Though I watched Born on the Fourth of July (1989) on Independence Day, you will likely not be reading this review on that date.  As you will see, when you look at this article or the film does not matter.  It is about more than a person who came into this world on the day we celebrate our birthday as a nation.  Its focus is more on the meaning of being American.  We are supposed to be allowed to speak out when we do not agree with our government.  Unfortunately, such democratic behavior was questioned at the time during which the movie was set, and it is happening again today.  As a Catholic, I am proud to say that then as now, my Faith stands with the oppressed.  At the same time, the oppressors try to frame their terror as acts of patriotism.  Through my treatment of the film, or your viewing of it, you will see the journey of one man from ultra-nationalist to seeing the country as our Founding Fathers intended it, one where all colors and creeds get a voice.

The voices you hear at the beginning of Born on the Fourth of July are those of young Ron Kovic (Bryan Larkin) and his friends.  Like many boys before and after him, they are playing soldiers with the dream of one day testing their mettle on an actual battlefield.  His make-believe warzones are in Massapequa, New York, a town on Long Island, where he lives with a traditional Catholic family (hooray for that!) that also believes in Cold War American ideals.  Namely, it is the need to fight the spread of communism, particularly as articulated by President John F. Kennedy (archival footage) in his 1961 inaugural address.  This commitment sticks with Ron as he grows into a young man (Tom Cruise), bringing with it also an obsession with being the best and winning.  As such, it is difficult when he loses his championship wrestling match, seeing the disappointment on the faces of everyone there who expected him to triumph.  It is with that in mind that soon thereafter his high school is visited by Gunnery Sergeant Hayes (Tom Berenger), the local recruiter for the United States Marine Corps (USMC).  Gunnery Sergeant Hayes’ message of a military that is never beaten convinces Ron to enlist to confront the growing communist threat in Vietnam.  To underscore Ron’s desire to do his part, he tells his father, Eli Kovic (Raymond J. Barry), that he is willing to die for his country.  Joining the military also likely means that he will never realize a romance with Donna (Kyra Sedgwick), a young lady with whom Ron has been familiar his entire life.  With his imminent departure for basic training, he makes a half-hearted attempt to ask her to prom, but tries to act nonchalant when he learns she is going with another person.  Yet, on the night of the prom and days away from leaving, he runs to the dance to have a turn on the floor with her, kissing her before too long.  With that, it is off to Vietnam where we meet up with him during his second tour of duty.  On this particular day, they are patrolling near a village they are about to attack.  Before orders are given, the shooting starts, resulting in the death and injury of many Vietnamese non-combatants of all ages.  As they are pulling out in horror, the Americans are attacked by Viet Cong forces.  There is a confusing firefight during the retreat, and Ron accidentally shoots and kills one of his comrades, Wilson (Michael Compotaro).  The experience haunts Ron and he tries to take responsibility, but his superior officer (David Warshofsky) tells Ron that the fault is not his.  That is little comfort to Ron.  Another shocking turn of events for him comes a few days later when he is wounded in combat.  The injuries result in him being paralyzed from the chest down.  While convalescing in a dirty, rat-infested veteran’s hospital in the Bronx, Ron initially does not want to accept what his doctors are telling him: that he will never again walk.  Instead, he tries to hobble around with braces until he trips and falls, breaking his leg without feeling the injury but seeing the bone protruding from his upper thigh.  It is another embittering moment that is somewhat mollified by his return home.  While his family is welcoming, he notices that not everyone is supportive of what the United States is doing in Southeast Asia.  It makes him increasingly angry, but he is still willing to put on his dress uniform and be in the annual Fourth of July parade, speaking at the end.  Not even this is safe, though, and he finally begins to question his service.  He grows increasingly radicalized when he visits Donna on the campus of her school in the wake of the Kent State Massacre in 1970.  He is trying to connect with her, but seeing her dedication to the anti-war cause and the way the police react to their demonstrations gives him a feeling of hopelessness.  This, paired with the guilt he feels over the things he did in Vietnam, causes him to lash out at his family.  In response, Patricia Kovic (Caroline Kava), Ron’s mother, throws her son out of the house.  With that, Ron travels to Mexico, to Villa Dulce, where he meets a group of disabled American veterans with similar problems.  To numb the pain, he drinks heavily and solicits prostitutes despite his disability.  It is not until he gets stranded on a highway with Charlie (Willem Dafoe), one of Villa Dulce’s denizens, and they essentially argue about who is more messed up, that Ron decides to make a change.  The first step is going to the Wilson family and admitting what happened in Vietnam to their son.  They do not necessarily forgive, but they do understand, and it is enough to begin the healing process.  From there, Ron becomes an outspoken critic of war, clashing with authorities at the 1972 republican national convention in Miami, Florida, before being a speaker at the 1976 democrat national convention.

What stands out about the end of Born on the Fourth of July is that somebody who many would call a traditional patriot is also doing his patriotic duty by the end of it.  Please understand that I am not here to debate the merits of the Vietnam War, or any war.  The Catholic Church has been consistent in the last few centuries that armed conflict is bad, though it stops short of condemning people who are defending themselves from aggressors.  If we are going to talk about the historical record, which is appropriate considering the movie is about a real person, then it should be noted that Ron Kovic’s reaction to the conflict mirrors that of the Church.  Like many Americans, Catholics broadly, including the Kovics, supported the invasion of Vietnam.  It makes sense when you look at it through the lens of combatting communism.  This particular form of government has never been friendly towards Catholicism because it seeks to replace God with the state.  Karl Marx all but said as much.  However, the reality of the fighting is what changed minds, which is true for Ron and the Church.  Though there were some American Catholics opposed to the war from the beginning, and on the global stage Pope Paul VI voiced his concerns early and often, the Church as a whole eventually turned against it. Indeed, the Catholic Peace Fellowship (CPF), which at first supported the cause, by 1971 declared it an “unjust war.”  The answer to that can be seen in scenes from the film, especially during the attack on village during which Ron kills Wilson.  I could do without some of director Oliver Stone’s trademark gore.  The devastation wrought on innocent bystanders, like children, is abhorrent to Ron and goes against the Church’s pro-life stance.  Sadly, the film depicts him as rebelling against God, which is not too surprising with people in his situation.  A little more research on the real-life Kovic reveals that he credits his Catholic upbringing for leading him to his anti-war stance.  I would also add that it helped him receive the healing he eventually got by talking to the Wilson family, but the movie does not cast it in this light.

Instead, there are a lot of dark moments in Born on the Fourth of July that are difficult to watch and are why it is rated R.  As such, this one is hard to recommend, even though it does show him overcoming his trials and tribulations.  If that part interests you, then know that there is some ugliness mixed in with the beauty.