Born on the Fourth of July

Born on the Fourth of July is a 1989 war film based on the 1976 autobiography of the same name by Ron Kovic and stars Tom Cruise as Ron Kovic, a former Vietnam veteran turned anti-war activist. The film co-stars Kyra Sedgwick Raymond J. Barry, Jerry Levine, Frank Whaley with cameos by Tom Berenger as Gunnery Sgt. Hayes, Oliver Stone as a newscaster, William Baldwin, Stephen Baldwin as Billy Vorsovich and Willem Dafoe as Charlie, another paralyzed war veteran.

Plot
A young man named Ron Kovic who has dreamed of joining the Marines becomes a Marine and goes off to Vietnam and fight for his country. But, he ends up paralyzed after getting injured in a firefight and becomes an anti-Vietnam War activist.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) The story is well told from the author's perspective.
 * 2) The real Ron Kovic had a hand in making the film.
 * 3) The music by John Williams is memorable.
 * 4) This was the second film in Oliver Stone's Vietnam War movie trilogy. The first being Platoon, this being the second and the last one Heaven and Earth.
 * 5) Good acting. It could very well be Tom Cruise at his finest.
 * 6) Spectacular re-enactments of the early and present day life of Ron Kovic, the anti-War protests and combat scenes.
 * 7) Costumes that are authentic to the time periods of the 1950s, 60s and 70s.
 * 8) Good use of red, white and blue color filters.

Reception
Born on the Fourth of July was released on December 20, 1989 with positive reviews from critics and audiences. The film currently holds a 90% "Certified Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes with an average of 7.5 out of 10 and a critic consensus that reads "Led by an unforgettable performance from Tom Cruise, Born on the Fourth of July finds director Oliver Stone tackling thought-provoking subject matter with ambitious élan." Film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert gave the film a "two thumbs up". Gene Siskel awarded the film a three and a half out of four stars and stated in his review "The writing in the film seems a bit purple at times, but watching Cruise disappear into character carries the picture over its rough spots." Roger Ebert awarded the film a four out of four stars and stated in his review, "Nothing Cruise has done will prepare you for what he does in Born on the Fourth of July."

Box Office
The film opened up at #1 on its opening weekend with a gross of $8,415 in the U.S. Following that, it would later gross $70,001,698 domestically. Overall, it made $161,001,698 against its $14 million budget.

Awards and nominations
The film was nominated for two Academy Awards including Best Picture. It won only two Awards one for Best Director for Oliver Stone and for Best Film Editing.

Trivia

 * Real life Anti-Vietnam War activist Abbie Hoffman (who died in April of 1989) makes a cameo appearance in the film.
 * Singer Eagle Eye Cherry makes a cameo in the Miami Convention scene.
 * This is the second Vietnam War film that Oliver Stone made, the first being Platoon and the last being the 1993 flop Heaven and Earth.