Born on the Fourth of July

After a brutal tour in Vietnam, Ron Kovic returns home bound to a hospital bed and a world that feels suddenly foreign. Paralyzed from the chest down, he must relearn everyday acts while facing disbelief from officials and fellow citizens who question his sacrifices. The experience shakes his sense of pride and duty, fueling anger at how the war and the government treated veterans. As Ron struggles with pain, bureaucracy, and a shifting sense of self, he channels that frustration into political action, speaking out for veterans' rights and opposing a war he once believed in. Conflict with his family grows as he questions who he is beyond medals and battles. The film tracks his moral awakening while showing the price he pays for speaking out.

Directed by Oliver Stone, the film adapts Ron Kovic's memoir and stars Tom Cruise, delivering a stark portrait of one man's injury and disillusion. It stands as one of Stone's most ambitious biographical dramas.

With a budget of 14 million, the drama grossed roughly 161 million worldwide, underscoring solid audience appeal and Stone's ability to draw casual viewers to a serious Vietnam War story across multiple markets.

Crucially, the film helped shape conversations about veterans' rights and the human cost of war. Tom Cruise delivers a raw, unflinching portrayal that keeps the public focused on disability, patriotism, and accountability, embedding the movie in cultural memory. Its television and classroom presence, plus continued discussion of its antiwar stance, helped set a standard for how veterans are depicted onscreen.

Critics praised the film for its unvarnished look at trauma and public faith in leaders, while exploring the tension between allegiance and conscience. The narrative turns a personal life into a broader critique of how a nation treats its veterans and questions the costs of national idealism. Viewers walk away with a sharper sense of what service can demand and how memory shapes political stance.