RESOURCES

Born on the Fourth of July

The movie Born on the Fourth of July was based on the book Born on the Fourth of July.

Which one did you like better, the movie or the book?  There are 4 votes for the book, and 5 votes for the movie.

Movie details for Born on the Fourth of July

The movie was released in 1989. Born on the Fourth of July was produced by Universal Studios. More information on the movie is available on Amazon.com and also IMDb.

Actors on this movie include Tom Cruise, Seth Allen (II), Raymond J. Barry, Anne Bobby, Amanda Davis, Josh Evans, Erika Germinder, Caroline Kava, Jason Klein, Bryan Larkin, Samantha Larkin, Jerry Levine, Kevin Harvey Morse, Jessica Prunell, Kyra Sedgwick, Sean Stone, Jamie Talisman, Frank Whaley and Jenna von Oÿ.

 

Read More About This Movie

The second film in Oliver Stone's Vietnam trilogy moves from the brutality of war in Platoon to its equally traumatic aftermath. Based on the memoir of combat veteran Ron Kovic, the film stars Tom Cruise as Kovic, whose gunshot wound in Vietnam left him p... Read More
The second film in Oliver Stone's Vietnam trilogy moves from the brutality of war in Platoon to its equally traumatic aftermath. Based on the memoir of combat veteran Ron Kovic, the film stars Tom Cruise as Kovic, whose gunshot wound in Vietnam left him paralyzed from the chest down. He is deeply embittered by neglect in a veteran's hospital and by the shattering of his patriotic idealism because of the horror and futility of the Vietnam conflict. While painfully and awkwardly adjusting to his disability and a changing definition of masculinity, Kovic joins the burgeoning movement of antiwar protest, culminating in a climactic appearance at the 1976 Democratic national convention. A powerfully intimate portrait that unfolds on an epic scale, Born on the Fourth of July is arguably Stone's best film (if you can forgive its often strident tone), and Cruise's Oscar-nominated role is uncompromising in its depiction of one man's personal anguish and political awakening. --Jeff Shannon

Book details for Born on the Fourth of July

Born on the Fourth of July was written by Ron Kovic. The book was published in 1976 by Akashic Books. More information on the book is available on Amazon.com.

 

Read More About This Book

"A great, courageous fellow, a man of deep moral convictions and an uncompromising disposition."-John Kerry on Ron Kovic"As relevant as ever, this book is an education. Ron is a true American, and his great heart and hard-won wisdom shine through these... Read More

"A great, courageous fellow, a man of deep moral convictions and an uncompromising disposition."-John Kerry on Ron Kovic

"As relevant as ever, this book is an education. Ron is a true American, and his great heart and hard-won wisdom shine through these pages." -Oliver Stone, filmmaker

"Born on the Fourth of July brings back the era of the Vietnam War at a time when the Establishment is trying to make the nation forget what they call the "Vietnam syndrome." Ron Kovic's memoir is written with poetic passion and grips your attention from the very first page to the last. It is a classic of antiwar literature and I hope it will be read by large numbers of young people, who will be both sobered and inspired by his story. -Howard Zinn

"If you want to understand the everlasting reverberations of our war in Vietnam and how it impacts our current events, you must read this book." -LARRY HEINEMANN

"There is no book more relevant in the 21st century to healing the wound of Vietnam, which continues to bring so much pain to our country, as reflected in the last presidential election . . . It remains to Kovic to remind us that history matters, and that the cost of our high follies persists." -ROBERT SCHEER, Los Angeles Times columnist

This New York Times bestseller (more than one million copies sold) details the author's life story (portrayed by Tom Cruise in the Oliver Stone film version)--from a patriotic soldier in Vietnam, to his severe battlefield injury, to his role as the country's most outspoken anti-Vietnam War advocate, spreading his message from his wheelchair.