Another score for Oliver Stone with a magnificent performance by Cruise

Rating: 8/10 (14 July 2003)

Oliver Stone, being a Vietnam vet himself, obviously has a passion for this material. The film poses some great moral questions about whether or not Vietnam was a war worth fighting. There are Vietnam vets who, 'til this day, brag about having fought in the war and feel they're 10 times more patriotic than any other American. It's interesting to see Ron Kovic's slow and steady arc from being that type of vet, who curses anyone who defies the war, to an embittered, depressed individual who questions why he joined in the first place. The film is main worth watching (though it certainly is not the only reason) for Tom Cruise's magnificent performance. I've always been appreciative of Cruise's work, but along his work in "A Few Good Men" this is one of his best performances. Though he's known as one of the most handsome actors in the industry, he's not afraid to make himself grotesque, inside and out. His Oscar nomination was very well-deserved. Willem Dafoe, another fine actor, gives a great supporting performance as a fellow paraplegic Vietnam vet who he meets on his trip to Mexico. Raymond J. Barry is great as Ron's father. Stone is a talented director, but his work can range from great to good to incredibly awful (i.e.: "Natural Born Killers). This is one of his very good films that he obviously put much passion into. The film is long, but not overlong as it never drags and is constantly compelling, with sharp writing that almost takes you a journey with Kovic through his life. The script itself is co-written by Kovic. So for all of you "film scholars" with pads and papers, just waiting to scribble down some inaccuracies, the film is written by Kovic himself! So save your barking. The problem with biopics is that, throughout the course of the film, you can't help but keep in mind that it's based on a true story and stay alert for heavy-handed dramatizations. For example, I'm pretty sure Kovic and Stone took some creative license with the scene where Kovic runs in the rain to his school prom to fetch his girl, pushing her current date away, and having a romantic dance together. But there aren't too many of those noticeably stilted dramatizations. Trust me, "Born on the Fourth of July" is definitely worth seeing!
My score: 8 (out of 10)