A young Tom Cruise shows impeccable talent and range in managing a complicated character--veteran Ron Kovic-- and carries viewers along on his complex journey of grief and redemption.
Kovic starts the movie as a boy so caught up in patriotism that he willingly volunteers for Vietnam.
Himself born on the 4th of July, Kovic is a small town athlete who without the war's interruption would have gone on to college and successfully built a business.
Rotary on Wednesdays. Golf games at the club.
Instead, he finds his life suddenly ground up and spit out by a war machine that first ignores his mental anguish over a wrong decision (accidental friendly fire) and repeatedly sends him back out on the line.
He later notes that he could have stayed down when first shot, but didn't. This brings up the idea that perhaps he was self-punishing that incident, even after it was well past.
Kovic goes on to protest the war, as some veterans did.
It isn't that he's less patriotic (though some vets would resent such activities) He's simply "differently patriotic"--believing that the US should stick to the principals small town life had taught him the country has.
There are two sides to patriotism, and Kovic has his.
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Besides impressive acting from Cruise, the entire cast levels up.
Add in tight editing and audio, authentic feeling costumes, excellent locations and videography
The entire film is a home run.
Kovic starts the movie as a boy so caught up in patriotism that he willingly volunteers for Vietnam.
Himself born on the 4th of July, Kovic is a small town athlete who without the war's interruption would have gone on to college and successfully built a business.
Rotary on Wednesdays. Golf games at the club.
Instead, he finds his life suddenly ground up and spit out by a war machine that first ignores his mental anguish over a wrong decision (accidental friendly fire) and repeatedly sends him back out on the line.
He later notes that he could have stayed down when first shot, but didn't. This brings up the idea that perhaps he was self-punishing that incident, even after it was well past.
Kovic goes on to protest the war, as some veterans did.
It isn't that he's less patriotic (though some vets would resent such activities) He's simply "differently patriotic"--believing that the US should stick to the principals small town life had taught him the country has.
There are two sides to patriotism, and Kovic has his.
---
Besides impressive acting from Cruise, the entire cast levels up.
Add in tight editing and audio, authentic feeling costumes, excellent locations and videography
The entire film is a home run.