Born on the fourth of July

Review: Watching this film again, ironically on the Fourth of July, I was once again moved by its passion. Based on the true story of Ron Kovic and directed by Oliver Stone (a vietnam vet as well), it tells the story of a gung-ho young American whose ideals and blind patriotism come crashing down when he is paralyzed in battle. Tom Cruise (All the Right Moves, Eyes Wide Shut) is absolutely amazing in this role...you can see the frustration, rage, and most incredibly, the regret that is painted across his face. There is one scene in particular that I found devastating...Ron returns home extremely drunk and clashes with his mother, a mother who can't even stand looking at or dealing with her son anymore. There are many other great scenes: the Mexico scene in which DeFoe (Platoon, The Last Temptation of Christ) and Cruise are stranded in the desert; prostitute scene where Ron begins to break down realizing what he has lost and what he will never have; scene in which Ron returns home to his family and their reactions to his state. It's a film of shattered ideology and one of, if not the greatest, antiwar movies ever made. Review by Aaron Caldwell