These films almost always focus on the downside of the industry, the fallen stars and starlets, the shoddy conditions, the ethical and moral dilemmas. The two most noted films about porn of recent times, Boogie Nights (1997) and The People vs Larry Flynt (1996), are no exceptions, and neither is Lovelace.
Linda Lovelace was the “star” of Deep Throat (1972) and the inspiration, or perhaps more accurately, the template, for every porn female, professional and amateur, since. Hers was an example whose effectiveness is rarely matched in reality!
Off the screen, Linda Lovelace suffered appalling sexual and physical abuse at the hands of her husband who forced her into carrying out acts of humiliation way beyond appearing in Deep Throat. Lovelace may be a worthy and interesting biopic, but it’s no Boogie Nights. While both films captured the look and feel of porn’s “glory days”, Boogie Nights was funnier, sadder, better acted and just generally slicker. That’s not a criticism of Lovelace, far from it, but Boogie Nights will stand the test of time while Lovelace tests any remaining porn film preconceptions about the supposed glamour of the porn industry.
