Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

Set in the years between 1956 and 1976; Produced and released in 1989.

One of the best films made about the devastating impact of the Vietnam War on the body politic, BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY is superbly executed by director Oliver Stone, who evokes what may be Tom Cruise's best performance as Vietnam vet Ron Kovic. Before the war starts, Kovic is a normal American kid, going to school, hanging out with his friends, and bagging groceries for pocket money. But as the Vietnam conflict begins to impact the lives of everyone around him, the patriotic teenager decides to enlist. Although his father (Raymo...
Read more

nd J. Berry) is not happy with his decision, his mother (Caroline Kava) could hardly be more enthusiastic. Once in combat, Kovic becomes disillusioned with his commanding officer (John Getz) who dismisses the fact that Kovic accidentally shot one of their own men in combat. Shortly thereafter, Kovic is paralyzed from the chest down by a bullet in the spine. He must begin a lengthy and excruciatingly painful rehabilitation, which includes a period in the shockingly negligent Bronx Veteran's Hospital. He finally returns to his hometown, now a confused, embittered, and alienated man. His family is also unsettled, unsure about how to deal with this very changed person. After a dissipated spree with other disabled vets like Charlie (Willem Dafoe), Kovic begins talking to antiwar activists like Donna (Kyra Sedgwick) and starts to reevaluate his thinking. In sum, BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY is a deeply moving true account of the effects of war on its survivors.
Read less..

Set jinni.com as default synopis Visit jinni.com

The second of three films by co-writer/director Oliver Stone to explore the effects of the Vietnam War (Platoon and Heaven and Earth are the others), Born On The Fourth Of July tells the true story of Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise), a patriotic, All-American small town athlete who shocks his family by enlisting with the Marines to fight in the Vietnam War. Once he is overseas, however, Kovic's gung-ho enthusiasm turns to horror and confusion when he accidentally kills one of his own men in a firefight. His downfall is furthered by a bullet wound that leaves him paralyzed from the chest down. He returns home, spends an ap...
Read more

palling, nightmarish stint in a veterans' hospital, and follows an increasingly disillusioned and fragmented path that ultimately leaves him drunk and dissolute in Mexico. However, Kovic somehow turns himself around and pulls his life together, becoming an outspoken anti-war activist in the process. The film is long but emotionally powerful; many consider it Stone's best work and Cruise's best performance. Both were nominated for Oscars, as was the film itself, but only Stone, who co-wrote the film with Kovic from the latter's book, won for Best Director.
Read less..

Set AllMovie.com as default synopis Visit AM

True story of Ron Kovic, a Marine wounded in Vietnam, covering his life from childhood in New York, through his 1964 enlistment and tour of duty in Vietnam, to his harrowing stay at a veterans hospital in the Bronx and eventual transformation into a well-known anti-war activist.

Set MRQE.com as default synopis Visit MRQE.com

Ron Kovic werd geboren op 4 juli 1946, de Amerikaanse nationale feestdag. Hij groeide op in een patriottische familie. Op school blinkt hij uit in sport en op 18-jarige leeftijd neemt hij vrijwillig dienst bij het marinekorps, wetend dat hij als getrainde vechtjas meteen naar Vietnam zal gestuurd worden. Zijn jeugdvriendin Donna gaat naar de universiteit en neemt er actief deel aan het anti-oorlogsprotest. In Vietnam geraakt Kovic zwaar gewond door een kogel in de ruggengraat en vertellen de dokters hem dat hij nooit meer zal kunnen lopen. Ron aanvaardt het oordeel niet en oefent dwangmatig zijn onderste ledemate...
Read more

n. Maar langzaam begint Kovic zich vragen te stellen over de zin van de Vietnamese oorlog en raakt betrokken bij de veteranenbeweging die de terugtrekking van de Amerikaanse soldaten in Vietnam wil afdwingen.
Read less..

Set MovieMeter.nl as default synopis Visit MM