thepeoplevslarryflynt.docx

1、thepeoplevslarryflynt The People vs. Larry Flynt(Drama) (1996) 1999 by Raymond WeschlerMajor CharactersLarry Flynt.Woody Harrelson The famous (and infamous) publisher of Hustler, which is considered by many to be the most disgusting pornographic magazine in the United States.Althea Leasure.Courtney

2、Love Flynts drug-abusing wife, who he met when she began dancing as a stripper at one of his clubs.Colin Issacman.Edward Norton Flynts determined young lawyer, who defends his client in the name of Free Speech and the First Amendment to the US Constitution.Jimmy Flynt.Brett Harrelson Flynts younger

3、brother who helps Larry with all of his various business ventures, from strip clubs to Hustler.Ruth Carter Stapleton.Donna Hanover A Christian Evangelist and sister of President Jimmy Carter, who tries to turn Larry into a Christian.Jerry Falwell.Richard PaulA very conservative Christian Minister an

4、d leader of The Moral Majority, who sues Larry after seeing a parody of an ad that implies Falwell had sex with his mother.Charles Keating.James Cromwell A conservative politcal activist who tries to get Hustler banned.Plot SummaryThis film is a true story based on the experiences of Hustler Magazin

5、e Publisher Larry Flynt. Flynt grew up poor in the state of Kentucky, but soon found some success running a bar and club in the city of Cincinnati, Ohio. The club was known for women who danced naked on stage, and for Flynt, it was a good way to make a living.In the mid 1970s, Flynt began to publish

6、 a newsletter for his business, and soon turned that into the first issue of Hustler, which quickly became known as one of the most sexually explicit and shocking magazines in the country. With help from his wife Althea, and brother Jimmy, Larry became the richest pornographer in America, and a symb

7、ol of filth, excess and bad taste.As Hustlers success grew, Larry soon found himself in constant legal trouble. Communities around the country tried to prevent the sale of the magazine by claiming it was legally obscene, and that it violated local community standards. Larry was a defiant man who was

8、 determined to defend his rights, and with the help of his lawyer, Colin Issacman, the various charges that Larry faced soon became matters of great Constitutional principle. Flynt paid a very high price for his controversial endeavors, and in many ways his personal life became filled with tragedy.

9、But with the constant support of his lawyer, Flynt fought for the principles he believed in, and in one last great legal battle, he took his case all the way to the Supreme Court. The result was an important confirmation of the continuing importance of the First Amendment in American life.Background

10、 on the First Amendment to the US Constitution (1791): The relevant text reads as follows: Congress shall make no law.abridging the freedom of speech.or of the press. With the guarantee of these words, Americans are more free to express themselves in more ways than just about any other people. The r

11、ight to criticize government officials or government policy is absolute, and over the years, the Supreme Court has said that even symbolic speech, such as the burning of the American flag in protest, is Constitutionally protected (However, the Court vote was 5-4!)Still, even in the United States, th

12、e limits of free speech are constantly being debated in society and litigated in court. And perhaps the most passionately fought issues have centered around obscenity, and more specifically, pornography. It is an emotional topic that never seems to go away, and in many ways, the fight over the right

13、 of scumbags like Larry Flynt to do what he does is at the heart of Americas constant struggle to balance community sensitivities and individual liberties.Some Words and Expressions that You May not KnowLarry rises from the poverty of rural Kentucky, to the strip clubs of Cincinnati, Ohio, and finds

14、 the love of his life in the process.Come get in the house-Suppers ready. Supper is a very old-fashioned way to say dinner.He was drinking my profits. A key word! The money a business makes after paying all its expenses. People think youre crazy : Im just trying to make an honest buck. A buck is a v

15、ery common slang word for a dollar.Theyre all the way here from Paris and London, Kentucky. The State immediately to the South of Cincinnati, Ohio.Its bad. I mean were broke. An important word to describe a person with no money at all.These give-aways are killing us and the smorgasbord was a stupid

16、idea. An all-you-can-eat meal for a fixed price, served cafeteria-style.You dont have to bring my friend into this. To bring someone into something is to get them involved.If we could let people know what great lays these ladies are. To get laid is common and crude slang meaning to have sex, but not

17、e here its used as a noun.Thats why I need a newsletter. A regularly published paper on a particulate topic or business.Nothing but nudie pictures? Slang (and stupid) for nude, or naked.I need something slick. When referring to paper, slick means smooth and of high quality.You need some kind of text

18、, like Playboy does. A very famous Mens Magazine, started in the 1950s.For the man on the go, for the man about town. Two ways to describe people who are busy doing fun and interesting things, often at night.She got the moves, dont she? : She aient legal either. Moves can refer to physical moves, su

19、ch as the dancing in this case. Aient is incorrect, but common among less educated people for is not. Dont use it!My dog can get an I.D. Short and common for identification (such as a drivers license).We have a policy in this club. Here, meaning a set of principles that a business or person will fol

20、low. I have a sneaking suspicion youre not of age. A sneaking suspicion is an interesting expression meaning a strong feeling. If somebody is not of age, theyre usually under 18.Id have to close my shop and fire a lot of people. To close shop is to shut down a business. To fire someone is to termina

21、te or end that persons job. Moonshine.from potatoes. Slang for illegal, home-made liquor. Sorry, I made a mess. A critical word for disorder, or a dirty state or condition.Its sort of a prerequisite. A word often used in universities, meaning a requirement.Why havent you taken a stab at me? To take

22、a stab at something is simply to try it.Come one more time? Even Superman has his limits! When used in a sexual context, to come is to have an orgasm. Common (hopefully), at least in bedrooms. I do fuck women. To fuck is a very vulgar and common way of saying to have sex.You are not the only person

23、in this club who has had every single women in this club. Note that to have a person can mean to have had sex with them!She had it rough.she grew up in an orphanage. A person who had a rough childhood had many difficulties as a child. An orphan is a child without parents, and an orphanage is often w

24、here such children live.How do I subscribe? To subscribe is to pay for regular delivery of a paper or magazine.It came in pretty handy! If something comes in handy, it is useful or practical (but try to notice the play on words here!).Larry concludes that America needs a mens magazine that is a litt

25、le more working class than Playboy.Nice tits, but they dont look real. Tits is crude word for breasts. In America, many women pay to have their breasts enlarged.Did you enjoy this months article on how to hook up your quadraphonic stereo system? To hook upsomething is to attach it or put together, e

26、specially when dealing with electronic devices like stereos.A martini. A popular alcoholic drink made with gin and vermouth.Its like if you dont make $20,000 a year, you dont jack off! To jack off is the definitive colloquial phrasal verb for masturbate.Playboy is mocking you! To mock someone is to

27、tease or make fun of them.Its got to be an even number 2,4,6,8, etc.as opposed to an odd number-1,3,5,7,9, etc.Well get it figured out. To figure out something is to truly understand it.What the hell is he doing? A common addition in WH questions to show emotion such as anger or surprise.Props. A co

28、mmon term in the film industry that refers to anything that supports or physically holds up something else.Just shoot the girl! In a photography context, to shoot means to take a picture. Legally, you cant show genitalia. The medical term for sexual organs.God created wo-man, then god created her va

29、gina! The anatomical word for a females external sexual organs.Who are you to defy god?! Just shoot her! To defy is a strong verb meaning to challenge someones authority.Jesus Christ! An exclamation of emotional frustration, anger, or perhaps surprise. One of the common religious expressions in Engl

30、ish.And what made you think you could pull this off, Larry? A truly great phrasal verb!: You can literally pull something off a wall, but to pull off can also mean to accomplish a difficult task.Because he has balls, Jimmy! A reference to testicles, which colloquially means courage.So one more issue and were wiped out. To be wiped out is to be destroyed. It is also an active phrasal verb.You think just because its your birthday, you can be a bitch? A very insulting word for a woman who is considered mean or a