Born on the Fourth of July

The second film in Oliver Stone's Vietnam trilogy moves from the brutality of war depicted in Platoon to its equally traumatic aftermath. Based on the memoir by combat veteran Ron Kovic, 1989's Born on the Fourth of July stars Tom Cruise as Kovic, whose gunshot wound in Vietnam left him paralyzed from the chest down. Kovic is deeply embittered because of neglect in a veteran's hospital, and by the shattering of his patriotic idealism due to the horror and futility of the overseas conflict. While painfully and awkwardly adjusting to his disability and a changing definition of masculinity, Kovic joins the burgeoning anti-war protest movement, culminating in a climactic appearance at the 1976 Democratic National Convention. A powerfully intimate portrait that unfolds on an epic scale, the film benefits from Cruise's uncompromising Oscar-nominated performance that captures one man's personal anguish and political awakening. Bowing on Blu-ray with a beautiful transfer, extras include audio commentary with Stone, and an archival interview featurette. Highly recommended. (J. Shannon)