Review of Born on the Fourth of July (1989) by Filipeneto — 27 Jul 2019

This film tells a true story: the biography and struggle of Ron Kovic, a young man who went to the Vietnam war inflated with patriotism and returned paralyzed, invalid and angry. Unlike many others, who have spent this anger and frustration in addictive ways of living, Ron has decided to tell the truth about war, and what it can do in the lives of those who pass through it. Booed and insulted, he became one of the most critical voices of US participation in Vietnam War, and one of the great activists for world peace.

The script has little to criticize. Very faithful to the autobiographical book written by Kovic himself, it simply transposes to the canvas, in full colors, what he has always described. I liked the way the film portrays Kovic's family, with all its exacerbated conservatism, the dogmatism of those who already have a life path traced from birth to death.

I confess that I don't like Tom Cruise at all, but I must admit that he is a talented actor, when he lends himself to it. Perhaps tired of movies where he was just a cute boy and a heartthrob, Cruise embarked on one of the films that established him as a serious actor to the point of earning him his first Oscar nomination. Beside him is a good supporting cast, from which I highlight especially Raymond J. Barry and Caroline Kava, in the roles of Ron's parents. But it's, in fact, Cruise who leverages the film and, through a dense and pained interpretation, impresses the audience.

Still a word to highlight, positively, the careful and detailed direction of Oliver Stone. The director left nothing to chance and was even bold in choosing Cruise as the protagonist when he could have chosen any other flashy actor. The post production and editing work, as well as all the visual and sound effects in combat and action scenes, all contributed to making this movie truly great. Personally, I'm even impressed that this movie lost the Oscar for Best Picture this year.