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Born on the Fourth of July

Play trailer Poster for Born on the Fourth of July R Released Dec 20, 1989 2h 24m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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84% Tomatometer 56 Reviews 76% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
In the mid 1960s, suburban New York teenager Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise) enlists in the Marines, fulfilling what he sees as his patriotic duty. During his second tour in Vietnam, he accidentally kills a fellow soldier during a retreat and later becomes permanently paralyzed in battle. Returning home to an uncaring Veterans Administration bureaucracy and to people on both sides of the political divide who don't understand what he went through, Kovic becomes an impassioned critic of the war.
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Born on the Fourth of July

Born on the Fourth of July

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Critics Consensus

Led by an unforgettable performance from Tom Cruise, Born on the Fourth of July finds director Oliver Stone tackling thought-provoking subject matter with ambitious élan.

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Critics Reviews

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Pauline Kael The New Yorker Stone plays bumper cars with the camera and uses cutting to jam you into the action, and you can’t even enjoy his uncouthness, because it’s put at the service of sanctimony. Sep 12, 2023 Full Review Kevin Maher The Times (UK) A score from John Williams and aggressive direction from Oliver Stone make this the pre-eminent Vietnam War movie. Jul 5, 2023 Full Review Kurt Jacobsen Chicago Reader Stone niftily strings together a batch of cuttingly effective dramatic sequences. May 12, 2022 Full Review Nick Rogers Midwest Film Journal More than one man's story, it’s a reminder of the rites of passage and disposal in a military complex built on failure and fattened pockets, of the meaningless muscle memory of carnage, of the plague war has (and will) cast on every American generation. Rated: 4/5 Jan 16, 2025 Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins It’s a taxing watch, but the themes are potent and timeless. Rated: 8/10 Aug 8, 2023 Full Review Candace Wiggins Southern Voice (Atlanta) Aided by John Williams' majestic score and Oliver Stone's taut, no-holds-barred direction, this film shows the dark side of what happened when Johnny came marching home. Rated: 4/4 May 9, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Gi S After all these years I finally viewed this movie. Not a big cruise fan is the main reason I never made time to watch it but I'm glad I finally did. Little side note, my son was born on the fourth of july, so of course that holiday has always been just a tad extra special to my fam. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/22/25 Full Review Jeremy H Another war movie that reminds me about why my grandfather stayed silent about his service in WWII. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/21/25 Full Review Chase N This movie opened my eyes to the horrors of war. Far too many young men sacrificed their lives and peace to fight this war. ✌🏼🕊️ Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/18/25 Full Review Leprechaun K Movie checks all the boxes of an Oscar contender. Somehow it feels disconnected and lengthy. Good performance by Cruise, but could have benefited from a more balanced approach and include more screentime of other key characters. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 06/27/25 Full Review Gregory S Absolutely incredible. Cried multiple times A true harsh reality of war that can’t be glorified by Hollywood Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/18/25 Full Review Jon G A great movie on Ron Kovic’s life, still Tom Cruise’s best movie. A great Oliver Stone movie. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/07/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Born on the Fourth of July

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Born on the Fourth of July

Movieclips: John Williams: 11 Incredible Themes Movieclips: John Williams: 11 Incredible Themes 27:14 Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - You Never Killed a Baby! Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - You Never Killed a Baby! 3:11 Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - Your Yankee Doodle Dandy Come Home Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - Your Yankee Doodle Dandy Come Home 3:27 Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - Thou Shall Not Kill Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - Thou Shall Not Kill 4:07 Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - Maybe We're Home Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - Maybe We're Home 2:03 Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - To Be Whole Again Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - To Be Whole Again 3:06 Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - A Painful Confession Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - A Painful Confession 1:41 Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - The Homecoming Speech Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - The Homecoming Speech 1:55 Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - Treated Like a Human Being Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - Treated Like a Human Being 3:08 Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - Ron Is Shot Born on the Fourth of July: Official Clip - Ron Is Shot 2:03 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis In the mid 1960s, suburban New York teenager Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise) enlists in the Marines, fulfilling what he sees as his patriotic duty. During his second tour in Vietnam, he accidentally kills a fellow soldier during a retreat and later becomes permanently paralyzed in battle. Returning home to an uncaring Veterans Administration bureaucracy and to people on both sides of the political divide who don't understand what he went through, Kovic becomes an impassioned critic of the war.
Director
Oliver Stone
Producer
A. Kitman Ho, Oliver Stone
Screenwriter
Oliver Stone, Ron Kovic
Distributor
Universal Home Entertainment, Universal Pictures, Warner Home Vídeo, MCA/Universal Pictures [us], Image Entertainment Inc.
Production Co
Ixtlan Corporation
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 20, 1989, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$68.8M
Runtime
2h 24m
Sound Mix
Surround
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