Born on the Fourth of July
Short description
Born on the Fourth of July tells the story of Ron Kovic, a young American who enlists in the Marine Corps out of patriotic conviction and is sent to fight in Vietnam. He returns home paralyzed from the chest down, and his earlier beliefs about the war and his country give way to doubt and then to activism. The film follows his long struggle to rebuild a life, his growing involvement in the anti-war movement, and his turn toward speaking out for veterans and human rights. It is based on Kovic's own autobiography, and Kovic co-wrote the screenplay with director Oliver Stone.
Stone directed the film, the sixth of the twenty-two features he has directed in chronological order, arriving between Talk Radio and JFK. Tom Cruise plays Ron Kovic, with Raymond J. Barry and Caroline Kava as his parents, Kyra Sedgwick as Donna, Willem Dafoe as Charlie and Jerry Levine as Steve Boyer, among a credited cast of 106. Produced by Stone, A. Kitman Ho and Clayton Townsend for Universal Pictures and Ixtlan, the drama runs 145 minutes.
Made for about 14 million dollars, it took roughly 161 million dollars worldwide, a strong return for a dramatic war film of its length. On IMDb it holds 7.2/10 from around 124,000 votes, and on TMDB 7/10 from about 1,949 votes. A critics' rating of 7.7/10 from 56 reviews places it somewhat above the audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- In the anti-war demonstration scene, a veteran of the Vietnam War says that the awards he received – the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart – mean nothing. Director Oliver Stone was decorated with these same distinctions in Vietnam.
- Ron Kovic was so impressed with Tom Cruise's performance that he gave him his Bronze Star.
- Eleven actors who appeared in Oliver Stone's previous Vietnam War film, "Platoon," starred in this film. Among them were actors Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe.
- The film features two books that Ron Kovic reads: Erich Maria Remarque's "All Quiet on the Western Front" and Dalton Trumbo's "Johnny Got His Gun." Both novels are dedicated to the events of World War I.
- In reality, Ron Kovic, like Oliver Stone, is a recipient of the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.
- Filming took place from October 10 to December 14, 1988.
- Charlie Sheen could have played the role of Ron Kovic, however, director Oliver Stone chose Tom Cruise. According to Charlie, this decision came as a surprise to him.
- At the beginning of the film, two cameos can be seen: Ron Kovic appears in the parade scene as a World War II veteran, and director Oliver Stone appears as a reporter interviewing a Defense Department official. The film also features a cameo by well-known American public figure Abbie Hoffman, who played an anti-war activist.
- The word 'fuck' appears 289 times in the film (an average of two times per minute of screen time).
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
