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Lovelace – DVD

Linda Lovelace was the star of the highest grossing porn film of all time – Deep Throat. Linda Boreman was a woman who wanted a normal life – a good husband and a kid. Lovelace tell Boreman’s story, and not Lovelace’s story.

Now in theatres, Lovelace actually tells both stories. In an unusual way of storytelling, Lovelace shows how the young and innocent Linda went from being the girl next door to the girl who would become the biggest porn star of her generation. And about halfway through the film, Lovelace rewinds the story and tells how Boreman actually saw it happen.

Linda Susan Boreman (an amazing Amanda Seyfried) lived with her parents in Florida. Her father was a retired NYC cop who worked part time as a security guard. Her mother (played by an unrecognizable Sharon Stone), as domineering as any mother could be, was very strict with Linda and always told her to  please her man. It was when Linda was 20 that she met Chuck Traynor, an owner of a bar and a very intimidating figure. Him and Linda fell in love and with increasing debt, they needed money, so Chuck videotaped Linda performing oral sex on him and showed it to a couple producers. They liked what they saw and Boreman was soon to be top billing for the movie Deep Throat. It went on to earn millions of dollars and made a star out of Boreman/Lovelace. Was she a willing participant in the film? The second half of the film says that she was not. It goes on to tell the actual story, according to Boreman (who would go on to become Linda Marchiano in 1974), the abuse she suffered at the hands of Traynor, the many times he forced her to have sex with other men for money, and how unhappy she was in the relationship (she asks her mom if she can move back home, but in this poignant scene her mom says that no, she should do as he says and to obey him, probably like she did in her own marriage). This second half of Lovelace is her side of the story in that she claims that she was not responsible for acting in porn films, that she was forced to do so and humiliated by Traynor. It goes on to show her crying at times, trying to run away from Traynor, and being forced to have sex with six men. Which half of this movie are the actual version of events? This is the question that Lovelace the film does not really answer. While it appears that Lovelace actually loved being a star and being in the limelight during the Deep Throat era, perhaps a few years down the road she regretted ever getting into the porn business (after an emotional phone call with her father who says he had seen the movie).

Seyfried is the perfect actress to play Boreman/Lovelace. With her large eyes, beautiful curly hair and 1970’s looks, Seyfried perfectly embodies the life of this confused or mentally immature woman.  Peter Sarsgaard plays Traynor with fury, anger, and aggression – another domineering figure in Boreman’s life, just like her mother. Stone doesn’t get much to do as Boreman’s mother, just give hers a couple lectures and withholds any emotion. If this were a bigger part, Stone’s performance could’ve made a bigger impact. Hank Azaria and Bobby Cannavale are perfect as slick hollywood producers of Deep Throat, and Chris Noth plays the investor who finances the movie. No doubt he was picked for this role because of his role as Mr. Big in Sex and the City. Rounding out the all star case is the great Debi Mazar as Lovelace’s co-star in Deep Throat, Adam Brody as Harry Reems, Linda’s male co-star in Deep Throat, and James Franco, who, of course, plays Hugh Hefner.