Born on the Fourth of July (1989) or, Beautiful Struggle

♥♥♥♥♥

Tom Cruise in one of his career's best parts, as Ron Kovic in Oliver Stone's Born on the Fourth of July

QUICK REVIEW:

Ron Kovic's story about blind faith in his Marine Corps, through murder and massacre and paralysis in the Vietnam war, - to a new identity as anti-war protest-leader, - hits its audience right in the pelvis.
The storytelling and visual style is highly American, as writer-director Oliver Stone, - who won his third Oscar for his direction, - leads us with the lead character from home to overseas, to home again, - with a new recognition. The historical account is magnificent, and Stone mixes grand emotions and music (by John Williams (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982))) with great talent.

Tom Cruise and Willem Dafoe as two opposing, handicapped war-veterans in Oliver Stone's Born on the Fourth of July

Tom Cruise (Top Gun (1986)) is simply phenomenal, - and was Oscar-nominated for his work, - as Ron Kovic, on whose autobiography the film is based. - Kovic even co-scripted the film with Stone.
Born on the Fourth of July is a triumph for everyone involved, a great American movie and a real classic. It is an exceptional movie of the American experience of Vietnam.

So starts an American classic; Oliver Stone's Born on the Fourth of July

Watch the film's trailer here

Budget: 14 mil. $
Box office: 161 mil. $
= Huge hit

What do you think of Born on the Fourth of July?
Do you agree that it is a true, American classic?
Is it Oliver Stone and/or Tom Cruise's best film, or if not, which are?