Tom Cruise proves his acting chops without a doubt in Oliver Stone’s elegiac bio pic about a conservative Vietnam vet who transforms into one of its strongest anti-war activists. Ron Kovic (Cruise) is a proud patriot who you can almost envision saying “FUCK YEAH!” whenever some one says America. Leaving small town USA for ‘Nam without any reservations in his mind of the good he’s doing, Kovic soon realizes that war is fought in shades of grey, if not in complete black. Following complete paralysis from the chest down due to being shot, Kovic enters a downward spiral that tests his ability to live. Heartbreaking and uplifting, Born on the Fourth of July is one of the very best from a malcontent director who refuses to settle down.

Born on the Fourth of July
1989
dir. Oliver Stone
145 min

Part of the ongoing series: The Complete Oliver Stone