Born on the Fourth of July

DramaWar
Overview : Paralyzed in the Vietnam war, Ron Kovic becomes an anti-war and pro-human rights political activist after feeling betrayed by the country he fought for.
Budget : 14000000USD
language : en
Runtime : 145 min
Release Date : 1989-12-20
Imdb ID : tt0096969
Status : Released

Cast

Tom Cruise
Ron Kovic

Raymond J. Barry
Mr. Kovic

Caroline Kava
Mrs. Kovic

Kyra Sedgwick
Donna

Willem Dafoe
Charlie

Jerry Levine
Steve Boyer

Stephen Baldwin
Billy Vorsovich

Josh Evans
Tommy Kovic

Rob Camilletti
Tommy Finnelli

Vivica A. Fox
Hooker

Lili Taylor
Jamie Wilson

Tony Frank
Mr. Wilson

Holly Marie Combs
Jenny

Tom Berenger
Sergeant Hayes

Frank Whaley
Timmy

Mark Moses
Doctor

Bob Gunton
Doctor

Cordelia González
Maria Elena

Jayne Haynes
Mrs. Wilson

Anne Bobby
Suzanne Kovic

Richard Panebianco
Joey Walsh

Tom Sizemore
Vet - Villa Dulce

Michael Wincott
Vet - Villa Dulce

Mike Starr
Man #1 - Arthur's Bar

Ed Lauter
Legion Commander

Daniel Baldwin
Vet #1 - Democratic Convention

Brian Tarantina
Vet #2 - Miami Convention

Dale Dye
Infantry Colonel

Norma Moore
Massapequa Mom

Stacey Moseley
Young Donna's Friend

Oliver Stone
News Reporter

Sean Stone
Young Jimmy Kovic

Jenna Von Oÿ
Young Suzanne Kovic

Ellen Pasternack
Neighbor

Joy Zapata
Neighbor

John Getz
Marine Major - Vietnam

David Warshofsky
Lieutenant - Vietnam

Jason Gedrick
Martinez - Vietnam

Bill Allen
Platoon - Vietnam

William Baldwin
Platoon - Vietnam

Claude Brooks
Platoon - Vietnam

James LeGros
Platoon - Vietnam

William Mapother
Platoon - Vietnam

Byron Minns
Platoon - Vietnam

Markus Flanagan
Doctor - Vietnam

R. D. Call
Chaplain - Vietnam

Corkey Ford
Marvin - VA Hospital

Rocky Carroll
Willie - VA Hospital

Chris Pedersen
Aide #3 - VA Hospital

David Herman
Patient - VA Hospital

Bruce MacVittie
Patient - VA Hospital

Damien Leake
Patient - VA Hospital

David Neidorf
Patient - VA Hospital

Paul Sanchez
Patient - VA Hospital

Billie Neal
Nurse Washington - VA Hospital

Richard Poe
Frankie - VA Hospital

Jake Weber
Donna's Boyfriend - Syracuse, NY

Reg E. Cathey
Speaker - Syracuse, NY

Edie Brickell
Folk Singer - Syracuse, NY

Joseph P. Reidy
Student Organizer - Syracuse, NY

Beau Starr
Man #2 - Arthur's Bar

Rick Masters
Man #3 - Arthur's Bar

John Del Regno
Friend #1 - Arthur's Bar

Melinda Renna
Barmaid - Arthur's Bar

Andrew Lauer
Vet - Villa Dulce

Ivan Kane
Vet - Villa Dulce

J.R. Nutt
Young Tommy

Begonya Plaza
Charlie's Hooker - Villa Dulce

Edith Diaz
Madame - Villa Dulce

Anthony Pena
Bartender - Villa Dulce

Peter Crombie
Undercover Vet - Miami Convention

Ken Osborne
Paraplegic #2 - Miami Convention

Alan Toy
Paraplegic #3 - Miami Convention

Chuck Pfeiffer
Secret Service Agent - Miami Convention

William Wallace
Agent #2 - Miami Convention

Eagle-Eye Cherry
Vet #1 - Miami Convention

Frank Cavestani
Vet #3 - Miami Convention

John William Galt
Fat Republican - Miami Convention

Jack McGee
Democratic Delegate - Democratic Convention

Jodi Long
Reporter #1 - Democratic Conventon

Michelle Hurst
Reporter #2 - Democratic Conventon

John C. McGinley
Official #1 - Democratic Convention, Pushing Wheelchair

Wayne Knight
Official #2 - Democratic Convention

Elizabeth Hoffman
Passerby #1 - Democratic Convention

Lucinda Jenney
Passerby #2 - Democratic Convention

Annie McEnroe
Passerby #4 - Democratic Convention

Réal Andrews
Vet #2 - Democratic Convention

Theresa Bell
Democratic Conventioner (uncredited)

Dean Denton
Marine Recruiter (uncredited)

Ron Kovic
Parade Veteran (uncredited)

Delia Sheppard
Protesting War Widow (uncredited)

Nick Nicholson
Soldier (uncredited)

Henry Strzalkowski
(uncredited)

Norman D. Wilson
Veteran (uncredited)

Frank Girardeau
Agent #1 - Miami Convention

Donald Wilson
Corpsman - Vietnam

Craig T. Nelson
Marine Officer

Jessica Prunell
Young Donna

Michael Guess
Platoon

Gale Mayron
Friend #2

Bryan Larkin
young Ron

Seth Allen
Young Tommy

Erika Geminder
Young Patty

Samantha Larkin
Patty Kovic

Ben Wright
Platoon

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Reviews

kevin2019
"Born on the Fourth of July" is a powerful, worthwhile, and highly recommended film which shows the real social and familial challenges Ron Kovic faced when struggling to come to terms with the devastating after effects of war and the reality of how the contentious conflict changed him as a person and redefined how he perceived the world. He became dependant on alcohol for a time, but during a sojourn in Mexico while the continuing conflict in Vietnam was becoming more protracted by the day - it eventually becomes overrun by serious lapses in judgement which results in the ongoing deaths of many more innocent people - he has an epiphany of sorts and upon his return home he joins the anti-war movement and this fact - how this initially staunch supporter of the war embarked upon an extremely personal journey and became active in attempting to bring the war to an end by becoming an incredibly vocal anti-Vietnam demonstrator - is the most startling aspect of his often deeply emotional story which is yet another in the growing collection of insightful and invaluable first hand accounts detailing the damaging long term horrors wrought by the Vietnam war.
Geronimo1967
I think this might be the only film in which I’ve seen Tom Cruise actually act! It’s an inspired piece of casting from Oliver Stone that puts this pretty boy Ron Kovic front and centre as the Vietnam War rages half way around the world from his American home. This lad’s family have history fighting for their country, and despite some reservations from his father (Raymond J. Barry) but with the active support of his mother (Caroline Kava), he enlists. His time in Asia is fraught with danger; their enemy ruthless and tenacious - but he does form a solid bond with his colleagues as they face their daily perils. Those perils impact increasingly more directly on Ron until he is transported back without the use of his legs, or anything much else below his waistline. The doctors are brutally frank with him. No walking and no children. He’s determined, however, not to lose these limbs and it’s that fortitude that sees him returned home to a family ill-equipped to deal with his or their own demons. One of his friends suggests he gets a job, but with a decent government cheque coming in each month he shuns that idea and is soon an unfulfilled drunken drug addict with nobody around him having any idea how to help. Perhaps salvation for this man might come from an unlikely quarter as he begins to fight against the indifference shown by Uncle Sam to it’s veterans once their usefulness has expired. He turns out to be quite an orator and is swiftly galvanising not just the victims but the entire anti-war effort across his country - much to the chagrin of the powers that be. The effort from Cruise here is transformative. He morphs convincingly from the handsome idealistic boy-next-door to the foul-mouthed, scruffy looking, protester with what I think is his most natural of performances. He positively oozes an embittered toxicity against the authorities who now consider him, and many thousands like him, little more than an inconvenience. He is a bit of a pig to be around, is Ron, and that puts enormous pressure on his friends and family - well extolled by Kava, Josh Evans as his younger brother Tommy and by Barry as a father dealing with his own feelings of guilt. Away from the personalities, this film effectively illustrates just how abandoned many injured were. With insufficient medical care, facilities and staff often meaning their recovery process was delayed and the psychological effects of that on both the injured and those charged with their care is writ large, too. Stone understands how to convey the horrors of war and the scarring it causes and the originally adapted screenplay by Kovic himself is gritty and realistic on both a military and personal level. The man has flaws and he knows it, but once he has a conduit for his considerable energy he can become formidable. This isn’t an easy watch, but as an antidote to so much glamorised wartime fiction, it works well.
Geronimo1967
I think this might be the only film in which I’ve seen Tom Cruise actually act! It’s an inspired piece of casting from Oliver Stone that puts this pretty boy Ron Kovic front and centre as the Vietnam War rages half way around the world from his American home. This lad’s family have history fighting for their country, and despite some reservations from his father (Raymond J. Barry) but with the active support of his mother (Caroline Kava), he enlists. His time in Asia is fraught with danger; their enemy ruthless and tenacious and their command structure isn’t the most cohesive, but he does form a solid bond with his colleagues as they face their daily perils. Those perils impact increasingly more directly on Ron until he is transported back without the use of his legs, or anything much else below his waistline. The doctors are brutally frank with him. No walking and no children. He’s determined, however, not to lose these limbs and it’s that fortitude that sees him returned home to a family ill-equipped to deal with his or their own demons. One of his friends suggests he gets a job, but with a decent government cheque coming in each month he shuns that idea and is soon an unfulfilled drunken drug addict with nobody around him having any idea how to help. Perhaps salvation for this man might come from an unlikely quarter as he begins to fight against the indifference shown by Uncle Sam to it’s veterans once their usefulness has expired. He turns out to be quite an orator and is swiftly galvanising not just the victims but the entire anti-war effort across his country - much to the chagrin of the powers that be. The effort from Cruise here is transformative. He morphs convincingly from the handsome idealistic boy-next-door to the foul-mouthed, scruffy looking, protester with what I think is his most natural of performances. He positively oozes an embittered toxicity against the authorities who now consider him, and many thousands like him, little more than an inconvenience. He is a bit of a pig to be around, is Ron, and that puts enormous pressure on his friends and family - well extolled by Kava, Josh Evans as his younger brother Tommy and by Barry as a father dealing with his own feelings of helplessness and guilt. Away from the personalities, this film effectively illustrates just how abandoned many of the injured were. With insufficient medical care, facilities and staff often meaning their recovery processes were delayed and the psychological effects of that on both the injured and those charged with their care is writ large, too. Stone understands how to convey the horrors of war and the scarring it causes and the originally adapted screenplay by Kovic himself is gritty and realistic on both a military and personal level. The man has flaws and he knows it, but once he has a conduit for his considerable energy he can become formidable. This isn’t an easy watch, but as an antidote to so much glamorised wartime fiction, it works well.

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