Born on the Fourth of July

Rating:
Summary: I'm puzzled by
Review: the point of this movie. Based on a true story, "Born On The Fourth Of July" is ostensibly the story of a Vietnam vet's noble transformation from gung-ho marine to paralyzed, outspoken antiwar activist. The unacceptable flaw of Stone's film is his total failure to explain why his character became what he became for reasons other than mistreatment, drunkenness, guilt and desire for sex. Also, no explanation for why he is a hero for being antiwar. Yeah, yeah, war is hell. But a lack of conviction is not a thing to be lauded. There's no communication here of any intellectual justification for why Vietnam was wrong. Of course, if you are firmly convinced that Vietnam was wrong, then you will not notice this explanation missing since you do not require it to agree. For those of us who still believe that the smart thing to do was to attempt to retard the growth of Communism and that politics made the Vietnam conflict the mess that it was, you will find Kovic's character lacking in fortitude. Stone does everyone a historical disservice by letting his own personal politics interfere with his ability to tell a story. A good director, though...its hard to admit that I like his movies most of the time despite his lousy ideas. Excellent acting by Cruise.

Rating:
Summary: Unforgettable
Review: This is one of the best movies that Tom Cruise has acted in. The scenes in the hospital and the arguement with his mother in the middle of the night are very well acted and emotional. This is a very disturbing movie to watch to say the least and very emotional. With the exception of "A Few Good Men" this movie is Tom Cruises' best work.

Rating:
Summary: Stone's masterpiece
Review: This is a great towering and emotionally devastating film that has something important to say not only about the Viet Nam war but also about war in general and even the war protesters. In fact it's easy to take this movie as more of an anti-war statement than as a specific slap at Viet Nam.

From the beginning we see veterans marred and disabled cringing at the pop of a gun. Then later we see Tom Cruise actually wondering if anything was worth the loss of his body. Stone makes it clear that while the men that fight wars are heroes, war is anything but heroic: At times it's an ugly necessity. The crime of Viet Nam is that it wasn't a necessity. Unlike Stone, I do believe the US got into the war with the best intentions but the war did not really fit the definition of a "must fight".

The script challenges everyone. The hypocrisy of the United States government is exposed by the hospital scenes. They ask us to honor the Vets yet treat them like garbage. At the University Stone goes even further showing a government that purports to fight for freedom a world away yet shuts down expression here. The apathy of the American public is also taken to task. No one treats Kovic or his fellow vets with any sort of compassion. Even Kovic's girlfriend- the war protester- only wants to use him for her own ends. Fighting the war is just a cause to her and she's forgotten the reasons for the battle.

Stone makes all these points in the most artful way possible. This a technically dazzling piece of work beautifully photographed, (Stone's judicious of slow motion gives the film an almost lyrical power.) edited, scored (by John Williams) and acted by almost everyone in the cast. Cruise of course is the standout. He doesn't always give the most technically accomplished performance, hurrying a few too many of his lines, but he makes up for it with an almost brutal emotionalism. By the time he and Stone finish with you you're spent inside.

Like all Stone films this one has flaws. I never understood the scene where Kovic meets with the family of the boy he killed. It's not in the book and lessens our sympathy for the Kovic character. We understand why Kovic does it psychologically but it makes him seem selfish. The family would have been better off not knowing what happened. Also there are Stone's inaccuracies and anachronisms. Though they are relatively few and most are minor, there are few that undercut the director's credibility. The chief villain here is the scene at the Republican Convention. Extracted from reality it makes a powerful statement about Kovic, the war and the government's attitude towards the veterans. Knowing it didn't happen dampens some of that power. But if you can pull yourself away from the history books even this works since many veterans probably faced that kind of treatment from those that were supposed to be honor them though not at the Republican Convention.

Finally, I worry about Stone's penchant to topple over into propaganda. Kovic's speech at the convention, while it subtly hits on the concept of war and this war in particular, makes you wonder if Stone's sees Kovics journey as simply a trip to the right side of the argument: Stone's side. But this is not a treatise this is a movie and where movies count emotional power, provocative ideas and riveting entertainment this one hits the mark.

Look for Seinfeld's Wayne Knight, Charmed's Holly Marie Combs, Stephen Baldwin and the guy who played Joey on Roc all in small roles.

Rating:
Summary: Viet Nam was a mistake!
Review: Since I've been there and done that, I can relate to all the emotion in this film. I joined the Marines immediately after High School, and I spent thirteen months in Viet Nam. However, I do not agree with the theme line that Marines are a bunch of baby killers. I had to kill, but I never killed a single civilian, nor did I witness such an act. It's understandable that each individual had a different experience, but I cannot accept such a point of view. The only act of disgusting behavior that I heard of was a fellow Marine that cutoff the ears of dead Viet Cong. This kind of conduct was quickly stopped by our Battalion Commander. Enough said! Tom Cruise does an excellent job in developing the character and moody disposition of this wheelchair victim. The closure of the movie is great, since I came to detest the war, too, many years after the fact. This movie hits the bottom line, that too many lost their life in a meaningless war for nothing. Actually, the war could have been won in 1967, if it had been the intention of the military/civilian brass to win the war. We were scheduled to invade North Viet Nam that summer, but it was all dropped in late July.

Rating:
Summary: Moving, Supurbly Acted
Review: I hate Oliver Stone. I really do. I think he is one of the most over-hyped people around. I just like Platoon and this movie, this being one of my favourite 10 movies of the 80's.

We all know that Stone is a controversial person. He certainly is here, and in a grand, epic manner.

Tom Cruise gives off a magnificent preformance. It certainly is hard to believe that he was snubbed at the Oscars for this. But I guess it's normal- the oscars don't always measure talent.

Other notable appeances are from William Dafoe and Tom Berenger (Platoon connection! No, just kidding...).

This is a very good movie with a good music score by John Williams. I wish Stone could do a movie like this again.

Rating:
Summary: a real film which touches our thoughts
Review: when i watched born on the 4th of july, i thought it was much different then other movies, it showed a different side of war showing that a country did not care about a person who fought for his country. A very long film with great acting and is very worth to have on video.

Rating:
Summary: Good Acting
Review: Cruise really showed he is a legitimate actor in this one. Could have been 4 stars but Stone's pure liberal propaganda and unbelieveably false historical references take away from the intent to make this a film based on a true story...

Rating:
Summary: Powerful, earnest, and wrenching.
Review: Oliver Stone explored the effects of the Vietnam war with three movies: Platoon, Heaven and Earth, and Born on the Fourth of July. Most regard Platoon as the best of this "trilogy," although I always preferred this one. Platoon was gritty and realistic, but this was powerful and more emotionally driven. Until I saw this film, I didn't have much respect for Tom Cruise as an actor, but everything changed afterwards. Cruise goes through a number of critical changes throughout this film, from a patriotic young man to a bitter, crippled veteran, and he does it better than you could imagine.

Cruise is the young athlete Ron Kovic, an idealistic and patriotic American who joins the Marines to fight in the Vietnam War. When he gets there, his brash eagerness is diluted by horror when he accidentally kills one of his own men. The pains in his heart are compounded by a bullet wound that leaves him paralyzed from the chest down. Returning home, he steadfastly clings to his national spirit, which puts him in conflict with the populace's growing aversion to the mess in Vietnam. He winds up in Mexico as a tormented drunkard, then reforms and becomes an anti-Vietnam activist, writing the autobiographical book on which this movie is based.

This movie is tremendously powerful because of its acute historical significance, strong anti-war message, and Tom Cruise's stunning acting. The movie is sad and wrenching, but it ends with an uplifting note of someone who rises above the pain and hate to a stronger condition. This is Oliver Stone's best film, I think. I also love the score by John Williams; the movie's theme does an incredible job evoking the feelings behind some of America's most painful years.

Rating:
Summary: Best Darn Movie I have ever seen
Review: I loved the color in this movie and the superior acting. You haven't lived until you have seen Tom Cruise in Born On The Fourth Of July. There are no words to express the incredible viewing experience this movie provides.

Rating:
Summary: "Fourth" Sparkles and Fizzles
Review: "Born on the Fourth of July" is a metaphor for America's transformation from an idealistic nation to a cynical and fragmented society. And we see this transformation through the eyes of the film's tragic hero, Ron Kovic, who changes from an all-American, gung ho Marine wannabe to a cynical, embittered paralyzed Viet Nam vet.

The primary strength of this film is its ability to draw you into Kovic's world. You feel Kovic's sense of bitterness and betrayal when he comes home to find that America is now a hostile and divided nation and that veterans like him are not welcome. If anything, they're scorned for having fought in Viet Nam.

Another strength of this film is Oliver Stone's use of foreshadowing. The night before Kovic leaves for boot camp, Kovic runs through a rainstorm to be with his girl at the senior prom. As they dance, Henry Mancini's "Moon River" plays in the background and in watching this scene, one gets a sense of foreboding that this will be the last time Kovic and his girl friend will ever share such an intimate moment.

While "Born on the Fourth of July" has its merits, it also has some glaring shortcomings. Namely, it's an uneven film that requires the viewer to "fill in the blanks." Throughout the film, Stone gives the viewer an overview of Ron Kovic's life and how he changed from an idealistic high school student-athlete to a radical anti-war activist. However, the audience is forced to draw their own conclusions as to how, when and why this change occurred.

Stone also plays fast-and-loose with the truth in this film and he seems more intent on making a political statement rather than a biographical docu-drama. As other commentators have pointed out, Kovic never was a demonstrator at the 1972 Republican Convention. While this bit of fiction serves to promote Stone's political views, it's also self-defeating as it undermines the film's credibility.

"Born on the Fourth of July" is something of a revisionist film that also tends to be rather sanctimonious at times. Yet, for all its shortcomings, "Born on the Fourth of July" is a powerful, evocative film that will play with your emotions.