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Born on the Fourth of July

Play trailer Poster for Born on the Fourth of July R Released Dec 20, 1989 2h 24m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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84% Tomatometer 56 Reviews 76% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
In the mid 1960s, suburban New York teenager Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise) enlists in the Marines, fulfilling what he sees as his patriotic duty. During his second tour in Vietnam, he accidentally kills a fellow soldier during a retreat and later becomes permanently paralyzed in battle. Returning home to an uncaring Veterans Administration bureaucracy and to people on both sides of the political divide who don't understand what he went through, Kovic becomes an impassioned critic of the war.
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Born on the Fourth of July

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Critics Consensus

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.

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Critics Reviews

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Pauline Kael The New Yorker Stone plays bumper cars with the camera and uses cutting to jam you into the action, and you can’t even enjoy his uncouthness, because it’s put at the service of sanctimony. Sep 12, 2023 Full Review Kevin Maher Times (UK) A score from John Williams and aggressive direction from Oliver Stone make this the pre-eminent Vietnam War movie. Jul 5, 2023 Full Review Kurt Jacobsen Chicago Reader Stone niftily strings together a batch of cuttingly effective dramatic sequences. May 12, 2022 Full Review Nick Rogers Midwest Film Journal More than one man's story, it’s a reminder of the rites of passage and disposal in a military complex built on failure and fattened pockets, of the meaningless muscle memory of carnage, of the plague war has (and will) cast on every American generation. Rated: 4/5 Jan 16, 2025 Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins It’s a taxing watch, but the themes are potent and timeless. Rated: 8/10 Aug 8, 2023 Full Review Candace Wiggins Southern Voice (Atlanta) Aided by John Williams' majestic score and Oliver Stone's taut, no-holds-barred direction, this film shows the dark side of what happened when Johnny came marching home. Rated: 4/4 May 9, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

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Marla L Born On The Fourth of July is a MUST SEE for sure. On paper with the following choices of director, star, musical score, co-stars and subject matter, you'd think it would be perfect. Well...it is. First of all, it follows the life of a real person, Ron Kovic, which in itself is very interesting and puts a face on an injured soldiers life after the war. But it all goes way beyond the obvious. It covers the complexity of the Vietnam War to the extent that it can in a 2 hour movie, with elements that are palpable for the viewer. It covers the aftermath of war and what remains, which is rarely a good thing but sometimes a necessary thing. Tom Cruise needs to be mentioned here and not sure why all reviewers aren't. Cruise was outstanding as an actor in this role. He is in every role he tackles but this one was superb. Kyra Sedgwick deserves a mention for sure as she secured her role as the love interest, Donna. The direction, music, acting, writing is a win win win win. There are a handful of movies to see on this subject and 'Born on the Fourth of July' is one of them. If you walk away after watching this without saying "Wow, that was good", then you got no blood in your veins. Watch it. Write me later. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/17/25 Full Review thiago s Filme bacaninha, o roteiro é mais ou menos, o filme tem cenas de ação boas que aconteceram na guerra e meio que salvou o filme junto com a atuação do tom cruise, mas a história é meio chata e desinteressante, o elenco é fraco e quase ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 03/16/25 Full Review Patrick Y In an era when Vietnam movies were being cranked out ever 6 months, this one is easily my favorite. Most movies immersed you in the hellscape of the war. Oliver Stone's contribution was to introduce you to the hellscape that followed back home. For some, the war never ended. I've only cried at the movies twice. Once when I was a kid watching Never ending story. This was the other. You'll know the scene..... Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/27/25 Full Review Farah R Despite Tom Cruise's phenomenal performance, Born on the Fourth of July is a bleak and profoundly depressing film. It tells the story of a Vietnam War veteran, for starters, so it's no wonder that it has a disturbing depiction of war, but the hospital scenes that followed were very uncomfortable to watch. The movie is also overly political, averting its focus from the challenges of surviving the war to the political system that started it. There's not a breath of fresh air amidst all the heartache and suffering, which leaves one feeling drained and sad. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 11/23/24 Full Review Leonard N One of the most moving, touching and illuminating war films you will see. Other films touch on different aspects of how war ruins lives and stacks up corpses. This one will break your heart. Oliver Stone at the height of his powers wrings a brilliant performance from a 26 (or so) year old Tom Cruise. Raw, real and sharply observed every step of the way. An unforgettable film. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/27/24 Full Review Olson K Watched on July 26, 2024. Good actors, good movie. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/27/24 Full Review Read all reviews
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Born on the Fourth of July

Movieclips: John Williams: 11 Incredible Themes Movieclips: John Williams: 11 Incredible Themes 27:14 Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - You Never Killed a Baby! Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - You Never Killed a Baby! 3:11 Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - Your Yankee Doodle Dandy Come Home Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - Your Yankee Doodle Dandy Come Home 3:27 Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - Thou Shall Not Kill Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - Thou Shall Not Kill 4:07 Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - Maybe We're Home Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - Maybe We're Home 2:03 Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - To Be Whole Again Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - To Be Whole Again 3:06 Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - A Painful Confession Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - A Painful Confession 1:41 Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - The Homecoming Speech Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - The Homecoming Speech 1:55 Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - Treated Like a Human Being Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - Treated Like a Human Being 3:08 Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - Ron Is Shot Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - Ron Is Shot 2:03 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis In the mid 1960s, suburban New York teenager Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise) enlists in the Marines, fulfilling what he sees as his patriotic duty. During his second tour in Vietnam, he accidentally kills a fellow soldier during a retreat and later becomes permanently paralyzed in battle. Returning home to an uncaring Veterans Administration bureaucracy and to people on both sides of the political divide who don't understand what he went through, Kovic becomes an impassioned critic of the war.
Director
Oliver Stone
Producer
A. Kitman Ho, Oliver Stone
Screenwriter
Oliver Stone, Ron Kovic
Distributor
Universal Home Entertainment, Universal Pictures, Warner Home Vídeo, MCA/Universal Pictures [us], Image Entertainment Inc.
Production Co
Ixtlan Corporation
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 20, 1989, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$68.8M
Runtime
2h 24m
Sound Mix
Surround
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