Review of Born on the Fourth of July (1989) by Danny R — 12 Aug 2015

Oliver Stone's relentlessly realistic true-life saga of Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic, who joined the Marine Corps as a gung-ho recruit in the 1960s. During his tours in Vietnam, Kovic witnesses a fellow officer kill civilians, accidentally shoots and kills another soldier, and eventually finds himself paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life after being shot in the battlefield.

Kovic then finds himself disillusioned by the public's treatment of veterans and is abhorred by the minimal care provided to him by the government he served for so long. This brilliant film focuses less on the horrors of war and more on the post-war horrors that our veterans were forced to go through here at home.

Cruise earned his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, for his stunning tour-de-force turn as Kovic, which is the finest dramatic performance of his career. This film shows the painful and horrific ordeal of physical and mental rehabilitation which Kovic had to endure, before the entire dehumanizing experience transformed him into an anti-war activist.

Olivier Stone won an Academy Award for his meticulous direction, he also wrote the engrossing screenplay with Ron Kovic. An exquisite original score by John Williams, with awesome cinematography by Robert Richardson, and exceptional supporting performances by Willem Dafoe, Raymond J.

Barry, Carloline Kava, Krya Sedgwick, Frank Whaley, Stephen Baldwin, Tom Berenger, Michael Wincott, Wayne Knight, and Tom Sizemore. But its Tom Cruise's extraordinarily powerful heartfelt performance that totally dominates this motion picture.

An unforgettable cinematic experience that is a real eye opener. Highly Recommended.