry C. Flynt!
- Thank you.
- We love you, Larry!
I have a thought.
Murder is illegal...
but you take a picture of somebody
committing the act of murder...
they'll put you on the cover
of Newsweek.
You might even win
a Pulitzer Prize.
And yet...
sex is legal.
Everybody's doin' it,
or wants to be.
Yet you take a picture of two people
in the act of sex...
or of just a woman's
naked body...
and they'll put you in jail.
Now, I have a message for all you
good, moral, Christian people...
who are complaining
that breasts and vaginas are obscene.
Don't complain to me.
Complain to the manufacturer.
Okay? And although Jesus told us
not to judge, I know you will anyway...
so judge sanely.
Judge with your eyes open.
What do you consider obscene?
Is this obscene to you?
Or perhaps that's obscene to you.
Maybe this is obscene to you.
But what is more obscene,
this...
or this?
This...
or this?
You know, politicians
and demagogues like to say...
that sexually explicit material
corrupts the youth of our country.
And yet they lie, cheat
and start unholy wars.
Look at them. They call themselves men.
They're sheep in a herd.
I think the real obscenity
comes from raising our youth...
to believe that sex is bad
and ugly and dirty...
and yet it is heroic
to go spill guts and blood...
in the most ghastly manner
in the name of humanity.
With all the taboos
attached to sex...
it's no wonder
we have the problems we have...
that we're angry and violent
and genocidal.
But ask yourself the question...
What is more obscene...
sex or war?
She's a killer.
- Larry.
- Yeah.
Hi, Althea.
Hi, Arlo.
Arlo, you wanted something?
Yes.
I've got bad news.
A Georgia prosecutor's
arrested some newsdealers...
for selling Hustler.
Some other retailers are getting nervous
and taking issues off the stands.
Fuel the jet.
Wait.
Alert the Georgia media.
Tell 'em the cavalry's
on the way.
Larry, why are you here?
Good, hardworkin' news vendors
are being threatened and intimidated.
If that's not censorship,
what is?
- So, what's your plan?
- Well, just watch.
Come right on in here.
Stand right over there.
All right.
Don't crowd.
Let the cameras through.
You rollin'?
Now, what we're gonna do here is...
I'm gonna pay this gentleman
$ .
I'm renting the Puff 'n' Read
for hours.
I am in control now.
Anybody who would like to purchase
a copy of Hustler magazine...
Could I please buy a copy
of the Hustler magazine?
Yes, you can, sir. Here is
the Hustler magazine I'm selling...
That's it.
Larry Flynt, you're under arrest.
Okay.
I gotta give him some change.
Only in America, huh?
How far will you go for Hustler?
What are your plans?
Many people support Hustler magazine,
but none are willing to support you.
How do you feel about that?
Why do I have to go to jail
to protect your freedom?
That's good.
So, we're gonna pay
a million bucks?
If it catches the killer,
it's worth it.
Moving on.
Asshole of the Month.
Jerry Falwell.
You always say Jerry Falwell.
Jerry Falwell
is always an asshole.
How about Anita Bryant
this month?
I say Gerald Ford.
I say Larry Flynt.
I like that, bro.
I mean, everybody thinks I'm an asshole.
- Yeah, that's true.
- Is that right?
Larry, you have a call.
- Take a message.
- How about Asshole of the Decade?
She's calling
from North Carolina.
She says she's the President's sister,
Ruth Carter something.
Ruth Carter Stapleton?
She's a woman of God.
What does she want with you?
What are you afraid of?
Pick up the phone.
Okay, patch her through.
Hello, this is Larry Flynt.
- Praise the Lord. I found you.
- Hallelujah.
What can I help you with?
We have a mutual friend, Larry,
a television producer...
and he suggested
we get together.
He thought you and I
would hit it off.
I don't understand.
You're an evangelist
and I'm a smut peddler.
Larry, I don't believe in labels.
I think you and I
could teach each other a lot, so...
are you free
for dinner tomorrow night?
You know,
I have a hectic schedule.
You know what's nice about
people like you and me, Mr. Flynt?
What's that?
We can do anything we want.
Do you go to church, Larry?
Yeah, church.
Particularly the, uh,
you know, the big holidays...
Christmas, Easter
and New Year's Eve.
New Year's Eve?
They don't have church
on New Year's Eve. Okay.
Well, we've proven I'm a liar.
- I never go.
- It's not important.
That's only a ritual.
I believe in going straight
to the teachings of Jesus.
And does she love that man.
Would you call yourself...
a faith healer?
Goodness, no.
I do spiritual healing.
Oh.
I don't mend bones.
I mend troubled souls.
That's a relief. I thought you might be
one of those tent revival fakes...
that used to come
scare the kids with snakes...
and "Wicked this, wicked that."
Hellfire, damnation,
that sort of thing.
That kind of talk
is almost unforgivable.
Well, then,
I'd say we have...
something in common.
Actually, Larry, there's something else
you and I have in common.
What's that?
We're both trying to release people
from sexual repression.
Really.
Sorry, Mrs. Stapleton.
So, tell me, your brother...
Ji... Mr. President...
Jimmy will be fine.
Do you think he ever...
read my publication?
You remember that interview
he gave Playboy magazine?
The one where he admitted
he had lust in his heart?
I was especially proud of that.
I'm sure you were...
but Oral Roberts wasn't
and Billy Graham wasn't.
They took out after him
in public.
So I don't think he's a big fan
of adult magazines.
But, you know, Larry...
I'm more ambivalent
about what you do...
because I think
that sexuality is...
a God-given gift.
I have to agree with you.
When I counsel Pentecostal women
in bad marriages...
I don't take the Bible out.
I say to them...
"Get some make-up.
Get yourself some curlers.
Make yourself beautiful, because
Jesus wants you to be beautiful."
Yeah, well, that...
You're something.
You surprise me.
Larry, what was
your childhood like?
You know, sometimes things happen to us
when we're very young...
that can hurt
for many years after.
I think we're all born
into this world...
Why? Why?
'Cause I had an epiphany.
Okay?
- A what?
- An epiphany.
Where'd you learn
that damn word?
This woman crookin' you so hard,
she's teaching you English now?
She ain't crookin' me.
I think it's more
an acid flashback.
Don't belittle it like that.
It was a serious thing.
Do you think that I wanted Jesus
to tap me on the shoulder?
I'm the last guy who wanted that.
I'm gettin' laid six times a day.
I got limousines, a jet, lots of money.
I'm the last guy who wanted God
tapping him on the shoulder.
I had an epiphany.
- I had an epiphany once, Larry.
- What was that?
When my daddy shot
my entire family in the head...
and I was the only one
to identify the bodies.
I got sent to an orphanage
full of good Christian nuns...
who shoved my face
into their pussies...
with their crucifixes on...
for eight goddamn years!
I am genuinely sorry for you, baby,
but that does not...
Don't be sorry for me!
Be sorry for yourself!
- You'll need that in the pawn shop.
- Don't throw that!
We're gonna be so broke,
you're gonna need that.
Come on.
It's okay.
Just get behind me on this,
okay?
That's all I'm asking.
I feel like it's me against the world.
You're all I got, baby.
Say you ain't gonna do this.
- I'm doing it!
- No! You ain't gonna do it!
Oh, now I'm baptized too.
Is that it?
Fuck you, Larry!
The Lord
Oh, Lord
My soul
Doth magnify
The Lord
Do you accept the Lord Jesus Christ
as your Savior...
and reject Satan
and all his works?
I do.
In obedience to the will of God...
and upon the confession
of this, our brother...
we baptize you in the name
of the Father, the Son...
and in the name
of the Holy Spirit.
Hallelujah
Hallelujah!
There will be no more...
photo spreads of women alone.
From now on, sex will be presented
in a more natural setting...
with a man in the picture.
You know, a Genesis pictorial...
with Adam and Eve
getting it on in the Garden of Eden.
Then next month
I'd like to have...
pretty girls all floating
on big glass crucifixes.
Marjoe Gortner could shoot that.
I plead with you
not to do this.
If you do this,
this company's gonna be worth nothin'.
You're all looking at me
like I'm the one growing horns.
Look around you.
We are living in Roman times.
It is time...
to feed the lions
to the Christians.
This is a joke.
You're just doing this to...
help our circulation.
Arlo.
I love you, brother...
but please
don't ever, ever, ever...
doubt my sincerity.
Use me
For your service
Dear Lord
Just grant me the power
This is making people sick.
They're going up to newsstands
and they're puking, they're vomiting.
I was just trying to illustrate...
that I am no longer willing...
to exploit the female body.
You've failed miserably
at that.
Nobody on this planet wants their
religion and their porn mixed together.
Well, you know, Ruth says that...
Well, get your friend Ruth to buy
two million of these magazines...
because nobody else will do it.
Larry, I'm not gonna pretend
that I understand...
what you go through...
what this spiritual thing
is to you.
I never have, but I've always
been supportive. Always.
And, honey...
you're taking this too far now.
It's going too far.
It's like
you're losing your mind.
My mind is fine.
God is working through me.
Don't you see that?
I could accomplish anything.
I could move mountains with God's help.
I could make that wall come
tumbling down with sheer willpower.
God. Do it.
Just do it, then.
- Do it.
- Do it?
He's gonna be thrilled about this.
Really.
Hey, Larry.
Yeah, it's Alan.
I'm sitting here with the eminently
reasonable District Attorney of Georgia.
He's very impressed
by your conversion.
He's offering a plea bargain.
A plea bargain
because I found God?
Larry, listen to me.
Don't argue with me on this.
Just say yes, because I pulled
a lot of strings to make this happen.
Is he there with you?
Could you do me a favor?
Tell that miserable,
gray-haired bastard...
to go fuck himself.
We're goin' to trial.
Okay. Right.
Oh, and praise the Lord.
Right.
The Gwinnett County Court
is now in session.
Mr. Flynt, how can you,
as a good Christian...
defend this filth?
I don't have to.
It may be wrong,
in some people's opinion...
to portray women
the way I have...
but it's not illegal.
It may not be smart to have too much
to drink, but it's not illegal.
Abortion may be
morally repugnant...
but right now it's not illegal.
If we want to change the laws,
that's another discussion...
but our right to decide for ourselves
cannot be restricted.
George Orwell said that...
if liberty means anything...
it means the right to tell people
what they don't wanna hear.
Now, America...
is the strongest country
in the world today...
only because it is
the freest country.
If it ever loses sight
of its basic heritage...
and the principles involved...
then we will no longer
be free.
That was a bang-up job.
Larry, did you pray
before entering the courtroom?
- No comment.
- Is your wife jealous of Ruth?
Do you have any comment?
- Is that true?
- Do you have anything to say?
This is Jackson. We got shots fired
in front of the courthouse.
- Somebody help!
- We need an ambulance right away.
Stand back.
Got a -year-old male,
gunshot wound, left shoulder.
Patient has no movement
or sensation...
I want him alive. I don't care
if his head's in a fishbowl!
Mrs. Flynt...
there's something
you have to know...
before you go in that room.
They say that you're paralyzed.
They say you're paralyzed
from the waist down.
They say that
you ain't gonna walk again.
From the waist down?
I fuckin' love you.
I'm so sorry, Althea.
Larry.
My dearest, how are you?
Oh, the pain.
I feel like I'm in hell.
No, you're not in hell.
You belong to God.
I wish he'd killed me.
I do.
I can't ever walk again.
I can't make love to my wife.
I can't...
have a child with her.
But don't give in
to the bitterness.
You'll be so much stronger
if you keep your faith.
God will see you through this.
Ruth...
there is no God.
Take this down. I want all this
Christian stuff out of here now.
Ladies. Gentlemen.
The reign of Christian terror
at this magazine is now over.
We're smut peddlers again.
We're going back to our roots.
We are porn again.
When's Larry coming back?
Larry's coming back soon.
So, what do we know?
The FBI ain't got nothin'.
- That's what we know.
- Who'd wanna shoot you, Larry?
Who wouldn't want to, Jimmy?
- I'd say it was the CIA.
- Why?
Because of the million dollars
that was offered for JFK's killers.
I think it was the interracial
photo spreads and the KKK.
It wasn't the KKK.
It was the Mob.
The extreme religious right.
They control all the fanatics.
You've just named every American psycho.
Let's try to narrow the field a bit.
Larry, you're always, always...
gonna have to
watch your ass forever.
I oughta move somewhere
where perverts are welcome.
Where you goin', baby?
To get some ice cream.
You want some?
I want some more.
I just gave you
twice your dose.
Please. Please. Please.
Larry, you're gonna overdose.
I'm not gonna overdose.
I'm in pain.
- You're just doing this to get off.
- More!
I'm only giving you half
of what I just gave you.
Don't ask for any more.
Tight.
Okay, let go.
You all right?
I love you, baby.
Oh, God.
Hi, Doctor Bob.
Hello, Althea.
How's Larry today?
Shitty.
Pretty shitty.
How are you today, Larry?
Terrible.
- I'm in pain.
- He can hardly talk.
You know, Larry,
we're running out of options here.
The drugs, your pain...
it's going to kill you.
Something stronger.
This is grand.
Can we just have our medicine, please,
Doctor Bob, in peace?
Larry, there is an operation...
and apparently it's been
very successful for this kind of pain.
- Ready for the laser.
- Laser ready, five watts.
Okay, let's go.
Hey, baby.
What's that?
Some lady died down the hall.
I got her flowers.
How do you feel?
I feel good.
You feel good?
Yeah, I feel...
I feel great.
For the first time
since those bullets...
I don't feel any pain.
I don't want it.
What do you... I don't...
I feel good.
And you're not on nothin'.
You're crookin' me,
or you're a fuckin' liar.
You've been on drugs
for four or five years.
I have a hard time believing that
you feel really great on nothin' now.
Is it that hard to believe
that I don't want any?
Yes.
I was taking the drugs
'cause I was in pain.
I'm not in pain now,
so I don't want it.
Why would I want it?
- I don't know.
- Why do you want it?
Well, if I don't take it I'll go
into seizures and get really sick.
And it makes me feel good.
Here.
- I don't want it!
- In two hours you will.
I'm done with it.
Okay?
- You've said this before.
- Stop it!
'Cause you're fuckin' on...
Here.
- Stop it.
- Get away from me!
- Stop.
- I don't want it!
You're gonna hurt yourself.
Stop it, please.
I don't know.
Been through a lot together.
We can make it through this.
You're gonna go cold turkey?
I am, and so are you.
- Okay?
- No.
Yes.
Okay.
I can't, Larry.
- What am I gonna do?
- What do I need that shit for?
I want my mind back.
The pervert is back!
What's your name?
Sophie.
Tell everybody
the pervert is back.
The pervert is back.
Circulation is down
by a third.
The color reproduction
is horrible.
The models look like
they're three-dollar whores.
The writing is by
some moronic idiot.
Mr. Flynt?
I don't wanna step
on your toes...
but things have changed since you
were actively running the company.
I mean, I look back at the stuff
you did in the ' s...
and it was sort of racy
and crazy...
but the country's
different now.
Reagan has rebuilt America...
and the Moral Majority
is gaining power.
You're fired.
Excuse me?
You...
get the fuck out of my building!
Get him outta here!
He's a blow-dried,
jerk motherfucker!
Throw him in the incinerator!
Cut him into pieces
and feed him to the animals!
- Get outta here!
- Larry!
You can't do that!
He's our vice president of marketing!
Hey, Jimbo, are you trying
to challenge my authority?
You see that on the wall?
"LFP."
That's Larry Flynt Publications.
Not "JFP." Okay?
I'm the big kahuna here.
Do you have a problem with that?
No, Larry.
You're the boss.
So, uh, Larry...
what's the plan?
Plan.
The plan is simple.
The establishment...
took my manhood from me...
but they left
the half with my brain...
and I'm gonna use it...
to get back.
Wake up.
Who is this?
It's Larry Flynt.
Is CBS interested
in seeing videotape of the FBI...
selling John Delorean
kilos of cocaine?
- Are you Mr. Waverly?
- Yeah.
- Who are you?
- I'm Mrs. Flynt.
Do you want some coffee...
or tea or sandwiches...
or Ho-Hos or Pringles
or something?
No, that's all right.
Can I just see the tape?
- John Delorean.
- There's Delorean.
These are the drug dealers.
- Guess what this is.
- The coke?
That whole suitcase?
Yeah. Watch this.
Delorean...
The first time to touch it.
That's it. That's all the contact
he had with that cocaine.
This is my favorite part.
They can't get this damn...
They can't get
the suitcase closed. Right?
There's a lot of cocaine
in this motherfucker.
How do they get
the damn thing closed?
- They're all pushing down on it.
- Amazing.
Now they do a toast.
Now watch this.
This is weird.
There's a knock at the door.
Tubby goes to the door.
Look.
Four million dollars worth of cocaine.
Nobody's even nervous.
Now watch.
FBI. FBI, right?
This guy's got a good camera sense.
Watch him clear camera.
Let me get outta your way.
Watch this guy.
Grabs his champagne...
and walks away.
These guys
aren't concerned about him...
because they're FBI!
The tapes are genuine, newsworthy,
and we have a right to broadcast them.
- This is stolen government evidence.
- This makes a fair trial impossible.
My client, Mr. Delorean,
will never find an impartial jury.
We're talking basic
constitutional rights here.
Gentlemen.
Gentlemen, please.
These are stolen tapes.
Gentlemen, that's enough!
It's stolen, Judge!
Here is the Campari
ad campaign parody.
"Jerry Falwell
talks about his first time."
You guys are stupid.
You ever have anything
positive to say, Jimmy?
I got a subpoena here for you
to appear in Federal Court tomorrow...
to reveal the source
of the Delorean tape.
The FBI got very pissed off.
They want you in front
of the judge tomorrow.
You tell that judge
I'm wipin' my ass with his subpoena.
Why is your client doing this?
My client is
a very complicated man.
He's heavily medicated,
among other things.
I believe him to be
manic-depressive.
I'II give him something
to be depressed about.
I'm issuing a warrant
for his arrest.
"If anyone tries coming after me,
I'll shoot him between the eyes."
Flynt has been barricaded in his
Beverly Hills compound for three days.
Holy shit!
Freeze!
Federal marshals!
Drop the gun now!
Hands on your head now!
On your knees!
NBC. ABC.
What's wrong with you, CBS?
We're Federal marshals!
Come out!
Shut up!
Where are your fuckin' priorities?
We interrupt this program
for a special report...
I turned the whole world
into a tabloid!
Here I come!
Larry, are you going somewhere?
Yeah.
Roll on out of there now!
Will you get me some bananas?
Yes, I'll get you bananas
Thank you, honey.
Raise your right hand
and place your left hand on the Bible.
Do you swear to tell the whole truth
and nothing but the truth...
so help you God?
No.
I'm an atheist.
I can't very well swear to a God
I don't believe exists.
Mr. Flynt, you are a handful.
I know, Your Honor.
We'II allow you to affirm,
if that's satisfactory with you, sir.
That would satisfy me.
I just need you to answer
one question...
and then you are able
to go back home.
Shoot.
What was the source
of this videotape?
Your Honor, Vicki Morgan
was Alfred Bloomingdale's mistress...
Excuse me, Your Honor.
It's okay, Alan.
Alfred introduced her
to all Reagan's cabinet buddies.
She was a real party girl
and they really liked her...
if you know what I mean,
Your Honor.
So the thing about Vicki is...
she was a bit naive...
and she started writing a book...
about all these orgies
that they were having.
The next thing you know... Bam!
She's murdered.
But what these White House killers
don't realize is...
Vicki...
kept some videotapes...
of their sexcapades.
These tapes, Your Honor...
are pure...
carnality.
Filthy.
I've never seen anything...
Well, I have.
But most people haven't seen
anything like this, Your Honor.
What has this got to do
with the Delorean trial?
That's a good question.
Well, technically, nothing,
Your Honor...
but I had those tapes and this tape,
and it just made me think of it.
Well, Mr. Flynt, I'd appreciate it
if you would stick to the subject.
I'II ask again:
What was the source of this videotape?
With all due respect,
you don't have the right to ask.
That's it.
You're in contempt of court.
As of tomorrow,
I'm fining you $ a day...
until you reveal the source
of your videotape.
Look. There's Larry.
There he is.
- Mr. Flynt!
- Make way. Let us through here.
Mr. Flynt,
is this a conspiracy?
Oh, say, can you see
By the dawn's early light
- What so proudly we hail
- Where are the Vicki Morgan tapes?
Do you really have
the Vicki Morgan sex tapes?
No. I just told 'em
I had the Delorean tapes.
Now they believe
anything I say.
Sir, take that helmet off.
We don't wear hats
in a Federal courtroom.
There's no war going on here.
Well, you can never be
too careful, Your Honor.
Don't worry, Mr. Flynt. The U.S.
Government will take care of you.
We brought extra marshals
in today...
so I'd appreciate
your taking off that helmet.
Sir, are you here now...
to obey the court and reveal
the source of the videotape...
or to pay the $ ?
- I'd like a moment with my client.
- No!
It is my right, under the freedom
of the First Amendment...
to protect my sources.
Listen, don't go any further.
- Let me talk for one second.
- Shut up! Relax, Alan.
Is that an American flag
you have on there, sir?
I have fashioned this American flag
into a diaper...
because if you're gonna treat me
like a baby, I'm gonna act like one.
Larry Flynt, I'm ordering you arrested
for desecration of the American flag.
Marshal, take him into custody.
We'd like to post bond,
if that's all right.
Take it easy.
Just a minute, Marshal.
Very well, Mr. Isaacman.
Court will set a bond
on Mr. Larry Flynt for $ .
And this time, sir...
I'd prefer a cashier's check.
Understood.
Furthermore...
I'm going to keep our Mr. Flynt
on a very tight leash.
As a condition of his bond...
he absolutely cannot leave
the state of California.
You're not getting on that plane.
- Yes, I am.
- No! Don't do it.
- Do you think this is a game?
- Yeah, you're right.
It's a fucking joke!
Five-and-a-half years since
they shot me, and the government...
Hey, I was there too.
You remember?
You don't see me pissing off everybody
who could help us.
Yeah, well, you can walk
and you can fuck...
and I'm in this chair!
I got money...
and that gives me the power
to shake up this system.
Find somebody else to help you then,
because I didn't sign on for this.
I don't even know
what we're engaged in anymore.
If you get on that plane,
I quit.
Alan, don't be so melodramatic.
You don't wanna quit me.
I'm your dream client.
I'm the most fun, I'm rich
and I'm always in trouble.
Hey, go to hell, Larry.
Go to hell.
Bye.
Why did you disobey
this court's order?
Why did you disobey
this court's order?
Didn't I make it clear
you were not to leave California?
We had an honest misunderstanding...
Counselor, he's right.
Some rules are made to help us,
not hurt us, and l...
I do apologize, Your Honor.
I want to 'fess up and reveal...
my source.
Tell me...
who was the source
of this videotape?
The samurai.
Excuse me?
The samurai gave me the tape.
Who is this man,
and where is he?
Unfortunately, he had
a critical groin injury...
on the way to give me the tape...
and he's undergoing acupuncture
treatment in Beijing, China.
- What is this?
- It's okay.
Mr. Flynt, this court fears
that you are seriously mentally ill.
Opinions are like assholes,
Your Honor.
- Everybody's got one.
- Cut it out. Shut up.
No, you shut up!
Let your lawyer do the talking.
No. I know the rules.
You're fired.
I'm representing myself.
- I am so tired of you. You're fired.
- You can't fuckin' fire me!
- You will not curse in this courtroom.
- What?
- Larry Flynt...
- How about spitting?
Marshal, put a gag on that man!
- Sit down, sir!
- You bastard!
Sit down, lady!
Lady, be seated!
- Get off me!
- Everybody down in this courtroom!
All right, Mr. Flynt...
are you willing
to calm down now, sir?
If I take that gag off, will you
show me and my courtroom staff...
the courtesy and respect
we deserve?
All right, Marshal.
Fuck you, you son of a bitch!
I've had enough.
Larry Flynt, you leave me no choice
but to sentence you...
to nine months.
- Is that all you got?
- Three more months, then.
- Fuck you, Your Honor!
- You want more?
- Stop it.
- Sit down!
Larry Flynt, you are hereby sentenced
to months...
in a Federal psychiatric prison.
Don't look at me.
Ask for bail, Counselor.
Can I post bail, Your Honor?
Get him out of my courtroom.
Fuckin' bastard!
You can use all those foul words
behind four padded walls!
There's something
we'd like to show you, sir.
I don't understand.
The Reverend would never endorse
a liquor company.
Well, there's a larger problem.
Substantially larger.
You see, sir...
it says right there
that the Reverend...
It says, sir...
that he fornicated with his mother
in an outhouse.
Give me a second.
What do you boys have
for me today?
I think you need to read this.
Give me your jacket, please.
Stand up, please.
Raise your foot.
- Arms up.
- Arms what?
Arms up.
You look so good.
You look like shit.
What?
I don't want to work
at the magazine anymore.
People there...
don't listen to me...
and they don't talk to me.
They're afraid of me and...
they don't shake my hand.
I went to Dr. Robert and...
he told me that I was sick.
I mean...
sick sick.
I mean, I got AIDS, Larry.
They won't shake your hand?
Oh. Yes, sir. Yes.
Code pink. Code pink.
Larry, it's Jimmy here.
You there?
Larry?
Larry, you there?
I have some important
announcements to make.
- So, how's the hospital treatin' you?
- Never mind that.
Is everybody there?
Good.
You're all fired.
Larry, you can't just fire
these people. We need them.
Shut up. It's my business, and I'll
run it into the ground if I want to.
That's all. I gotta go.
What the fuck was that?
Just calm down, Arlo.
Don't panic on me.
- None of you guys are fired.
- But Larry just said that...
Yeah, well, what did Larry say?
He's in a nuthouse.
I said you're not fired.
Is that a problem?
Thank you.
Jesus, Althea.
Come on. Sit down.
You all right, Mrs. Flynt?
Fine, thanks.
You look different.
Did you change your hair?
Yeah, I changed my hair.
Yeah. I like it.
Yeah, my hair's different.
What's up?
I got this the other day...
and I brought it by to see
if you would look at it, please.
Wow. That is...
I mean, this is...
It's intense.
Yes, it is.
What are we gonna do?
You're gonna give it
to Larry's lawyers.
You are our lawyers.
You've always been our lawyers.
You're part of the family.
Don't listen to Larry.
- You know how he is.
- I don't know.
We need your help.
Please. Please help us.
Alan.
Boy, this is great, Larry.
This is really great.
- I hope it was worth it.
- Didn't I fire you?
Well, I mean, I've always ignored
most of what you said, right?
Well, listen,
I know the timing is lousy...
but you remember your Campari ad?
Jerry Falwell in the outhouse
with his mother?
Well, he saw it.
I guess it's safe to say
he didn't find it all that funny.
He is suing you...
for libel...
and intentional infliction
of emotional distress.
He is asking
for million dollars.
This is Jerry Falwell...
in his home state.
So...
if you're up to it...
we ought to figure out
how you want to deal with this.
Countersue.
What?
Yeah, he's suing you.
He's suing me?
For heaven's sake,
on what grounds?
You xeroxed his ad and sent it out
in a million fund-raising letters.
Yeah? So?
But you didn't get
his permission...
and that's
copyright infringement.
The depth of his depravity
sickens me.
They are gonna put you on the stand.
Your testimony will make or break us.
Downplay how much
you hate Falwell.
You've got to make them understand
it was just a joke.
- I'm just a clown.
- Take this one seriously.
Don't fuck it up. This will be the most
expensive case ever for you if you lose.
Reverend Falwell, you're a preacher.
Is that right?
Yes, I am.
As a preacher, you speak
to a fairly broad audience.
I mean, you preach on television
and on your Old Time Gospel Radio Hour.
I do.
So you've achieved
a certain notoriety...
one might say a national reputation,
for your sermons...
and opinions and ideas...
and your leadership
of the Moral Majority.
Yes. Our membership
is now over five million.
But even beyond
your membership, really...
you've been recognized...
and awarded for your efforts
all over America.
I have a number
of honorary degrees.
In a recent poll
of Good Housekeeping magazine...
I was voted
second most admired American...
behind President Reagan.
Good Housekeeping.
That's... That's...
I mean, hey, you're famous.
Right?
Well, I suppose
you could say that.
Have you ever had sex
with your mother?
Absolutely not.
Never?
Never in the outhouse,
as Hustler magazine suggested?
That is an absurd question.
My mother
was a very godly woman...
and as close to a saint...
as anyone I have ever known.
I'm sure she was.
Have you ever preached
while drunk?
Drunk? Never.
You never had too many at lunch
and went back on the radio?
That is a totally outrageous
suggestion.
- "Totally outrageous"?
- Totally.
You don't think that some people,
despite your reputation...
might believe
you could do that?
I would find that
very difficult to believe.
So what you're telling me is
nobody could reasonably think...
that these statements about you
were true.
That's what I'm saying.
Reverend Falwell,
at the beginning of this trial...
Judge Kirk gave very specific
instructions to this jury.
She said,
"If a reasonable person...
could not believe
that Hustler magazine...
describes actual facts
about Jerry Falwell...
then you must dismiss
the libel claim."
Do you remember
these instructions?
Obviously not,
so I'm gonna ask you one more thing.
Why are you suing my client
for libel?
I am not a lawyer,
Mr. Isaacman.
I am a lawyer,
and I can't figure it out either.
Would you state your full name
for the record, Mr. Flynt?
Yes, sir.
Christopher Columbus...
Cornwallis...
I.P.Q., Harvey H.
and Pagey Pugh.
That's very interesting...
but are you also known
as Larry Flynt?
A.K.A. Jesus H. Flynt, Esq.
Oh, for Christ's sakes.
Are you the publisher
and editor-in-chief...
of Hustler magazine?
I am the publisher
of the most tasteless, sleaziest...
most disgusting, greatest porn magazine
on the face of the earth.
Thank you.
I have in my hand Exhibit "B"...
a typewritten script
of the Campari ad.
When you approved this ad...
did you have any
specific knowledge...
that the Rev. Falwell
had ever engaged...
in sexual intercourse
with his mother?
But I have a photograph...
of Falwell having fellatio...
with a sheep.
Your Honor, my client is in a heavily
medicated, mentally agitated state.
We will stipulate
that no such document exists.
I have it...
and Mr. Fartwell is a liar,
a glutton and a "sheep-o-phile."
My client's name
is Jerry Falwell.
Jerry Falwell!
That's what I said.
Jerry Fartwell.
Are you trying to hold
Rev. Falwell up to ridicule?
No. Contempt.
- Scorn?
- Truculent.
- Obloquy?
- Parlez vouz Francais?
Oh, God,
my French is so rusty.
Bon appetit!
I love her.
Quiet.
I love you, baby.
Jesus loves me
Do you have an aversion
to organized religion?
- "A virgin"?
- No. Aversion.
You heard me, Mr. Flynt.
An aversion to organized religion.
You bet your sweet ass I do.
Do you think that gives you license
to mock the leaders...
of great religious movements?
Goddamn right.
Objection, Your Honor.
This is totally irrelevant.
Overruled.
Free expression is absolute.
- Thank you, Your Honor.
- You agree?
Order!
Ma'am, if you can't control yourself,
you'II have to leave the courtroom.
So it was your intention...
to hold Rev. Falwell out
to be a hypocrite, wasn't it?
Well, that's what he is.
But didn't it occur to you...
that Rev. Falwell must have
an integrity people can believe in...
if he is to practice
his profession?
Yeah.
And it was your intent
to destroy that integrity...
and his livelihood,
if you could.
To assassinate it.
Hey, it's me!
It's a weird decision.
No, he's not guilty of libel...
but he is guilty
of inflicting emotional distress.
Flynt has to pay him grand!
This ruling shows that nobody
can prostitute the First Amendment.
Pornography has thrust its ugly head
into our everyday lives.
In the billion-dollar
sex industry...
of which Larry Flynt
is a self-described leader...
lust and greed have replaced
decency and morality.
We must make
a solemn commitment...
to God Almighty...
to turn this nation around
immediately.
Fuckin' AIDS junkie.
You crazy cripple.
It's just not that funny.
It wasn't funny
the first time we printed it either.
Well, guys, I'm certainly
open to suggestions.
I would suggest if we're going to
recycle it that we replace the noun...
I thought I fired all of you.
Jimmy.
Come here.
Sorry if I tried
to run things, but...
I was just trying to protect you.
Come here.
Come closer.
Come on.
Don't sweat it, bro.
I love you.
I love you too, man.
You look great, man.
Chester. You remember Althea.
Shake her hand.
Hey, Althea, you...
Hi, Chester.
Don't sneak up on us like that.
Ah, what the hell.
Shake Althea's hand.
- Good to see you.
- Welcome back.
- Hi, Althea.
- What do you do?
I'm a secretary.
Who's young and healthy
Cross your heart and confess
Happy you and merry me
Oh, who bought the ticket
for the Joytown Express
Happy you and merry me
Though Mr. Gloom
may chase us
We'll dodge him every day
Say, who is the finest
Any sane man can see
Happy you and merry me
I got it.
I wanna take my bath.
Okay, why don't you hop on.
I'll give you a ride.
Go ahead.
Buckle up.
Daddy.
Ohh! You're crushing my legs!
You're shivering, baby.
Shivering.
Detour.
- Oh, no.
- What are you doing?
You're gonna kill us.
It's okay.
They'll freeze us...
and thaw us out in the year .
Curbside service.
That'll be $ . lady.
Dr. Kipper, please.
Larry Flynt.
Dr. Kipper?
She doesn't look good.
I know, but there's gotta be
something more we can do.
Some new technology or drug.
What are they doing in Europe?
Money is no object.
Althea?
Althea!
Baby.
Honey!
Help!
Baby!
Can you hear me?
Jesus said, "I am the way,
the truth and the life.
No man comes to the Father...
but by Me.
He that liveth
and believeth in Me...
shall never die.
In My Father's house
are many rooms...
and if I go and prepare
a place for you...
I will come again...
and receive you unto Myself...
that where I am
there you may be also.
And you will live with Me
forever...
and ever."
you cannot mock God.
You cannot fool God.
If you violate His laws...
God Almighty will judge you.
AIDS is a plague.
These perverted lifestyles...
have to stop.
If you break moral laws...
you'll reap the whirlwind.
Alan. It's Larry.
I want to appeal
the Falwell case.
This is over.
No, it's not.
We can go higher.
- Higher?
- The Supreme Court.
- Give 'em a call.
- It's not that simple, Larry.
Thousands of people every year
petition the Supreme Court.
Our case is as good as any.
Our case is better than most.
You're missing my point.
They will never pick you...
because you're a nightmare.
They're afraid if they let you in
you'II wear a diaper or throw oranges...
and they should be.
In all the times
you've asked the court for help...
you've never demonstrated any respect
for its institutions and procedures.
They consider you a pig.
Well, you always said...
It's the principle. A pig
has the same rights as the President.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
People get tired of a pig.
Bullshit. You're scared, Alan.
You're scared.
You're letting these guys
steamroll you.
It's not just them, Larry.
Okay? It's me.
It's me.
I am not taking you.
Lawyers dream about a case like this
in front of the Supreme Court.
And they would probably hear us.
But I am not going with you.
I have been giving you my best since
back when people were laughing at you...
and every time I come in you fuck me
with this bullshit circus act.
I won't do it again.
I can't.
I'm not gonna do it in front of
the U.S. Supreme Court.
Your sentimental speeches
and cornball patriotism...
don't work on me anymore...
because I don't believe you.
I don't believe you.
You... You're my...
You're my friend, Alan.
We're friends.
I would love to be...
remembered for something...
meaningful.
Any research problems,
use my archives.
Tell the Reverend...
that I've dealt
with this filth monger myself...
and I wish to offer my support.
Is that the Tin Man?
Yes, that's the Tin Man.
God vs. the Devil.
America's minister
vs. America's pimp.
Today is the showdown.
Many were surprised by the High Court's
decision to hear Flynt's case...
but he had some unlikely supporters
filing briefs on his behalf...
like The New York Times, the American
Newspaper Publishers Association...
and the Association
of American Editorial Cartoonists.
All rise.
The Honorable Chief Justice...
and the Associate Justices
of the United States Supreme Court.
Oyez, oyez, oyez.
All persons having business
before the Honorables...
of the United States Supreme Court...
are admonished to draw near
and give their attention...
for this Court is now sitting.
God save the United States
and this Supreme Court.
We'll hear the argument first
this morning in number - ...
Hustler Magazine
and Larry C. Flynt...
vs. Jerry Falwell.
Mr. Isaacman, you may proceed
whenever you're ready.
Mr. Chief Justice,
and may it please the Court...
one of the most cherished ideas
that we hold in this country...
is that there should be
uninhibited public debate...
and freedom of speech.
The question you have
before you today...
is whether a public figure's right
to protection from emotional distress...
should outweigh
the public interest...
in allowing every United States citizen
to freely express his views.
But what was the view expressed
in Exhibit "A"?
Well, to begin with,
this is a parody of a known Campari ad.
I understand. Go ahead.
Also, and importantly,
it was a satire of a public figure...
of Jerry Falwell...
who, in this case, was
a prime candidate for such a satire...
because he's such an unlikely person
to appear in a liquor ad.
This is a person we are used to seeing
at the pulpit, Bible in hand...
preaching with a famously
beatific smile on his face.
But what is the public interest
you're describing?
That there is some interest
in making him look ludicrous?
Yes, there is a public interest in
making Jerry Falwell look ludicrous...
insofar as there is a public interest
in having Hustler magazine...
express the point of view
that Jerry Falwell is full of B.S.
Hustler magazine has every right
to express this view.
They have the right to say...
that somebody who has campaigned
actively against their magazine...
who has told people
not to buy it...
who has publicly said that it
poisons the minds of Americans...
who, in addition, has told people
sex out of wedlock is immoral...
that they shouldn't drink...
Hustler magazine
has a First Amendment right...
to publicly respond
to these comments...
by saying that Jerry Falwell
is full of B.S.
It says, "Let's deflate this stuffed
shirt and bring him down to our level."
Our level, in this case, being,
admittedly, a lower level...
than most people would like
to be brought to.
I know I'm not supposed to joke,
but that's sort of the point.
Mr. Isaacman, the First Amendment
is not everything.
It's of very important value, but
it's not the only value in our society.
What about another value
which says...
that good people should be able
to enter public life and public service?
The rule you give us says
if you stand for public office...
or become a public figure
in any way...
you cannot protect yourself
or, indeed, your mother...
against a parody of your
committing incest with her.
Do you think that George Washington
would've stood for public office...
if that was the consequence?
It's interesting that you mention
George Washington, Justice Scalia...
because very recently I saw
a -year-old political cartoon.
It depicts George Washington
riding on a donkey being led by a man...
and the caption suggests...
that this man is leading an ass
to Washington.
I can handle that.
I think George can too.
But that's a far cry from committing
incest with your mother in an outhouse.
There's no line between the two?
No, Justice Scalia,
I would say there isn't...
because you're talking about
a matter of taste, not law.
As you yourself said,
I believe...
in Pope vs. Illinois...
"It's useless to argue about taste
and even more useless to litigate it"...
and that is the case here.
The jury has already determined that
this is a matter of taste, not of law...
because they've said
there's no libelous speech...
that nobody could reasonably believe
that Hustler was actually suggesting...
Falwell had sex with his mother.
So why did Hustler
have him and his mother together?
Hustler puts him and his mother
together in a...
example of literary travesty,
if you will.
And what public purpose
does this serve?
The same public purpose...
as Garry Trudeau saying Reagan has
no brain or that George Bush is a wimp.
It lets us look at public figures
a little bit differently.
We have a long tradition in this country
of satiric commentary.
If Jerry Falwell can sue when
there has been no libelous speech...
purely on the grounds
of emotional distress...
then so can other public figures.
Imagine, if you will, suits
against people like Garry Trudeau...
and Johnny Carson,
for what he says on The Tonight Show.
Obviously, when people
criticize public figures...
they're going to experience
emotional distress.
We all know that.
It's easy to claim
and impossible to refute.
That's what makes it
a meaningless standard.
Really, all it does is allow us
to punish unpopular speech.
This country is founded,
at least in part...
on the firm belief that unpopular speech
is vital to the health of our nation.
Thank you, Mr. Isaacman.
Reverend, are you confident
you'll win this case?
Absolutely.
There's no way
the Supreme Court...
will come down on the side
of a sleaze merchant like Larry Flynt.
Mr. Keating,
why are you here today?
To show support for those who believe
pornography should be outlawed.
Because if the First Amendment
will protect a...
- What did Grutman call me?
- A scumbag.
A scumbag like me...
then it'll protect all of you.
'Cause I'm the worst.
Larry, do you have any regrets?
Only one.
Larry.
Larry.
Larry.
It's Alan.
They just brought
the decision in.
Well, is it good or bad?
It's a unanimous decision.
Rehnquist wrote it himself.
Is it good or bad?
I want you to hear this.
"At the heart of the First Amendment
is the recognition...
of the fundamental importance
of the free flow of ideas.
Freedom to speak one's mind is not only
an aspect of individual liberty...
but essential
to the quest for truth...
and the vitality of society
as a whole.
In the world of debate
about public affairs...
many things done with motives
that are less than admirable...
are nonetheless protected
by the First Amendment."
So we won.
Yes. We won.
Thank you, Alan.
- Thank you.
- Don't mention it.
We won, baby.
Strip for me, baby.
Why?
So when you're old and ugly,
you can look back at this.
I'm never gonna be
old and ugly, Larry.
You're gonna be old and ugly.
I've just closed my eyes again
Climbed aboard
the Dream Weaver train
Driver, take away
my worries of today
And leave tomorrow behind
Ooh, Dream Weaver
I believe you can get me
Through the night
Ooh, Dream Weaver
I believe we can reach
The morning light
Fly me high
through the starry skies
Maybe to an astral plane
'Cross the highways
of fantasy
Help me to forget
today's pain
Ooh, Dream Weaver
I believe you can get me
Through the night
Ooh, Dream Weaver
I believe we can reach
The morning light
Though the dawn
may be coming soon
There still may be some time
Fly me away
To the bright side of the moon
Meet me on the other side
Ooh, Dream Weaver
I believe you can get me
Through the night
Ooh, Dream Weaver
I believe we can reach
The morning light
Dream Weaver
Dream Weaver
Dream Weaver