Pros: thought provoking, well developed characters
Cons: first half covers too much territory
The Bottom Line: Although sometimes painful to watch, this movie is highly recommended, especially to students of American history and fans of Oliver Stone, Tom Cruise.
BrianKoller's Full Review: Born on the Fourth of July
The problem with Oliver Stone's films, when taken as a whole, is that his need to generate passion from the viewer overrides a thoughtful interpretation of issues and events. The cynicism of Alfred Hitchcock is replaced with bitterness, the cerebral observations of Stanley Kubrick are replaced with propaganda, the subtle humor common to both directors is replaced with angst. Petty corruption is interpreted as evil; a conspiracy is assembled from stray coincidences.
Stone's exceptional abilities concern set design, period costumes and feel, and editing. It has been said that he is obsessed with the 1960s, but this may be to his advantage. If he understands that turbulent decade, he is able to re-create it in his films. The problems with his style are most evident when mere revisionist history is warped into hysteria. This was the fatal flaw of JFK (1991), and explains why Midnight Express (1978) was unintentionally comic.
Stone understands the power of emotions, but not the politics that lead to them. In Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Nixon is presented as the sinister President behind the Vietnam War. In fact, Nixon had inherited the situation from Johnson, and steadily decreased troop deployments to zero during his first term. Stone would later devote an entire feature film to Nixon, having already dealt with the other two 1960s presidents in JFK.
But if Stone is confused about who the bad guys really are, that doesn't necessarily mean that the emotions that he explores are wrong. What makes Born on the Fourth of July easily his best film is that, emotionally, he is right on target. Ron Kovic was lied to, and fooled into volunteering in Vietnam. It matters little if the war was caused by misguided fears of spreading Communism, rather than a cynical exploitation of the lives of young men to further political interests.
JFK misrepresented Jim Garrison, who would grasp at any conspiracy theory if it seemed plausible, and did not care if an innocent's life was ruined in the process. But Stone connects much better with Ron Kovic. Kovic's remorse and resentment are genuine. If Cruise's impassioned performance lapses into self-pity, this may be a true representation of what Kovic was going through at the time, rather than simply an exaggeration for dramatic effect.
Cruise is much better cast than Charlie Sheen was in Platoon (1986) or Wall Street (1987), two of Oliver Stone's more overrated films. Sheen as everyman lacks interest. We don't care if he does right, or does what's best for him. With Cruise's performance, there is no doubt left. Cruise as Kovic will always do what he feels is right (or at least deserved), even though what he is doing is often wrong. This characteristic is symptomatic of Stone's career as well; Kovic and Stone have more in common than both having served in Vietnam.
Born on the Fourth of July is a lengthy film, at nearly two and a half hours. But it has much ground to cover. We see Kovic as the All-American boy, surrounded with love and seemingly with limitless promise. But gradually, he pays the price for his naivete. His fate is compared with his cynical, selfish former classmate (Jerry Levine), who becomes an brilliant success.
Random facts: Stone gives small roles to Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger, who had played Sheen's good and bad alter egos in Platoon. Born on the Fourth of July has much in common with Coming Home (1978) and The Men (1950), which both dealt with embittered, paralyzed servicemen. Stone returned to Vietnam for a third time with his 1993 film Heaven and Earth. Tom Cruise was actually born on the fourth of July.
Cruise may be too old to be convincing as a high school student. It is odd to build up his speech at the 1976 Democratic convention, without ever showing it. Kyra Sedgwick's character disappears from the story, and we never learn whether Kovic reconciles with his parents. These concerns are not really that significant to the film, however.
Born on the Fourth of July won two Oscars, and was nominated for six others. Oliver Stone won Best Director for the second time (the first was for Platoon). The film deservedly won Best Editing. The Best Picture Oscar was lost to Driving Miss Daisy, while Cruise lost Best Actor to Daniel Day-Lewis' challenging role from My Left Foot.
Perhaps Cruise would have won Best Actor if Academy voters were aware that it would prove to be the best role of his career. He has made both good movies and blockbusters since, but they have never coincided, coming closest with Jerry Maguire. He may yet win an Oscar, but it will probably be more for his career as a whole rather than a single performance. (83/100)
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 t...More at Family Video
Tom Cruise delivers a riveting and unforgettable portrayal of Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic in Oliver Stone s Academy Award-winning masterpiece. Based on ...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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