Born On The Fourth Of July is a historical drama that truly merits the word "important."

Rating: 8/10 (27 June 2010)

Few films of the 1980s have covered so much ground with such aplomb, fewer still have packed such a punch to the heart. Born On The Fourth Of July is a biopic of Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise), an all-American boy who returned from Vietnam in a wheelchair and became a pivotal figure in the anti-war movement.
Not for the first time, director Oliver Stone risks alienating audiences with his methadology, although here his faith in his own wilder instincts looks more like bold, gutsy film-making. He draws a commanding central performance from his young lead, who stretches himself as far as Kovic's plight will allow.