Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

The biography of Ron Kovic. Paralyzed in the Vietnam war, he becomes an anti-war and pro-human rights political activist after feeling betrayed by the country he fought for.

Director:

Oliver Stone

Writers:

Ron Kovic (book), Oliver Stone (screenplay),

Stars:

Tom Cruise, Raymond J. Barry, Caroline Kava

Won 2 Oscars. Another 15 wins & 17 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Cruise	...	Ron Kovic
Raymond J. Barry	...	Mr. Kovic
Caroline Kava	...	Mrs. Kovic
Josh Evans	...	Tommy Kovic
Jamie Talisman	...	Jimmy Kovic
Anne Bobby	...	Suzanne Kovic
Samantha Larkin	...	Patty Kovic
Tom Berenger	...	Recruiting Gunnery Sgt. Hayes
Frank Whaley	...	Timmy
Jerry Levine	...	Steve Boyer
Richard Panebianco	...	Joey Walsh
Rob Camilletti	...	Tommy Finnelli
Stephen Baldwin	...	Billy Vorsovich
Michael McTighe	...	Danny Fantozzi
Richard Haus	...	Recruiting Sgt. Bowers

Storyline

The biography of Ron Kovic. Paralyzed in the Vietnam war, he becomes an anti-war and pro-human rights political activist after feeling betrayed by the country he fought for.

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Plot Keywords:

vietnam | vietnam war | causality | black panties | exposed bone | 

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Taglines:

A story of innocence lost and courage found.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | War

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

20 December 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Nacido el cuatro de julio

Filming Locations:

Milo Butterfingers - Dallas, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$14,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$70,001,698 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ixtlan

Technical Specs

Runtime:

145 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby SR (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Charlie Sheen was considered for the part of Ron Kovic.

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Goofs

When Ron and his friends walk out of Boyer's Ice Cream shop, you can see crew and equipment in the reflection on the cars.

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Quotes

Ron Kovic: People say that if you don't love America, then get the hell out. Well, I love America.

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Crazy Credits

Cast credits are sorted by location.

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Connections

References The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)

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Soundtracks

"You're a Grand Old Flag"
Written by George M. Cohan
Performed by Catalina Strings
Courtesy of Audio Book Co., Inc. c/o Celebrity Licensing
Published by George M. Cohan Music Publishing Co.

User Reviews

Absorbing Piece of Work

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.