A really powerful movie with a few flaws

Rating: 5/10 (24 March 1999)

This was a really good, really emotional drama that deserved more recognition. Just like what happened to Saving Private Ryan this year, Born on the Fourth of July was robbed at the Academy Awards in 1989, it just got the director award, which, by the way, was well deserved. Oliver Stone has created a movie that will never be forgotten, and in my opinion, is one of his best. My only complaints about this movie were the scenes in Mexico with Willem Dafoe and the Mexican prostitutes, those scenes were really not that necessary. Also, if you can't stand a movie 2 and a half hours about Vietnam without that many battle scenes, this movie isn't for you. Honestly, that's what I was expecting from this movie, but I thought the lack of battle scenes were for the best, because I personally think that's why I didn't like Platoon as much as this movie. This movie is probably the most realistic movie of all time when it comes to what war does to people. It doesn't just paralize some of its soldiers physically, but also emotionally. If you've ever met a Vietnam veteran you know what I am talking about.