Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

Born on the Fourth of July

• My last few films have been part of a Tom Cruise run, and somehow, he just keeps outdoing himself. I’m not watching his films in order, so I’m not really comparing performances in terms of what came before the film, but he just pulls all the stops in this, and it’s easily among his best. Just when you think you’ve seen his peak performances, there’s always another. This specific film follows Ron Kovic, who goes into the Vietnam War, comes back paralyzed, and becomes an anti-war activist. Tom channels every emotion inside of him to portray the physical, emotional, and mental hurt that this character has after the war. The film also takes a (small) look at government decisions on the Vietnam War, but largely focuses on the veteran experience and the realization of what the US involvement actually did. Not just to our own soldiers, but to others. I’m already quite radicalized when it comes to anti-war ideas, but if I wasn’t, then this film would’ve done it. Oliver Stone knows ball, and he shows everything that needs to be shown in this. I think the reason it works so well is because it’s not just a political film that focuses on protests, but it shows why there are protests. You jump into the mind of disabled veterans and really see what they have to cope with, and how the country treats them post-war. The screenplay, to me, is immaculate. As is the entire cast. Again, it’s some of Tom Cruise’s best work, and currently a top three favorite performance of his. His devotion to the role, and mind of Ron Kovic, should not be taken for granted. Every other supporting role is equally important, and there’s no one that stands out of place as being bad, or miscast. Also, peep Willem Dafoe for a couple scenes. He took what screentime he had and totally ran with it. The cinematography and visuals are a bit gritty while still being pleasant to look at. Well, maybe not “pleasant”, but still nice. The editing was very clean and smooth, especially during the action and protest scenes. Finally, the John Williams score is booming, beautiful, patriotic, and really emphasizes the point of the film. There’s nothing he can’t do. Overall, this is a deeply powerful film that gives one of the best looks at the treatment of veterans, as well as anti-war/pro-human protests, and why they’re necessary. I would recommend this to all war/drama fans. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go watch it now!