Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Oliver Stone

Writers (WGA):

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

Release Date:

20 December 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | War

Tagline:

A story of innocence lost and courage found.

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Vietnam War | Vietnam | Political | Casualties | Month In Title

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 10 wins & 14 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. July 5

9:00 AM

TVLAND

Cast

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

Runtime:

145 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

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

Certification:

Spain:13 | USA:R (certificate #29975) | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) (cut) | Singapore:PG (heavily cut) | Brazil:12 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Canada:R | Chile:18 | Finland:K-14 | France:U | New Zealand:R13 (DVD rating) | Norway:15 | South Korea:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | West Germany:16 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Creekside Drive, Dallas, Texas, USA

Company:

Ixtlan Corporation

Trivia:

The entire film was shot in shades of red, white, or blue, depending on the emotional level (battle scenes are all in reddish hues, dream sequences in white, sadness in blue, etc).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Ron visits the family of the man he accidentally killed in Vietnam, the chair swing is broken. When he comes out of the house moments later, the swing is fixed.

Quotes:

Chaplain: How are you?
Ron Kovic: [weakly] Tell them - they have to operate on me. There's something wrong with me.
Chaplain: The doctors are real busy right now. There's a lot of wounded here today. No time for anything except trying to stay alive, so you got to try and stay alive, okay? You hear me? Try and stay alive.
[pause]
Chaplain: I've come to give you your last rites. Are you ready?
Ron Kovic: (weakly) Yeah.
Chaplain: I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. You brught nothing into this world, and it is certain that you will take nothing out of it. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Last Laugh '05 (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Que Voy a Hacer

A Patriot's Fall From Grace

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