American Patriotism!

Rating: 9/10 (21 June 2013)

Oliver Stone's Born on the Fourth of July may be his best movie he has ever directed. This film is all about one American fighting against the injustice created by his American government in the Vietnam War. I like these kind of movies because whether or not the main characters are against their government, they still show American pride. This is a well-directed movie and is also one of Tom Cruise's finest acting roles to date.
This film is based off a true story based around a Vietnam veteran named Ron Kovic. After Kovic is paralyzed from the neck down in combat, he decides to challenge his government and tell the country his true story.
Tom Cruise is very effective as Kovic. It's hard picturing Cruise as a young man, but this is his finest role of the 80's and maybe his career. Honestly, I couldn't stand Kyra Sedgwick and that's my only complaint. She's not a great actress and really not that good-looking either.
Overall, this is a very good film about the dangers of American patriotism. I really loved how Kovic's family played a central role in the film and that makes it even more moving. The movie also boasts another great score by legendary composer, John Williams. This is not the best movie based off the Vietnam War, but it only trails The Deer Hunter and Platoon in that department. This is a solid effort by Oliver Stone and people should check this out. I rate this film 9/10.