"Like it or leave it"

Rating: 10/10 (14 March 2003)

Born On The Fourth of July starts out with a young Ron Kovic being very positive about war, doing the right thing, and believing in his country. Very gradually all of his beliefs fade away once he is shot in Vietnam, and is paralyzed, having to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. He realizes all the things he's lost because he tried to be a hero, and all the emotional torment he gained because of innocent people he killed.
Born On The Fourth of July can be viewed as an anti-war film, but it's mostly about Ron Kovic's struggles dealing with a country that lied to him, being in a wheelchair, having his voice heard, and being redeemed.
This is easily Tom Cruise's best performance yet and one of the best movies dealing with the aftermath of the Vietnam war. Oliver Stone proves how great of a director he still is, even after greats like Platoon, Wall Street and Talk Radio. The musical score by John Williams is also incredible, and fits in well with the movie. It's probably one of the best scores I've ever heard.
Not everyone will love this movie as much as I do, but you can like it or leave it.
My rating: 10/10