Recently I watched for the second time. A first class depiction of the Vietnam War era. Tom Cruise starred as Ron Covic. Character developments were masterful as father, mother, friends, brothers and sisters etc. Very good job done by Oliver Stone.
238 Reviews
Reality hurts
anupamsatyasheel4 February 2007
When you see a war veteran campaigning against the very war in which he was willing to die once, you begin to have second thoughts about the intent behind the war. Many Americans went deep into this deliberation when veterans like Ron Kovic went on record questioning the wisdom behind US's offensive against Vietnam. Regardless of historical outcome of the war, the question will haunt USA forever -was the Vietnam War a noble and just cause. Your answer could be anything depending upon your political and ideological preferences, but the reality of thousands who lost their lives and limbs continues to hurt.
Oliver Stone's Born on Fourth of July - based on the true story of Ron Kovic - takes the audience through the triumph and trauma of a crusader who went from one side of the war debate to the other. Ron wanted to fight for his country and stop the evil force of communism dead in its tracks. He went to Vietnam to defend his nation but came back soon, injured and doomed to suffer further. In the inadequately equipped hospital, his dreamer instincts crashed against the harsh realities of political ambivalence, not for the first time though.
Over next eight years that are depicted in this masterpiece, the character of Ron Kovic (played by Tom Cruise with unprecedented brilliance) goes through the trauma of knowing that no one will "love him now", that even his own sibling is not on the same side of ideology, that the government had more pressing issues than taking good care of war veterans, that his countrymen did not necessarily endorse of his view point. The reality that he killed a soldier from his own army, the reality that he was the unfortunate one to butcher children and women in Vietnam, the reality that he would not be able to father a child, the reality of his realization that his government had made a wrong case for the war - it all kept gnawing at his conscience. It kept gnawing him until he opened up to speak about what was wrong about this war. Thus 'ended' the patriotic fervor of a driven person, but he continued his passion as an antiwar activist.
Born on Fourth of July may have been the story of one Ron Kovic, but there are many others whose sentiments would echo with this veteran's. At the end, there is no easy way out of this debate. War always comes with its baggage of pain, trauma and hurt. Whether Vietnam was a mistake or not - the arguments would go on forever. So would the history of people who aspired to be motivated by JFK's historical urge - Ask not what your country can do for you, See what you can do for your country - only to realize that in every war there is only one casualty - the human spirit. And this reality hurts.
Oliver Stone's Born on Fourth of July - based on the true story of Ron Kovic - takes the audience through the triumph and trauma of a crusader who went from one side of the war debate to the other. Ron wanted to fight for his country and stop the evil force of communism dead in its tracks. He went to Vietnam to defend his nation but came back soon, injured and doomed to suffer further. In the inadequately equipped hospital, his dreamer instincts crashed against the harsh realities of political ambivalence, not for the first time though.
Over next eight years that are depicted in this masterpiece, the character of Ron Kovic (played by Tom Cruise with unprecedented brilliance) goes through the trauma of knowing that no one will "love him now", that even his own sibling is not on the same side of ideology, that the government had more pressing issues than taking good care of war veterans, that his countrymen did not necessarily endorse of his view point. The reality that he killed a soldier from his own army, the reality that he was the unfortunate one to butcher children and women in Vietnam, the reality that he would not be able to father a child, the reality of his realization that his government had made a wrong case for the war - it all kept gnawing at his conscience. It kept gnawing him until he opened up to speak about what was wrong about this war. Thus 'ended' the patriotic fervor of a driven person, but he continued his passion as an antiwar activist.
Born on Fourth of July may have been the story of one Ron Kovic, but there are many others whose sentiments would echo with this veteran's. At the end, there is no easy way out of this debate. War always comes with its baggage of pain, trauma and hurt. Whether Vietnam was a mistake or not - the arguments would go on forever. So would the history of people who aspired to be motivated by JFK's historical urge - Ask not what your country can do for you, See what you can do for your country - only to realize that in every war there is only one casualty - the human spirit. And this reality hurts.
BURNED IN THE FIRE OF JULY
MadamWarden11 July 2022
A very moving anti war pic. So topical given the USA's relentless invasions of foreign lands all in the name of capitalism and at the expense of young American soldiers and defenseless, innocents in those lands.
Cruise is fabulous and I would think it would be one of his greatest performances.
A fascinating look inside middle American families and their religious fanaticism. Still so real now and, possibly, growing in an increasingly polarised country.
35 years old and still so very relevant. A disturbing but powerful watch!
Cruise is fabulous and I would think it would be one of his greatest performances.
A fascinating look inside middle American families and their religious fanaticism. Still so real now and, possibly, growing in an increasingly polarised country.
35 years old and still so very relevant. A disturbing but powerful watch!
Harrowing but breathtaking!
The Flawed Genius18 February 2002
I remember when i first watched this film I became totally absorbed in it. I had to search out songs that I heard in the move.....I had to see other Vietnam movies again.....I had to watch other Stone movies. Its a superb film. Cruise gives the best peformance he ever will in a film as Kovic.....the golden boy who comes home paralysed and confused at the way his country is reacting to Vietnam. Some of the scenes in the film are very disturbing but the ones that affected me the deepest were not any battle scenes. When Ron comes home and looks at himself as a young boy in his wrestling kit was almost unbearable to watch. Also, the scene when he is drunk in the bar and comes out of his wheelchair had me turning away from the screen. This is a true epic film and the support cast and soundtrack are also superb. 5/5 easily.
Part of Oliver Stone's Vietnam Trilogy
Hollywood_Yoda4 July 2017
Tom Cruise gives a great performance as Ron Kovic, a veteran who virtually lost everything, including his legs, fighting in Vietnam. After his return, he becomes an advocate against the war. Both Oliver Stone, the director, and Ron Kovic, the writer both served in the war.
Stone gives us a gruesome inside look into the horrors of war, including the return to civilian life after. The return for many was difficult, leading many to commit or attempt suicide. The country they came back to was changed was ungrateful (at the time) of their service, slamming them as "baby killers" and such. They came back to their fellow citizens who were against the war. Some veterans were, as well. Kovic was one.
After his return, Kovic championed for human rights and fought against the Vietnam war. Eventually, he wrote the book in which this film was based. Every day, especially July 4th, thank a veteran for their service, it wasn't always their choice to go fight. Nor, were all conscientious objectors who got out of going.
Thank you to all veterans!!
Stone gives us a gruesome inside look into the horrors of war, including the return to civilian life after. The return for many was difficult, leading many to commit or attempt suicide. The country they came back to was changed was ungrateful (at the time) of their service, slamming them as "baby killers" and such. They came back to their fellow citizens who were against the war. Some veterans were, as well. Kovic was one.
After his return, Kovic championed for human rights and fought against the Vietnam war. Eventually, he wrote the book in which this film was based. Every day, especially July 4th, thank a veteran for their service, it wasn't always their choice to go fight. Nor, were all conscientious objectors who got out of going.
Thank you to all veterans!!
Haunting and disturbing, but ultimately redemptive
DennisLittrell23 October 2003
I avoided this when it came out in 1989 having seen Coming Home (1978) and not wanting to revisit the theme of paraplegic sexual dysfunction and frustration. I also didn't want to reprise the bloody horror of our involvement in the war in Vietnam that I knew Oliver Stone was going to serve up. And Tom Cruise as Ron Kovic? I just didn't think it would work. Well, my preconceptions were wrong. First of all, for those who think that Tom Cruise is just another pretty boy (which was basically my opinion), this movie sets that mistaken notion to rest. He is nothing short of brilliant in a role that is enormously demanding--physically, mentally, artistically, and emotionally. I don't see how anybody could play that role and still be the same person. Someday in his memoirs, Tom Cruise is going to talk about being Ron Kovic as directed by Oliver Stone. And second, Stone's treatment of the sex life of Viet Vets in wheelchairs is absolutely without sentimentality or silver lining. There are no rose petals and no soft pedaling. There was no Jane Fonda, as in Coming Home, to play an angel of love. Instead the high school girl friend understandably went her own way, and love became something you bought if you could afford it. And third, Stone's depiction of America--and this movie really is about America, from the 1950s to the 1970s--from the pseudo-innocence of childhood war games and 4th of July parades down Main street USA to having your guts spilled in a foreign land and your brothers-in-arms being sent home in body bags--was as indelible as black ink on white parchment. He takes us from proud moms and patriotic homilies to the shameful neglect in our Veteran's hospitals to the bloody clashes between anti-war demonstrators and the police outside convention halls where reveling conventioneers wave flags and mouth phony slogans. I have seen most of Stone's work and as far as fidelity to authentic detail and sustained concentration, this is his best. There are a thousand details that Stone got exactly right, from Dalton Trumbo's paperback novel of a paraplegic from WW I, Johnny Got His Gun, that sat on a tray near Kovic's hospital bed, to the black medic telling him that there was a more important war going on at the same time as the Vietnam war, namely the civil rights movement, to a mother throwing her son out of the house when he no longer fulfilled her trophy case vision of what her son ought to be, to Willem DaFoe's remark about what you have to do sexually when nothing in the middle moves. Also striking were some of the scenes. In particular, the confession scene at the home of the boy Kovic accidentally shot; the Mexican brothel scene of sex/love desperation, the drunken scene at the pool hall bar and the pretty girl's face he touches, and then the drunken, hate-filled rage against his mother, and of course the savage hospital scenes--these and some others were deeply moving and likely to haunt me for many years to come. Of course, as usual, Oliver Stone's political message weighed heavily upon his artistic purpose. Straight-laced conservatives will find his portrait of America one-sided and offensive and something they'd rather forget. But I imagine that the guys who fought in Vietnam and managed to get back somehow and see this movie, will find it redemptive. Certainly to watch Ron Kovic, just an ordinary Joe who believed in his country and the sentiments of John Wayne movies and comic book heroics, go from a depressed, enraged, drug-addled waste of a human being to an enlightened, focused, articulate, and ultimately triumphant spokesman for the anti-war movement, for veterans, and the disabled was wonderful to see. As Stone reminds us, Kovic really did become the hero that his misguided mother dreamed he would be. No other Vietnam war movie haunts me like this one. There is something about coming back less than whole that is worse than not coming back at all that eats away at our consciousness. And yet in the end there is here displayed the triumph of the human will and a story about how a man might find redemption in the most deplorable of circumstances. --Dennis Littrell, author of "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!"
Nice Take on War in Vietnam
wnfwyhp22 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Born on the Fourth of July details the true story of Ron Kovic, a veteran returning to daily life after being paralyzed in the Vietnam war. The film goes through his struggle coping with his new life and how everything and everybody has been impacted by the politics surrounding the war.
Throughout the movie, we see the evolution of Kovic's thinking, as he changes from being pro-war to anti-war, after seeing how horrific everything in his life has become.
The pacing of this film is decent. There are definitely points that did not feel as important as others and definitely feels more amped up then they probably were in real life. However, it didn't feel lacklustre.
As for Tom Cruise's acting... it was alright. Tom Cruise is a great actor who has had some amazing roles where he really plays the character well. In this movie, it didn't feel the same. Considering this is still one of his earlier roles, he should be cut some slack. The main problem was there wasn't enough believable emotion when he wanted his character to seem angry or sad. Changing the tone and volume of your voice isn't enough to sell it.
The ending was alright. It definitely made Kovic look like the guy they wanted him to go for. That being brave and heroic. Although the political convention at the end should have been fleshed out a little bit better it was still a meaningful art to the story.
Overall, this was a good movie and even though it wasn't something that seemed like it could take the world by storm, it was still a good watch. I was having a bit of a tricky time deciding on the rating but in the end I give it a 7/10.
Throughout the movie, we see the evolution of Kovic's thinking, as he changes from being pro-war to anti-war, after seeing how horrific everything in his life has become.
The pacing of this film is decent. There are definitely points that did not feel as important as others and definitely feels more amped up then they probably were in real life. However, it didn't feel lacklustre.
As for Tom Cruise's acting... it was alright. Tom Cruise is a great actor who has had some amazing roles where he really plays the character well. In this movie, it didn't feel the same. Considering this is still one of his earlier roles, he should be cut some slack. The main problem was there wasn't enough believable emotion when he wanted his character to seem angry or sad. Changing the tone and volume of your voice isn't enough to sell it.
The ending was alright. It definitely made Kovic look like the guy they wanted him to go for. That being brave and heroic. Although the political convention at the end should have been fleshed out a little bit better it was still a meaningful art to the story.
Overall, this was a good movie and even though it wasn't something that seemed like it could take the world by storm, it was still a good watch. I was having a bit of a tricky time deciding on the rating but in the end I give it a 7/10.
Don't overlook the story
andrew714 February 2002
You've heard the express "can't see the forest for the trees", right? It refers to someone who gets so caught up in details, they miss the big picture. Reading other comments on IMDb regarding "Born on the Fourth of July", I think people have the opposite problem with this film. So many people seem to get caught up in talking about Vietnam, war, Nixon, America, Communism, and hippies, that they totally overlook Ron Kovic.
Ron Kovic is the center of this film. In "Platoon", war was the center, and the central character (Charlie Sheen's Chris Taylor) was merely a POV character through whose eyes we could see war. Not so in "Born on the Fourth of July". Vietnam is the setting, the context, and the backdrop. But Ron Kovic is the story.
Oliver Stone really understands a character arc. Look at Kovic's life, where it starts, where it ends. The film is the journey, how he got from A to B. It is a dramatization of a life, as opposed to an actual life, but it still rings true. It feels true. It reaches an artistic level of truth, even if some literal truths are overlooked, distorted, or rearranged. That's what Stone is trying to do. People who quibble about the facts miss the point. (This is a theme I will take up again when I review some of Stone's other films, as Stone is constantly being bashed for historical inaccuracies.) The connections from one point to the next work admirably, and the progression is completely believable, which is quite a feat for such a dramatic change of attitude (compare to "American History X", where the main character goes through a similar about face with scant motivation).
Anyway, what impresses me about this film is the honesty and respect with which Stone presents the opposing views of the film. Say what you want about Stone's political beliefs, but the argument in this film is presented in a very neutral light. It's a story about Kovic's choices, Kovic's politics, Kovic's judgments. And the anti-Vietnam beliefs he finally supports in the final act are a very natural and believable outcome of the story. This film isn't anywhere near as didactic as some people like to imagine.
The tragedy of Oliver Stone is that, because he has been so edgy, so controversial, so deliberately provocative, no one can really just sit down and, with a neutral eye, watch his films. They have become so burdened by this giant, irrelevant, political squabble. The films have been subsumed by the very issues they sought to raise. And it's a shame, with this film especially, because it is excellent.
Tom Cruise gives possibly the greatest performance of his career (I can't think of anything that tops it, though his performance in "Eyes Wide Shut", for very different reasons, is just as remarkable). The script is fantastic, taking time where it needs to take time, but not overly deliberate in its approach. It's very economical with time. It knows what each scene needs to say, and says it without any excess baggage, wasted space, or dead time. The direction is excellent, as is the editing and cinematography. The supporting cast is excellent.
But this movie would be nothing without the remarkable, heart-rending, true story of Ron Kovic. So, while we admire the technical achievement of the film, while we debate the points raised, while we enshrine or excoriate the director (as the case may be), let's not forget the story. Let's not get so fired up about Vietnam that we forget Ron Kovic. He is the heart and soul of this film.
One final note: I bristle when people call this an anti-war film. That really diminishes it, I think. It's so much more than that. It's not just saying that war is brutal, nasty, and horrific. It's saying something far more specific about a specific war, and about the effect of that war on a specific man.
Ron Kovic is the center of this film. In "Platoon", war was the center, and the central character (Charlie Sheen's Chris Taylor) was merely a POV character through whose eyes we could see war. Not so in "Born on the Fourth of July". Vietnam is the setting, the context, and the backdrop. But Ron Kovic is the story.
Oliver Stone really understands a character arc. Look at Kovic's life, where it starts, where it ends. The film is the journey, how he got from A to B. It is a dramatization of a life, as opposed to an actual life, but it still rings true. It feels true. It reaches an artistic level of truth, even if some literal truths are overlooked, distorted, or rearranged. That's what Stone is trying to do. People who quibble about the facts miss the point. (This is a theme I will take up again when I review some of Stone's other films, as Stone is constantly being bashed for historical inaccuracies.) The connections from one point to the next work admirably, and the progression is completely believable, which is quite a feat for such a dramatic change of attitude (compare to "American History X", where the main character goes through a similar about face with scant motivation).
Anyway, what impresses me about this film is the honesty and respect with which Stone presents the opposing views of the film. Say what you want about Stone's political beliefs, but the argument in this film is presented in a very neutral light. It's a story about Kovic's choices, Kovic's politics, Kovic's judgments. And the anti-Vietnam beliefs he finally supports in the final act are a very natural and believable outcome of the story. This film isn't anywhere near as didactic as some people like to imagine.
The tragedy of Oliver Stone is that, because he has been so edgy, so controversial, so deliberately provocative, no one can really just sit down and, with a neutral eye, watch his films. They have become so burdened by this giant, irrelevant, political squabble. The films have been subsumed by the very issues they sought to raise. And it's a shame, with this film especially, because it is excellent.
Tom Cruise gives possibly the greatest performance of his career (I can't think of anything that tops it, though his performance in "Eyes Wide Shut", for very different reasons, is just as remarkable). The script is fantastic, taking time where it needs to take time, but not overly deliberate in its approach. It's very economical with time. It knows what each scene needs to say, and says it without any excess baggage, wasted space, or dead time. The direction is excellent, as is the editing and cinematography. The supporting cast is excellent.
But this movie would be nothing without the remarkable, heart-rending, true story of Ron Kovic. So, while we admire the technical achievement of the film, while we debate the points raised, while we enshrine or excoriate the director (as the case may be), let's not forget the story. Let's not get so fired up about Vietnam that we forget Ron Kovic. He is the heart and soul of this film.
One final note: I bristle when people call this an anti-war film. That really diminishes it, I think. It's so much more than that. It's not just saying that war is brutal, nasty, and horrific. It's saying something far more specific about a specific war, and about the effect of that war on a specific man.
Ask what you can do for your country
nickenchuggets4 July 2022
Warning: Spoilers
If there's one movie that epitomizes the sheer feelings of frustration Vietnam veterans had to live with after coming back home, Born on the Fourth of July has to be it. In this adaptation of Ron Kovic's autobiography, Ron (played by Tom Cruise) is aspiring to become a devoted defender of America. After witnessing the horrors of what was going on in Southeast Asia, he is critically injured and forced to return to a country full of people who don't appreciate him. The disgusting lack of respect towards him and his brothers in arms makes him always feel sorry for himself, but soon, he starts to see things from the opposite perspective. The movie begins with a young Ron attending a parade on Independence Day, which is also his birthday. After going in his house, he watches President Kennedy speak on the tv and tells his parents how he wants to help uphold the values of the American way of life. He believes the most honorable way of doing this is joining the military, but for Ron, this isn't good enough. He insists on being a marine; the cream of America's military and the men who were instrumental in achieving victory over Japan during World War 2. Ron's dad knows this too well, being a veteran himself. Ron eventually enlists, but by the time he gets to Vietnam, he gets a rude awakening and finds out this conflict has none of the heroic atmosphere of his father's war. While in vietnam, Ron experiences a brutal, life changing event that sees him, along with a squad of other soldiers, accidentally gun down a large amount of vietnamese civilians. In the following chaos, Ron kills a fellow marine named Wilson by mistake. In another engagement, Ron and his platoon are ambushed by North Vietnamese forces, which results in him getting shot multiple times with AK-47 rounds, one of which shreds part of his ankle. Miraculously, he survives and is taken to a hospital back in the States, but the conditions are appalling. Ron is left to lay in his own waste for hours on end, the staff are constantly high on drugs because they're demoralized about the war, and Ron is told he'll never walk again. Ron explodes at the hospital workers, convinced they don't care about how he was paralyzed in vietnam. Sadly, he's right. Ron is released from the hospital in a wheelchair only to find an ungrateful populace calling him a baby killer and other insulting things. The fact that he was in vietnam even starts affecting his own family, who is supposed to be supportive of him. He gets confrontational with almost everybody and is still wholly convinced that what the US military is doing in vietnam is justified. Soon though, he begins to wonder if he was actually tricked by his government into going there. Ron becomes more and more involved with the anti-war movement and attends protests where people shout obscenities about how vietnam is someone else's problem. He even travels to Mexico and meets some people who avoided being drafted by hiding there. Again, Ron gets into more fights because people will always see him as disabled (or a war criminal). He pays a visit to Wilson's parents and gives them the bad news about their son. They already know Wilson is dead by now, but Ron admits he was the one who killed him. Finally, Ron and some other vietnam veterans attend a convention organized by President Nixon in the early 70s in order to tell the whole country why vietnam was ultimately a very big mistake. Having never seen this film, I was really impressed by it. Most should be aware that vietnam veterans weren't treated like the veterans of other wars upon returning to america, as many in the country saw it as unjustified and senseless slaughter. I'd have to agree with this viewpoint, but it isn't Ron's fault or the fault of thousands of other americans that they were forced to fight for something they were against. I found Ron to be a pretty relatable and also moving character. Cruise always seems to give 110% in whatever movie he stars in, and this isn't any different. He really does seem to get genuinely mad when citizens come up to him and say things like americans in vietnam died for nothing. There's not many mainstream movies out there that show how big of an issue PTSD is for former soldiers, but this is one of them, and Tom's performance does a lot to sell that. Because it's America's birthday today, I felt it was my job to see this movie in order to understand how even though there's nothing fun or glamorous about war, America is worth defending.
An underrated film
j_jamison23 November 2005
Someone once posted:
"To view this movie is an exercise of visual torture coupled with the bleed through view points of O. Stone. Some movies shouldn't be made but since this piece of garbage was, then it shouldn't be viewed. Naturally this is just my opinion and generally I am not a flamer but I see no redeemable value in this film whatsoever."
My take on Born on the Fourth of July:
As a moviegoer, I wouldn't criticize this film as simply a "piece of garbage", but yes, what the above poster had mentioned, Born on the Fourth of July is rather an "exercise of visual torture". The movie's slow, there are grotesque scenes, violence, profanities, etc.
This film tells the true story of Ron Kovic, a Vietnam-war veteran's tortuous life after the war, and what we see here is basically the aftermath of how the Vietnam War has transformed him(mentally, physically, emotionally), shaped his attitudes of war, affected his self-esteem, and so on.
However, in my opinion, for the above poster to "see no redeemable value in this film whatsoever", is a pitiful remark of one's unfamiliarity with facts and unawareness about history.
Prior to Platoon, Oliver Stone may not have done a great job directing this movie. But Born on the Fourth of July is THE kind of film that had to be made for the story had to be told - what the Vietnam War did to people, in this case the main protagonist, Ron Kovic, was devastating. The wounded or suffered were innumerable. Thousands and thousands of Vietnam-war veterans were permanently scarred, physically and psychologically, and they found it difficult to return to civilian society, while Ron Kovic was just one of many who were guilt-ridden about their role in the war, paralyzed, and suffered from post traumatic stress disorder.
In all, contrary to what the above "someone" mentioned, this film DOES have a redeemable value, for it tells an American tragedy through the perspective of Ron Kovic.
"To view this movie is an exercise of visual torture coupled with the bleed through view points of O. Stone. Some movies shouldn't be made but since this piece of garbage was, then it shouldn't be viewed. Naturally this is just my opinion and generally I am not a flamer but I see no redeemable value in this film whatsoever."
My take on Born on the Fourth of July:
As a moviegoer, I wouldn't criticize this film as simply a "piece of garbage", but yes, what the above poster had mentioned, Born on the Fourth of July is rather an "exercise of visual torture". The movie's slow, there are grotesque scenes, violence, profanities, etc.
This film tells the true story of Ron Kovic, a Vietnam-war veteran's tortuous life after the war, and what we see here is basically the aftermath of how the Vietnam War has transformed him(mentally, physically, emotionally), shaped his attitudes of war, affected his self-esteem, and so on.
However, in my opinion, for the above poster to "see no redeemable value in this film whatsoever", is a pitiful remark of one's unfamiliarity with facts and unawareness about history.
Prior to Platoon, Oliver Stone may not have done a great job directing this movie. But Born on the Fourth of July is THE kind of film that had to be made for the story had to be told - what the Vietnam War did to people, in this case the main protagonist, Ron Kovic, was devastating. The wounded or suffered were innumerable. Thousands and thousands of Vietnam-war veterans were permanently scarred, physically and psychologically, and they found it difficult to return to civilian society, while Ron Kovic was just one of many who were guilt-ridden about their role in the war, paralyzed, and suffered from post traumatic stress disorder.
In all, contrary to what the above "someone" mentioned, this film DOES have a redeemable value, for it tells an American tragedy through the perspective of Ron Kovic.
Absorbing Piece of Work
ReelCheese13 August 2006
Let's start with the good news. "Born on the Fourth of July" is an absorbing piece of work, based on a true story, about Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise), a gung-ho Marine-turned-war-protester. We first meet Kovic as an all-American boy as strong in his faith as he is in his will to succeed. After high school he proudly joins the Marines, hoping he'll be shipped to Vietnam to stop the spread of communism. But the barbarities of war, including civilian casualties, friendly fire and a paralyzing bullet through the chest, gradually turn him against the conflict. Director Oliver Stone's method of telling Kovic's story over a period of several years is highly effective and convincing. Cruise is at his best as Kovic, portraying a wide range of emotions and developing apathy with the viewer. The audience feels what he feels, from confusion on the battlefield to the terror of being paralyzed from the waist down.
Now for the bad news. The picture is overly political, with Stone once again (and unnecessarily) casting Republicans as the bad guys and Democrats as the good guys (seemingly ignoring that the Dems initially sent the troops to 'Nam). The film also takes a while to build up steam, and the all-American life of the pre-Marine Kovic seems a little too perfect to be believable. Obviously a story such as this requires adequate screen time, but the 145 minutes is slightly drawn out, particularly toward the end. And although one of its central themes is the opposition to the war that greeted returning vets, the genesis and rationale of that opposition are not adequately explored.
As a whole, however, "Born of the Fourth of July" is recommended. Kovic's biography and Stone's masterful storytelling are a perfect match. It's not your typical war movie. In fact, it's not your typical movie, period.
Now for the bad news. The picture is overly political, with Stone once again (and unnecessarily) casting Republicans as the bad guys and Democrats as the good guys (seemingly ignoring that the Dems initially sent the troops to 'Nam). The film also takes a while to build up steam, and the all-American life of the pre-Marine Kovic seems a little too perfect to be believable. Obviously a story such as this requires adequate screen time, but the 145 minutes is slightly drawn out, particularly toward the end. And although one of its central themes is the opposition to the war that greeted returning vets, the genesis and rationale of that opposition are not adequately explored.
As a whole, however, "Born of the Fourth of July" is recommended. Kovic's biography and Stone's masterful storytelling are a perfect match. It's not your typical war movie. In fact, it's not your typical movie, period.
Strange Watching This In The Summer Of 2004
Theo Robertson8 August 2004
On the first of August 2004 BBC 2 showed two movies featuring characters from the US Marine Corp , the first one being THE SANDS OF IWO JIMA and the second being BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY - Talk about contrasts ! Unlike the John Wayne flag waver BORN ON THE FORTH OF JULY is an entirely different type of movie , it's pro soldier but very anti-war , it's graphic , disturbing , foul mouthed , unsubtle but ever so slightly uplifting at the end
Despite being made in 1989 and despite first seeing it in 1993 I can't help notice that this movie is more relevant today than it was in the 1990s . Whatever the rights and wrongs of the American led invasion of Iraq it saddens me to see coalition troops coming home in body bags , worse it saddens me more to see young servicemen return from the Middle East missing limbs , maimed for life with psychological and physical wounds that will never heal . Better to fall quickly in battle than suffer a handicap that will last 40 or 50 years is my meaningless abstract opinion on the matter , and Ron Kovic's and thousands like him injuries will never heal , a point made very well .
I also couldn't help noticing there's an election going on for US president with the democrat candidate making a big song and dance number about his service in Vietnam . Is it just me or does anyone else think the democrats should have gone for Ron Kovic ? No one can question Kovic's patriotism unlike Kerry , no one can question Kovic's courage unlike Kerry's and no one can question Kovic's supposed injuries unlike Kerry's . Okay Kerry has three purple hearts against Kovic's one but Kerry can still run for the White House while Kovic will never be able to walk which shows that the purple heart is the most unfair military decoration ever invented and should be scrapped
As for the rest of the movie Tom Cruise is an absolute revelation as Kovic , I've criticised him before notably in VANILLA SKY as an actor unable to put enough anger in to a performance but as a sometimes bitter man Cruise is superb here . Stone's direction is also good though it's by no means his best work ( That would be PLATOON ) and the story isn't always as focused as it should be but with the exception of JFK it's better than any of the over directed nonsense he's made since
Seven out of ten
Despite being made in 1989 and despite first seeing it in 1993 I can't help notice that this movie is more relevant today than it was in the 1990s . Whatever the rights and wrongs of the American led invasion of Iraq it saddens me to see coalition troops coming home in body bags , worse it saddens me more to see young servicemen return from the Middle East missing limbs , maimed for life with psychological and physical wounds that will never heal . Better to fall quickly in battle than suffer a handicap that will last 40 or 50 years is my meaningless abstract opinion on the matter , and Ron Kovic's and thousands like him injuries will never heal , a point made very well .
I also couldn't help noticing there's an election going on for US president with the democrat candidate making a big song and dance number about his service in Vietnam . Is it just me or does anyone else think the democrats should have gone for Ron Kovic ? No one can question Kovic's patriotism unlike Kerry , no one can question Kovic's courage unlike Kerry's and no one can question Kovic's supposed injuries unlike Kerry's . Okay Kerry has three purple hearts against Kovic's one but Kerry can still run for the White House while Kovic will never be able to walk which shows that the purple heart is the most unfair military decoration ever invented and should be scrapped
As for the rest of the movie Tom Cruise is an absolute revelation as Kovic , I've criticised him before notably in VANILLA SKY as an actor unable to put enough anger in to a performance but as a sometimes bitter man Cruise is superb here . Stone's direction is also good though it's by no means his best work ( That would be PLATOON ) and the story isn't always as focused as it should be but with the exception of JFK it's better than any of the over directed nonsense he's made since
Seven out of ten
The Oliver Stone and Tom Cruise Show
tfrizzell26 July 2000
"Born on the Fourth of July" is a film based on the real-life experiences of Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise in an Oscar-nominated role). As a young man he feels that Vietnam is just another battleground for the United States. Even after he returns home paralyzed from the waist down, he still feels that Vietnam is important and that if you do not support the fighting then you should leave America. However, he has a change of heart and becomes an anti-war activist who realizes that one gets nothing out of combat but heartache and sorrow. Oliver Stone's screenplay is pretty strong, but it is his unrelenting direction that makes the material work throughout. Tom Cruise established himself as a high-class actor and the film stays above water because of that fact. The lack of character support does impede the progress of the film though. Willem Dafoe, Tom Berenger, and Kyra Sedgwick make somewhat token appearances and the impact of their screen-time is all minimal. Cruise's character dominates the film. This is both the film's strong point and weak point. All in all a strong film, but could have been so much more. 4 out of 5 stars.
I won't say 'excellent', more a sad indictment of the Vietnam War
tonypeacock-125 May 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Oliver Stone directed film about the interesting life of Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic.
I say interesting, Kovic (excellently portrayed by Tom Cruise) becomes a confident, athletic, top of the PE class student to a crippled, wheelchair bound anti-war protester in a few years haunted by his own experiences in the U.S. war that became a noose around the country's neck, the Vietnam War.
Director Stone seems to have cornered the Vietnam War film market, he is a veteran himself so deserves the accolade.
Kovic becomes wounded, nearly dying in action for the Marines. Back home he along with other wounded in action troops are treat awfully in rehabilitation hospitals and a medic slips about cutbacks. The conditions are awful. Kovic goes home to his bible bashing parents but soon spirals into a life of drink and paralised sexual experiences in Mexico.
Still retaining some pride at his and his country's 'sacrifice' in action despite the growing anti-war resentment he faces by hippy protesters and alike.
The last straw is being physically removed from the 1972 Republican 'Dick' Nixon convention. He is redeemed by being made a welcome addition to the '76 Democratic convention.
The staunchly proud of his nation and its military intervention in the Vietnam War now being staunchly opposed to it.
His own experiences through the film showing why his ideals may have changed so much. At times harrowing, but nevertheless an engaging 145 minute or so experience. Stone, like his earlier Vietnam War film, Platoon has brought an excellent film to the public.
As a sidenote. The first Tom Cruise film I have seen in his career up to 1989 (I have yet to review Rain Man) that shows his acting abilities to the full. Also, a Spielberg like musical score from John Williams.
I say interesting, Kovic (excellently portrayed by Tom Cruise) becomes a confident, athletic, top of the PE class student to a crippled, wheelchair bound anti-war protester in a few years haunted by his own experiences in the U.S. war that became a noose around the country's neck, the Vietnam War.
Director Stone seems to have cornered the Vietnam War film market, he is a veteran himself so deserves the accolade.
Kovic becomes wounded, nearly dying in action for the Marines. Back home he along with other wounded in action troops are treat awfully in rehabilitation hospitals and a medic slips about cutbacks. The conditions are awful. Kovic goes home to his bible bashing parents but soon spirals into a life of drink and paralised sexual experiences in Mexico.
Still retaining some pride at his and his country's 'sacrifice' in action despite the growing anti-war resentment he faces by hippy protesters and alike.
The last straw is being physically removed from the 1972 Republican 'Dick' Nixon convention. He is redeemed by being made a welcome addition to the '76 Democratic convention.
The staunchly proud of his nation and its military intervention in the Vietnam War now being staunchly opposed to it.
His own experiences through the film showing why his ideals may have changed so much. At times harrowing, but nevertheless an engaging 145 minute or so experience. Stone, like his earlier Vietnam War film, Platoon has brought an excellent film to the public.
As a sidenote. The first Tom Cruise film I have seen in his career up to 1989 (I have yet to review Rain Man) that shows his acting abilities to the full. Also, a Spielberg like musical score from John Williams.
"You can take your Vietnam and shove it up your ass" Stone's 2nd best film to date
Quinoa198420 November 2001
Oliver Stone's Born on the Fourth of July to me is better than Platoon, or at least more psychologically moving and cinematically compelling. While Platoon, Stone's totally personal account of the Vietnam war is quite accurate and superb in many ways, this film is better if only because it's not Stone's story. He takes the tale of Ron Kovic (who wrote the book with the same name as the film and scripted by him and Stone) and turns it into a blisteringly awesome and ultimately harrowing picture that has performances, scenes and direction that top Platoon (maybe it's a sign that practice makes perfect)
Anyway, the tale centers on Ron Kovic (played to a utter T by Tom Cruise) good old-boy-type of American kid who decides he wants to fight for his country in the Vietnam war even if he has to die for his country. He fights, witnesses horror and makes a tragic mistake and comes back home a crippled from the waist down veteran, who has to endure the emotional and physical pain of just being a veteran of Vietnam in a country where they are put down more than revered. All this, and more (including one of the most volcanic scenes I have ever seen between Cruise and Dafoe on a Mexico road) lead him to become a anti-war activist.
In making the big theme of the picture Kovic and his feeling on the war, Stone depicts his journey excellently by showing his desire to be in it, his confusion afterwards, his eventual hatred and then placement in being against the war all the while still being a patriot. Not only does it work as a saga/war movie, but also as a 180 degree change tale. Must, must see for all Stone fans and for anybody who wants to see what Cruise can actually do with proper direction and script.
Anyway, the tale centers on Ron Kovic (played to a utter T by Tom Cruise) good old-boy-type of American kid who decides he wants to fight for his country in the Vietnam war even if he has to die for his country. He fights, witnesses horror and makes a tragic mistake and comes back home a crippled from the waist down veteran, who has to endure the emotional and physical pain of just being a veteran of Vietnam in a country where they are put down more than revered. All this, and more (including one of the most volcanic scenes I have ever seen between Cruise and Dafoe on a Mexico road) lead him to become a anti-war activist.
In making the big theme of the picture Kovic and his feeling on the war, Stone depicts his journey excellently by showing his desire to be in it, his confusion afterwards, his eventual hatred and then placement in being against the war all the while still being a patriot. Not only does it work as a saga/war movie, but also as a 180 degree change tale. Must, must see for all Stone fans and for anybody who wants to see what Cruise can actually do with proper direction and script.
It's only Cruise that is good.
Chuck-14917 September 1999
I understand that Oliver Stnoe participated in the Vietnam war and hated the horrors he had to live and he demonstrated very well in "Platoon" but he didn't a very good job with "Born on the 4th of July". I think what Stone tried to do with this movie was take a few of the same general ideas he used in "Platoon" and put them in some different circumstances. Only he missed with this one. There are some scenes that could have been cut out and it wouldn't have made any difference.
Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise) is determined to become a marine and go to Vietnam. He even says that if he has to die there, well then so be it. But then, we see what he has to live and see in Vietnam. One afternoon, as the sun goes down, his platoon is attacked by the Vietnamese. Kovic takes cover behind a sand dune when all of a sudden, somebody pops up on the dune. Not hesitating for a second, Kovic fires his riffle. However, after the gunfight ceases a few minutes later, Kovic realizes that the man he has killed was one of the men in his platoon.
Kovic can't get over this and the next day, he is shot. When he wakes up, he finds himself in the hospital and later learns that he will never be able to walk again and that his hopes of being able to have children are nill. But Ron is determined to walk again. And so he tries and he tries until he falls down the bone of his leg pops out. All his hopes suddenly just go to pieces.
So Ron returns to his hometown and after having had a fit with his younger brother who claims the stupidity of the war, Ron starts to realize that his brother is probably right and that the war was useless and stupid and so he takes part in all the anti-war movements. But Ron changes a lot and finally he goes to Mexico where he finds ex-soldiers and prostitutes. The rest that follows his trip to Mexico is the reconstitution of the life he lost at war.
The movie drags a lot at many times and there a few scenes that I would even consider boring and pointless. Tom Cruise's performance is the best part of this movie and probably should have won an Oscar for it (although I haven't seen "My left foot" yet). Stone tries to show once again the image of young men losing their innocence at war but did a much better job at it in "Platoon". So as you might have guessed, I didn't like the movie that much. If you've got "Platoon" and "Born on the 4th of July" and you don't know which one to watch, you should definitely watch "Platoon".
Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise) is determined to become a marine and go to Vietnam. He even says that if he has to die there, well then so be it. But then, we see what he has to live and see in Vietnam. One afternoon, as the sun goes down, his platoon is attacked by the Vietnamese. Kovic takes cover behind a sand dune when all of a sudden, somebody pops up on the dune. Not hesitating for a second, Kovic fires his riffle. However, after the gunfight ceases a few minutes later, Kovic realizes that the man he has killed was one of the men in his platoon.
Kovic can't get over this and the next day, he is shot. When he wakes up, he finds himself in the hospital and later learns that he will never be able to walk again and that his hopes of being able to have children are nill. But Ron is determined to walk again. And so he tries and he tries until he falls down the bone of his leg pops out. All his hopes suddenly just go to pieces.
So Ron returns to his hometown and after having had a fit with his younger brother who claims the stupidity of the war, Ron starts to realize that his brother is probably right and that the war was useless and stupid and so he takes part in all the anti-war movements. But Ron changes a lot and finally he goes to Mexico where he finds ex-soldiers and prostitutes. The rest that follows his trip to Mexico is the reconstitution of the life he lost at war.
The movie drags a lot at many times and there a few scenes that I would even consider boring and pointless. Tom Cruise's performance is the best part of this movie and probably should have won an Oscar for it (although I haven't seen "My left foot" yet). Stone tries to show once again the image of young men losing their innocence at war but did a much better job at it in "Platoon". So as you might have guessed, I didn't like the movie that much. If you've got "Platoon" and "Born on the 4th of July" and you don't know which one to watch, you should definitely watch "Platoon".
A Patriot's Fall From Grace
comix-man23 June 2002
What defines a great film? I believe that for a movie to be great, it should move you. It should make you think. It should make you reconsider your views and outlooks. It should make you take a closer look at its subject matter. It should draw attention to itself. Above all, you should gain some amount of enjoyment from a great film. I believe that BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY was a great film. I say this because, whether or not you agree with Ron Kovic's message, and although Oliver Stone almost ruined it with his attempts to personalize reality, the movie still made people stop and look. It literally defined the Vietnam War for a generation of Tom Cruise fans, and made many more aware of what the vets went through. The cinematography, score and fabulous acting made it a pleasure for many people to watch, if only to see how Cruise would deliver his next line.
The film grossed $70,001,698 nationwide. In 1989, when BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY was released, movie tickets cost five dollars. Therefore, over fourteen million American people went to the theater to see this movie. The number of viewers increases when you take into consideration the people who rented it on video or watched a television broadcast. It had that special something that made people think about issues that they might not have thought about before. It is lamentable that by 1989, many of the members of Generation X had paid little or no attention to the Vietnam War, even though only sixteen years had passed since the war's end. The younger generation was reminded that the war did, indeed, happen, and that the country was still being lambasted with the side effects.
The camera work was extremely effective in relaying the messages in the film. Different moods within the film were indicated by different tints in the color. Combats were filmed in red, while blue indicated sadness, and white tints where used in the dream sequences. Whether intended or not, the colors of choice also coincide with that of the American flag, which is very appropriate for the film. The film also employed a wide variety of interesting angles without becoming confusing to the viewer.
The musical score is one of the best of all time. John Williams is a genius in the music industry. His fabulous music can make a film feel the way it was intended to. He seems to simply know what sequence of notes will produce what emotions. Along with Williams' music, the score also includes some of the popular music from the time of the film's setting. For instance, AMERICAN PIE by Don McLean, MY GIRL by the Temptations, and MOONRIVER by Henry Mancini, all give the viewer who remembers the music a sense of nostalgia, taking them back to those years.
Two words sum up why the movie got the attention it did: Tom Cruise. Many critics were skeptical whether or not the pretty boy of RISKY BUSINESS and TOP GUN fame had what it took to portray a real life Vietnam veteran and make the audience believe he was that person. Fans crowded into the theaters to watch Cruise's handsome face (which was not so attractive through most of the film). Critics went to watch him blow the role. But he proved himself and went above and beyond what was expected of him in one of the most moving performances I have ever seen. He literally became Ron Kovic.
Many people were affected by BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY. It had great cinematography. Its soundtrack was inspiring and beautiful, pulling out of the viewer all possible emotions. Tom Cruise's performance as Ron Kovic blew almost everyone away. In short, BORN ON THE FORTH OF JULY has what it takes to be a great film. It overcomes Stone's blatant manipulation of facts, such as the violent conflict that in the movie occurs during a republican convention, but in reality occurred during a democratic convention. Powerful and touching, it drives its point home and back again, never missing a beat.
8 out of 10 stars
The film grossed $70,001,698 nationwide. In 1989, when BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY was released, movie tickets cost five dollars. Therefore, over fourteen million American people went to the theater to see this movie. The number of viewers increases when you take into consideration the people who rented it on video or watched a television broadcast. It had that special something that made people think about issues that they might not have thought about before. It is lamentable that by 1989, many of the members of Generation X had paid little or no attention to the Vietnam War, even though only sixteen years had passed since the war's end. The younger generation was reminded that the war did, indeed, happen, and that the country was still being lambasted with the side effects.
The camera work was extremely effective in relaying the messages in the film. Different moods within the film were indicated by different tints in the color. Combats were filmed in red, while blue indicated sadness, and white tints where used in the dream sequences. Whether intended or not, the colors of choice also coincide with that of the American flag, which is very appropriate for the film. The film also employed a wide variety of interesting angles without becoming confusing to the viewer.
The musical score is one of the best of all time. John Williams is a genius in the music industry. His fabulous music can make a film feel the way it was intended to. He seems to simply know what sequence of notes will produce what emotions. Along with Williams' music, the score also includes some of the popular music from the time of the film's setting. For instance, AMERICAN PIE by Don McLean, MY GIRL by the Temptations, and MOONRIVER by Henry Mancini, all give the viewer who remembers the music a sense of nostalgia, taking them back to those years.
Two words sum up why the movie got the attention it did: Tom Cruise. Many critics were skeptical whether or not the pretty boy of RISKY BUSINESS and TOP GUN fame had what it took to portray a real life Vietnam veteran and make the audience believe he was that person. Fans crowded into the theaters to watch Cruise's handsome face (which was not so attractive through most of the film). Critics went to watch him blow the role. But he proved himself and went above and beyond what was expected of him in one of the most moving performances I have ever seen. He literally became Ron Kovic.
Many people were affected by BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY. It had great cinematography. Its soundtrack was inspiring and beautiful, pulling out of the viewer all possible emotions. Tom Cruise's performance as Ron Kovic blew almost everyone away. In short, BORN ON THE FORTH OF JULY has what it takes to be a great film. It overcomes Stone's blatant manipulation of facts, such as the violent conflict that in the movie occurs during a republican convention, but in reality occurred during a democratic convention. Powerful and touching, it drives its point home and back again, never missing a beat.
8 out of 10 stars
Born on the Fourth of July
film_riot11 April 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Oliver Stones second work on the war in Vietnam is a much more political film than its predecessor "Platoon" was. Stone is often called one of the most critical filmmakers working today, and he is often put on the left side of the political spectrum, which is something that this film confirms pretty strongly. But one thing is not to be denied: With all his critical attitude, he still is a patriot, and his films are very patriotic in a wider sense. I think "Born on the Fourth of July" is a good work, because it spends enough time establishing the characters, it helps us understand why young men are willing to risk their life in a war, for which they don't even know the reason. It's an accusation against a government who sends their citizens to a war, while telling lies about the true backgrounds (Once again history repeats itself in Iraq). In the end, I think, this movie became too much of a Hollywood success story, but nevertheless it is a very touching film with political and social commitment.
Not your average Vietnam film
singles0029 December 2005
"Born on the Fourth of July" had a certain impact of me. I first watched it at the cinema when I was 13. I didn't understand much about politics or war at the time. But it certainly struck some chord within myself. And then I watched that film a couple of times more in my "adult" life and, to me, it's one of Oliver Stone's very best. As well as Tom Cruise's induction into serious Hollywood stardom, forget "Cocktail" and "Top Gun". The way patriotism is depicted, it's veil of ignorance, god-family-and-the-flag...the way Vietnam 'vets' were betrayed, used...cannon-fodder for US politicians is fantastic. The beauty is that "Born on the Fourth of July" is not agonisingly political or in any way patronising.
Insightful, but could've been better
~AleXa~12 June 2005
Born On The Fourth Of July (1989) is more or less the biography of Ron Kovic, a Vietnam vet who eventually becomes anti-war after feeling abandoned and forgotten by the country he fought for.
The film moves along well enough, and despite the wonderful portrayal of Kovic by Tom Cruise, I did not find myself entirely drawn into the story. I understood and sympathized what he was going through, but did not feel it, and I can't help but think it's simply the result of an inadequate screenplay. Oliver Stone certainly knows how to direct the material, but I found nothing particularly spectacular. The scene with Ron and Charlie (Willem Dafoe) on the highway was pleasantly amusing. I was however moved by Ron's speech to his mother and later outraged by the abuse he took at the rally, but these moments did not arrive till near the end of the film.
VERDICT: Certainly a moving story worth seeing, but I can't help but feel it could've been better. Recommended to all, 17 and up of course.
7.0 out of 10.0
The film moves along well enough, and despite the wonderful portrayal of Kovic by Tom Cruise, I did not find myself entirely drawn into the story. I understood and sympathized what he was going through, but did not feel it, and I can't help but think it's simply the result of an inadequate screenplay. Oliver Stone certainly knows how to direct the material, but I found nothing particularly spectacular. The scene with Ron and Charlie (Willem Dafoe) on the highway was pleasantly amusing. I was however moved by Ron's speech to his mother and later outraged by the abuse he took at the rally, but these moments did not arrive till near the end of the film.
VERDICT: Certainly a moving story worth seeing, but I can't help but feel it could've been better. Recommended to all, 17 and up of course.
7.0 out of 10.0
Masterpiece-Stone, Cruise and Cast Deliver
elect_michael1 September 2021
8.5 of 10 stars. Oliver Stone delivers a Masterpiece. Stone has Directed several Masterpieces thus far during his career, and this film is on that list, a truly great piece of film cinema.
Tom Cruise stars alongside Willem Defoe and Kyra Sedgwick. Tom Cruise puts on an amazing performance that delves multiple layers into the craft that not many Actors are capable of delivering. The 'coming home drunk after the bar' scene is incredible, a truly amazing performance by Cruise that College Drama teachers have shown students on how to act with subtleties and dynamics at the same time; a scene that is a centerpiece, if I had to pick of the many great scenes in this film; and incredibly performed scene, and Stone captures it brilliantly.
Willem Defoe is a truly great Actor and he simply performs great in this film with Cruise; I'm simply seeing 2 great performers together in scenes that allow them to get wings and take off.
Kyra Sedgwick does an extremely good job and puts on a performance that simply works and is unquestionably believable, as she so often does.
The supporting cast is good throughout the film, and in a smaller but important part, Frank Whaley knocks it out of the park with an 'A+' performance.
Tom Cruise stars alongside Willem Defoe and Kyra Sedgwick. Tom Cruise puts on an amazing performance that delves multiple layers into the craft that not many Actors are capable of delivering. The 'coming home drunk after the bar' scene is incredible, a truly amazing performance by Cruise that College Drama teachers have shown students on how to act with subtleties and dynamics at the same time; a scene that is a centerpiece, if I had to pick of the many great scenes in this film; and incredibly performed scene, and Stone captures it brilliantly.
Willem Defoe is a truly great Actor and he simply performs great in this film with Cruise; I'm simply seeing 2 great performers together in scenes that allow them to get wings and take off.
Kyra Sedgwick does an extremely good job and puts on a performance that simply works and is unquestionably believable, as she so often does.
The supporting cast is good throughout the film, and in a smaller but important part, Frank Whaley knocks it out of the park with an 'A+' performance.
Aftermath of war :(
adam_traynor10 April 2021
a moving true story, put through the Oliver Stone wringer
mjneu598 November 2010
Just because Oliver Stone's heart is in the right place doesn't make this unofficial sequel to his Oscar winning 'Platoon' a good film, and in typical sledgehammer fashion he turns the moving true story of disabled, disillusioned Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic into little more than a bad soap opera. Stone co-wrote the screenplay with Kovic himself, but judging from the presentation it's clearly an Oliver Stone project: the film is visually and verbally bombastic, overwrought with clichés, dripping with sentiment, and weighed down by the director's usual battery of cosmetic effects. The combat sequences and VA hospital scenes carry moments of genuine impact, but elsewhere the film is saturated with artificial music cues, fancy camera angles, portentous slow motion effects, and more tight close-ups than the average made-for-TV movie. A measure of redemption is supplied by the high caliber acting of (surprise) Tom Cruise, but there's a limit to what even he can do: when the life of an actual person is reduced to stereotype it's difficult to stretch him back to three credible dimensions again.
An ambitious film but it doesn't pull it off despite being worth a look for Cruise alone
bob the moo23 August 2004
Having had an all-American upbringing in Long Island, Ron Kovic leaves school and decides to sign up for the marines to represent his country in Vietnam and make a difference. Having seen all manner of horrors, Ron is shot and wounded in the field and finds himself in a veterans hospital where he hopes to regain the use of his legs despite the advice of doctors. When he realises he will never walk again, it starts his mental collapse and he becomes increasing disillusioned with the country and he lost his legs for.
There is nothing I dislike more than hearing uninformed people from other countries spouting about Northern Ireland so I'll be very careful about launching into any sort of preaching I'll leave that to Stone himself. It isn't that I don't want to know more it's just that I have so much to learn about my own culture and history that who has the time for wandering off to learn about America's! Anyway, there is no need for me to get on a soapbox because this film has a darn good go at doing it by itself. The basic plot is fine and very involving, mostly because it is a real person, not just a character but it weakens its impact by playing to the simplistic side of things. For example there is no question about Ron being a clean cut, shy boy, nor is there any complexity about how badly he is treated afterwards. In some regards this is fair enough but at times I wished that Stone had not been so strong in his sense of moral outrage because it doesn't give the subject the balance and subjectivity that it deserves to be presented with.
This alone does not make it a bad film however, and it isn't ever bad just a touch heavy handed at points but it is very difficult to watch impassively and uninvolved. The film shows Kovic's collapse and gradual disillusionment really well in a way that stands for the mental and/or physical suffering of many vets who must have come back to find that the sacrifice they had made was not even supported by the vocal section of the populace. In a way, focusing on this one man makes for a story that is intimate but also has wider significance but in another way it means the film has to go into very specific areas that don't work so well. In particular I didn't think that Ron's Mexican trip worked that well and some aspects of his life were simply forgotten about (Donna?) and I wondered why they had even bothered to include them at all. Anyway, despite these comments the film still worked for me and it is an impacting story even if Oliver Stone is not the person I would have chosen to tell the story a very good director but 'non-partisan' is not a term that could ever be laid at his feet and at points this film gets a little sermonising as a result.
A big factor in this film working is a superb performance by Cruise who was still, at this point, a clean cut poster boy and not the one I would have imagined taking this role! In the first of two performances that I believe he should have won an Oscar for (the other being SA for Magnolia), Cruise is very brave and very strong in the lead, convincingly taking us from a patriotic young boy to a injured soldier to a broken man to a man trying to put all the pieces together. Credit to both Cruise and the editor that this is done convincingly and without too many big jumps in character. Outside of Cruise though, nobody is really given a great deal of material to work with and all their characters are pretty two-dimensional and fleeting. If anything the support cast's main impact is to keep bringing well known faces to the screen; these include Barry, Sedgwick, Whaley, Baldwin (times two!), Dale Dye, Berenger, LeGros, Bob Gunton, Vivica Fox, Mike Starr (and brother), Dafoe, Sizemore, Eagle Eye Cherry, Wayne Knight and John C McGinley. Few of these have much to do but it is impressive how many faces there are that have since gone on to become well-known actors in their own right (I personally was surprised to see McGinley's only contribution being pushing a wheelchair or Fox being on screen (topless) for about 3 seconds with only one line) but this actually takes away from the film more than it gives now.
Overall this is an impacting film but not a great one. The story has a few bits that don't really work and aren't delivered very well, while Stone's direction occasionally gets all preachy on us but, although the now all-star cast are not great, Cruise is superb and deals with the difficult role well.
A very ambitious film and not one that manages to get it all right but still a film that is hard to ignore even if the same subject has been done better in other films.
There is nothing I dislike more than hearing uninformed people from other countries spouting about Northern Ireland so I'll be very careful about launching into any sort of preaching I'll leave that to Stone himself. It isn't that I don't want to know more it's just that I have so much to learn about my own culture and history that who has the time for wandering off to learn about America's! Anyway, there is no need for me to get on a soapbox because this film has a darn good go at doing it by itself. The basic plot is fine and very involving, mostly because it is a real person, not just a character but it weakens its impact by playing to the simplistic side of things. For example there is no question about Ron being a clean cut, shy boy, nor is there any complexity about how badly he is treated afterwards. In some regards this is fair enough but at times I wished that Stone had not been so strong in his sense of moral outrage because it doesn't give the subject the balance and subjectivity that it deserves to be presented with.
This alone does not make it a bad film however, and it isn't ever bad just a touch heavy handed at points but it is very difficult to watch impassively and uninvolved. The film shows Kovic's collapse and gradual disillusionment really well in a way that stands for the mental and/or physical suffering of many vets who must have come back to find that the sacrifice they had made was not even supported by the vocal section of the populace. In a way, focusing on this one man makes for a story that is intimate but also has wider significance but in another way it means the film has to go into very specific areas that don't work so well. In particular I didn't think that Ron's Mexican trip worked that well and some aspects of his life were simply forgotten about (Donna?) and I wondered why they had even bothered to include them at all. Anyway, despite these comments the film still worked for me and it is an impacting story even if Oliver Stone is not the person I would have chosen to tell the story a very good director but 'non-partisan' is not a term that could ever be laid at his feet and at points this film gets a little sermonising as a result.
A big factor in this film working is a superb performance by Cruise who was still, at this point, a clean cut poster boy and not the one I would have imagined taking this role! In the first of two performances that I believe he should have won an Oscar for (the other being SA for Magnolia), Cruise is very brave and very strong in the lead, convincingly taking us from a patriotic young boy to a injured soldier to a broken man to a man trying to put all the pieces together. Credit to both Cruise and the editor that this is done convincingly and without too many big jumps in character. Outside of Cruise though, nobody is really given a great deal of material to work with and all their characters are pretty two-dimensional and fleeting. If anything the support cast's main impact is to keep bringing well known faces to the screen; these include Barry, Sedgwick, Whaley, Baldwin (times two!), Dale Dye, Berenger, LeGros, Bob Gunton, Vivica Fox, Mike Starr (and brother), Dafoe, Sizemore, Eagle Eye Cherry, Wayne Knight and John C McGinley. Few of these have much to do but it is impressive how many faces there are that have since gone on to become well-known actors in their own right (I personally was surprised to see McGinley's only contribution being pushing a wheelchair or Fox being on screen (topless) for about 3 seconds with only one line) but this actually takes away from the film more than it gives now.
Overall this is an impacting film but not a great one. The story has a few bits that don't really work and aren't delivered very well, while Stone's direction occasionally gets all preachy on us but, although the now all-star cast are not great, Cruise is superb and deals with the difficult role well.
A very ambitious film and not one that manages to get it all right but still a film that is hard to ignore even if the same subject has been done better in other films.
Who ended the war?
flyinghorseart-0158714 April 2023
Nixon ended the war. Kennedy started it, LBJ escalated it and Nixon took too long to end it. They skipped over that but it was still a stunning movie and Tom Cruise deserves all the praise. Oliver Stone's maudlin soundtrack was heavy-handed but the moviemaking nearly flawless. Not surprised by Stone's omissions. They left out one of the most memorable chants of the 60s peaceniks: "Hey, hey, LBJ! How many boys did you kill today?" That would be 16,899 casualties by 1968.
The vets' experience at the VA hospital was nightmarish, the confusion of war hellish and the contradiction of a "peace movement" illuminating.
The vets' experience at the VA hospital was nightmarish, the confusion of war hellish and the contradiction of a "peace movement" illuminating.
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