Born on the Fourth of July

Oliver Stone - who appears briefly as a TV interviewer - had already focused on the Vietnam War with "Platoon", but he did an even better job with "Born on the Fourth of July". Telling the story of Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise), an all-American boy turned anti-war activist, Stone brings political issues to the screen once again. The movie specifically chronicles how Kovic grew up playing baseball and going to church (and even supported the war at first), but totally changed after he saw what his government was doing in Vietnam and lost the use of his legs. This may have been Tom Cruise's best role ever; since then, his roles have gotten kinda silly. On a side note, Stew Albert - who guided me with my bar mitzvah - knew Ron Kovic. In fact, Stew's good friend Abbie Hoffman appears in the movie.

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.