Review

by Clarence B

An interesting and provocative film that hammers home an important message

Tom Cruise makes an admirable attempt to portray paralysed Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic. Kovic sustains his injuries in the line of duty and returns to America with a very different take on war and humanity. Director Oliver Stone successfully uses this film as a vehicle for a moving message about the Vietnam war and war itself. The script, acting and score all endeavour to stir up emotions and do this pretty well. On an entertainment level though, simply as a movie, ‘Born on the Fourth July’ is perhaps lacking. The depth of the script seems a little too heavy at times and moves slowly –but then again, that’s not what this film is about. ‘Born on the Fourth July’ is an interesting and provocative film that hammers home an important message, even if it does this at times in a rather cheesy way. Still - tissues at the ready.