Born on the Fourth of July - 1989
- Director Oliver Stone
- Product Code: NA-P00-7048-DRA-LT
- Reward Points: 1
- Availability: In Stock
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Tags: Born on the Fourth of July, Oliver Stone, 1989, vietnam war, vietnam war movie, true story veteran, based on real events, american soldier, us marine, war trauma, ptsd, post traumatic stress disorder, disabled veteran, paraplegic, war injury, wheelchair, rehabilitation, physical therapy, veteran hospital, return from war, homecoming soldier, anti war protest, anti war movement, vietnam war protest, political activism, social activism, protest movement, war criticism, disillusionment, depression, drug addiction, alcoholism, drunkenness, guilt, self pity, despair, emotional trauma, military drama, epic drama, political drama, biography drama, docudrama, coming home from war, life after war, veteran struggles, loss of faith, american society, 1960s, 1970s, 1950s, independence day, fourth of july, usa history, patriotic themes, protest march, political convention, activism speech, crying, shouting, conflict, friendship, family relationships, father son relationship, mother son relationship, hospital scenes, battlefield, friendly fire, field hospital, combat, infantry, automatic gunfire, shooting, violence, nudity, sex scene, prostitution, bar scene, nightclub, mexico, taxi, new york city, long island, small town america
Biographical drama following Ron Kovic, a patriotic young man who enlists in the Vietnam War and returns paralysed, confronting the collapse of his beliefs and the brutal reality of war while becoming an anti-war activist exposing the contradictions of the American dream.
| Work Record | |
| Original Title | Born on the Fourth of July |
| Title | Born on the Fourth of July |
| Year | 1989 |
| Direction | Oliver Stone |
| Countries of origin | United States |
| Gender | Drama, Biography, War |
| Colors | Color |
| Cast | Tom Cruise, Raymond J. Barry, Caroline Kava, Josh Evans, Seth Allen, Jamie Talisman, Sean Stone, Anne Bobby, Jenna von Oÿ, Samantha Larkin, Erika Geminder, Amanda Davis, Kevin Harvey Morse, John Getz, David Warshofsky, Jason Gedrick, Michael Compotaro, Paul Abbott, Bill Allen, William Baldwin, Claude Brooks, Michael Guess, James Le Gros, William Mapother, Christopher W. Mills, Byron Minns, Ben Wright, Markus Flanagan, R.D. Call, John Falch, Dan Furnad, Fred Geise, Greg Hackbarth, Donald Wilson, Kyra Sedgwick, Jessica Prunell, Frank Whaley, Jason Klein, Jerry Levine, Lane R. Davis, Richard Panebianco, Johnny Pinto, Rob Camilletti, J.R. Nutt, Stephen Baldwin, Philip Amelio, Michael McTighe, Cody Beard, Ryan Beadle, Harold Woloschin, Richard Grusin, Tom Berenger, Richard Haus, Mel Allen, Ed Lauter, Liz Moore, Sean McGraw, Oliver Stone, Dale Dye, Norma Moore, Stacey Moseley, Mike Miller, Ellen Pasternack, Joy Zapata, Bob Tillotson, Corkey Ford, Rocky Carroll, SaMi Chester, Chris Pedersen, Chris Walker, Willie Minor, David Herman, Bruce MacVittie, Damien Leake, David Neidorf, Paul Sanchez, Richard Lubin, Norman D. Wilson, Peter Benson, Sergio Scognamiglio, Billie Neal, Richard Poe, Bob Gunton, Vivica A. Fox, Mark Moses, Abbie Hoffman, Jake Weber, Reg E. Cathey, Edie Brickell, Keri Roebuck, Geoff Garza, Joseph P. Reidy, Willem Dafoe, Tom Sizemore, Andy Lauer, Michael Wincott, Ivan Kane, Ed Jupp Jr., Michael Sulsona, Cordelia González, Karen Newman, Begonya Plaza, Edith Diaz, Anthony Pena, Eduardo Ricaro, Holly Marie Combs, Mike Starr, Beau Starr, Rick Masters, John Del Regno, Gale Mayron, Lisa Barnes, Melinda Renna, Tony Frank, Jayne Haynes, Lili Taylor, Elbert Lewis, Peter Crombie, Kevin G. McGuire, Ken Osborne, Alan Toy, Chuck Pfeiffer, Frank Girardeau, William Wallace, Chip Moody, Eagle Eye Cherry, Brian Tarantina, Frank Cavestani, Jimmy L. Parker, William G. Knight, David Carriere, John William Galt, Jack McGee, Kristel Otney, Pamela S. Neill, Jodi Long, Michelle Hurst, John C. McGinley, Wayne Knight, Elizabeth Hoffman, Lucinda Jenney, Lorraine Morin-Torre, Annie McEnroe, Daniel Baldwin, Réal Andrews |
| Duration | 145 Min. |
| Edition Record | |
| Language | English, Portuguese |
| Subtitle | English, Portuguese |
| Editorial Registration | |
| Film Context | Positioned within Oliver Stone’s most personal and politically driven period, the film forms the second part of his Vietnam trilogy, shifting the focus from battlefield experience to the psychological and social consequences faced by returning veterans, reinforcing his politically charged cinema while establishing Tom Cruise as a major dramatic performer. |
| Historical Context | Set against the Vietnam War and the turbulent social climate of late 1960s and early 1970s America, the film reflects the rise of the anti-war movement, institutional distrust and the lasting psychological impact on veterans, representing a broader cinematic effort to reassess the conflict critically. |
| Production Trivia | The project endured a long development process as studios were initially reluctant due to its political nature, only moving forward after the success of Platoon, with Tom Cruise undergoing extensive preparation and Ron Kovic actively collaborating on the screenplay. |
| Bloopers | The film features several continuity errors and anachronisms that reveal minor inconsistencies in its historical reconstruction, such as the depiction of John F. Kennedy’s 1961 inauguration occurring under harsh winter conditions in Washington while the Kovic family home in Long Island simultaneously suggests early autumn, alongside discrepancies in props including a broken swing later shown intact and the presence of a “Morrison Hotel” poster by The Doors in a scene set prior to its 1970 release, combined with timeline inconsistencies in on-screen captions, visual errors such as the Vietcong flag appearing alternately inverted and correct during a protest, factual inconsistencies regarding a character’s age, anachronistic elements such as Reebok shoes before their introduction, sports references outside their proper timeline and costumes reflecting 1980s styles in scenes set in the 1950s, as well as dramatized portrayals of historical events that differ from documented accounts, in addition to minor technical issues including lip-sync mismatches, visible crew reflections and incorrect military insignia usage, forming a set of inaccuracies that do not undermine the narrative but reflect cinematic adaptation. |
| Director's Style | Oliver Stone’s style is defined by intense realism and strong political engagement, combining dynamic editing, expressive sound design and morally conflicted characters to challenge institutional narratives, with this film exemplifying his ability to merge personal subjectivity with broader social critique. |
| Legacy and Importance | The film is widely regarded as a key Vietnam War work, reshaping the portrayal of veterans and reinforcing cinema’s role as a medium for political and historical reflection, influencing subsequent films dealing with trauma and ideological disillusionment. |
| Technical Observations | Shot on 35mm in widescreen with stereo sound, the film employs naturalistic cinematography and lighting variations to distinguish narrative periods and emotional states, combining large-scale scenes with intimate sequences. |
| Critical Reception | The film received critical acclaim, particularly for Tom Cruise’s performance and Oliver Stone’s direction, and is regarded as one of the most powerful cinematic portrayals of the Vietnam War. |
| Note from the Editor | More than a Vietnam War narrative, Born on the Fourth of July stands as a powerful examination of the fracture between American patriotic ideals and lived reality, transforming Ron Kovic’s personal experience into a politically charged and emotionally resonant cinematic document, where Oliver Stone fuses memory, trauma and institutional critique, establishing the film as a cornerstone of post-Vietnam American cinema and an essential work for any serious collection focused on moral conflict and historical reassessment. |
| Quotes | Dialogues | “People say that if you don’t love America, then get the hell out.” |
| Cinematic Movement | New Hollywood |
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