Born On The Fourth of July is a MUST SEE for sure. On paper with the following choices of director, star, musical score, co-stars and subject matter, you'd think it would be perfect. Well...it is. First of all, it follows the life of a real person, Ron Kovic, which in itself is very interesting and puts a face on an injured soldiers life after the war. But it all goes way beyond the obvious. It covers the complexity of the Vietnam War to the extent that it can in a 2 hour movie, with elements that are palpable for the viewer. It covers the aftermath of war and what remains, which is rarely a good thing but sometimes a necessary thing. Tom Cruise needs to be mentioned here and not sure why all reviewers aren't. Cruise was outstanding as an actor in this role. He is in every role he tackles but this one was superb. Kyra Sedgwick deserves a mention for sure as she secured her role as the love interest, Donna. The direction, music, acting, writing is a win win win win. There are a handful of movies to see on this subject and 'Born on the Fourth of July' is one of them. If you walk away after watching this without saying "Wow, that was good", then you got no blood in your veins. Watch it. Write me later., Born on the Fourth of July is a 1989 American epic biographical anti-war drama film that is based on the 1976 autobiography of Ron Kovic. Directed by Oliver Stone, and written by Stone and Kovic, it stars Tom Cruise, Kyra Sedgwick, Raymond J. Barry, Jerry Levine, Frank Whaley, and Willem Dafoe., Born on the Fourth of July: Directed by Oliver Stone. With Tom Cruise, Bryan Larkin, Raymond J. Barry, Caroline Kava. The biography of Ron Kovic. Paralyzed in the Vietnam war, he becomes an anti-war and pro-human rights political activist after feeling betrayed by the country for which he fought..