Born on the Fourth of July (ISBN 1888451785) is the best selling autobiography of Ron Kovic, a paralyzed Vietnam War veteran who became an anti-war activist. Taking its title from Kovic's actual birthday, July 4th 1946, the book was adapted into a 1989 Academy Award winning film by Oliver Stone and Ron Kovic, starring Tom Cruise as Ron Kovic Ron Kovic, (left) with Brian Willson at a Veterans for Peace conference. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) United States of America South Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand the Philippines Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) National Liberation Front (Viet Cong) Strength ~1,200,000 (1968) ~420,000 (1968) Casualties South Vietnamese dead: 230,000 South Vietnamese wounded: 300,000 US dead... Anti war protest in Melbourne, Australia, 2003 Anti_war is a name that is widely adopted by any social movement or person that seeks to end or oppose a future or current war. ...

Origin

Born on the Fourth of July was written in Santa Monica, California during the fall of 1974 in exactly one month, three weeks and two days.^[1] It tells the story of Kovic's life growing up in Massapequa, New York, joining the Marines going to Vietnam, getting shot, finding himself wheelchair bound, and eventually starting a new life as an anti-war activist. Santa Monica Pier entrance Santa Monica pier Santa Monica is a coastal city in western Los Angeles County, California, USA. It borders Santa Monica Bay (part of the Pacific Ocean) on the west, Pacific Palisades and Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles and Mar Vista on the east, and... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1974 calendar). ... Massapequa is a hamlet (and a census-designated place) located in Nassau County, New York. ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the second smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. ...

"I wrote all night long, seven days a week, single space, no paragraphs, front and back of the pages, pounding the keys so hard the tips of my fingers would hurt. I couldn't stop writing, and I remember feeling more alive than I had ever felt. Convinced that I was destined to die young, I struggled to leave something of meaning behind, to rise above the darkness and despair. I wanted people to understand. I wanted to share with them as nakedly and openly and intimately as possible what I had gone through, what I had endured. I wanted them to know what it really meant to be in a war -- to be shot and wounded, to be fighting for my life on the intensive care ward -- not the myth we had grown up believing. I wanted people to know about the hospitals and the enema room, about why I had become opposed to the war, why I had grown more and more committed to peace and nonviolence." — Ron Kovic, on writing his autobiography.^[1]

Tom Paxton wrote a song based on the book. Thomas R. Paxton was born October 31, 1937 in Chicago, Illinois, the youngest child of Burton and Esther Paxton. ...

Film adaptation

Born on the Fourth of July
Directed by	Oliver Stone
Produced by	A. Kitman Ho, Oliver Stone
Written by	Ron Kovic(book), Oliver Stone(screenplay)
Starring	Tom Cruise, Kyra Sedgwick, Raymond J. Barry, Jerry Levine, Frank Whaley, and Willem Dafoe
Music by	John Williams
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Released	December 20, 1989
Budget	$14,000,000
IMDb profile

In 1989 a film adaptation of the book was released. Oliver Stone wrote the screenplay, produced and directed the film. Image File history File links Born on the Fourth of July DVD cover This image is of a DVD cover, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the DVD or the studio which produced the movie in question. ... Oliver Stone William Oliver Stone (born September 15, 1946), known simply as Oliver Stone, is an Academy Award-winning American film director and screenwriter. ... Oliver Stone William Oliver Stone (born September 15, 1946), known simply as Oliver Stone, is an Academy Award-winning American film director and screenwriter. ... Ron Kovic, (left) with Brian Willson at a Veterans for Peace conference. ... Oliver Stone William Oliver Stone (born September 15, 1946), known simply as Oliver Stone, is an Academy Award-winning American film director and screenwriter. ... Tom Cruise (born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV on July 3, 1962) is an Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe Award-winning American actor and film producer who has starred in a number of top-grossing movies and remains one of the most successful movie stars in Hollywood. ... Kyra Sedgwick (b. ... Raymond J. Barry (b. ... Frank Michael Anthony Whaley (born July 20, 1961) is an American film and television actor known as much for his roles in independent films as his boyish looks and general demeanor. ... William Willem Dafoe Jr. ... John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932) is one of the most widely recognized composers of film scores. ... Universal Studios Theme Parks. ... December 20 is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... // Events Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton, Georgia for $20 million. ... Oliver Stone William Oliver Stone (born September 15, 1946), known simply as Oliver Stone, is an Academy Award-winning American film director and screenwriter. ...

Cast

• Tom Cruise as Ron Kovic
• Kyra Sedgwick as Donna
• Raymond J. Barry as Mr. Kovic
• Willem Dafoe as Charlie
• Frank Whaley as Timmy
• Minor actors:
  • Holly Marie Combs
  • Stacey Moseley
  • Brigitte Svörwald

Tom Cruise (born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV on July 3, 1962) is an Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe Award-winning American actor and film producer who has starred in a number of top-grossing movies and remains one of the most successful movie stars in Hollywood. ... Kyra Sedgwick (b. ... Raymond J. Barry (b. ... William Willem Dafoe Jr. ... Frank Michael Anthony Whaley (born July 20, 1961) is an American film and television actor known as much for his roles in independent films as his boyish looks and general demeanor. ... Holly Marie Combs as Piper Halliwell (promotional photo of Holly Marie Combs for The WB series Charmed) Holly Marie Combs (born December 3, 1973 in San Diego, California) is an American actress who has worked in movies and television series, including her current role in Charmed. ...

Plot synopsis

The film opens when Ron Kovic is a young boy living in Massapequa, Long Island. He grows up in a patriotic and Catholic household, instilling within him a strong sense of pride in the USA and his religion. As a high school teenager he wrestles for his high school and is an exceptional student. When a Marine recruiting sergeant visits his school and gives Ron and his fellow Seniors an impassioned lecture about the Corps, Ron decides to enlist. He misses his own prom, mainly because he's unable to ask his love interest, Donna. He confronts her at the dance, kisses her, then says goodbye. Film refers to the celluloid media on which movies are printed. ...

The film then moves to Kovic's second tour in Vietnam. On patrol, his unit massacres a village of Vietnamese citizens, believing they are hiding rifles for the North Vietnamese Army (NVA). During the retreat, Kovic becomes disoriented and confused and accidently shoots one of the new arrivals to his platoon, a younger private named Wilson. Overwhelmed by guilt, he appeals to his commanding officer who tells him to forget the incident. The meeting has an obviously negative effect on Ron who is crushed at being brushed off by his CO. knulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din...

The platoon goes out on another hazardous patrol. During a terrible firefight Kovic is critically wounded and trapped in a field for what seems like several hours. Paralyzed from the mid-chest down, he spends several months recovering at the Bronx Veterans Administration hospital. The living conditions in the hospital are horrific; rats crawl freely on the floors, the staff is generally apathetic to their patient's needs, doctors visit infrequently, drug use is rampant and equipment is too old to be useful. He desperately tries to walk again with the use of crutches and braces despite warnings from his doctors. He has a nasty fall that causes a compound fracture of his thighbone. The injury nearly robs him of his leg and he fights with the doctors who want to amputate. Paralysis is the complete loss of muscle function for one or more muscle groups. ... The Bronx is one of the five boroughs of United States. ... The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet department of the United States government responsible for administering programs of veterans benefits for veterans, their families, and survivors. ... This is an article about wild rats; for pet rats, see Fancy rat Species 50 species; see text *Several subfamilies of Muroids include animals called rats. ... A bone fracture is a medical condition in which a bone becomes cracked, splintered, or bisected as a result of physical trauma. ...

Ron returns home, permanently in a wheelchair, with his leg intact. At home he begins to alienate his family and friends, complaining about students staging anti-war rallies across the country and burning the American flag. Though he tries to maintain his dignity as a Marine, Ron gradually begins to become disillusioned, feeling that his government has betrayed him and his fellow Vietnam Veterans. Flag desecration is a blanket term applied to various ways of intentionally defacing or dishonoring a flag, most often a national flag (though other flags are defaced as well). ...

In Ron's absence his younger brother, Tommy, has already become staunchly anti-war, leading to a rift between them and Ron's parents seem unable to deal with Ron's new attitude as a paralyzed veteran. Ron's problems are as much psychological as physical and he quickly becomes alcoholic and belligerent. During a parade on July 4th, he shows signs of post-traumatic stress when firecrackers explode (sounding like gunfire) and when a baby in the crowd starts crying (which reminds him of the massacre of the Vietnamese village). He reunites with a high-school friend, Timmy, also a wounded veteran, and the two spend Ron's birthday sharing war stories. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a term for certain psychological consequences of exposure to, or confrontation with, stressful experiences that the person experiences as highly traumatic. ...

Ron visits Donna at her college in Syracuse. The two reminisce and she asks him to attend a vigil for the Kent State shootings. Ron doesn't; his chair prevents him from getting very far on campus because of curbs and stairways. Clinton Square in Downtown Syracuse Syracuse is an American city in Central New York. ... Mary Ann Vecchio kneels over the body of Jeffrey Miller The Kent State shootings, also known as May 4 or the Kent State massacre, occurred at Kent State University in the city of Kent, Ohio, and involved the shooting of students by the Ohio National Guard on Monday, May 4...

Ron's disillusionment grows severe enough that he has an intense fight with his mother after returning home from "Arthurs" bar drunk one night. Ron travels to a small town in Mexico ("The Village of the Sun") that seems to be a haven for paralyzed Vietnam veterans. He has his first sexual experience with a prostitute he believes he's in love with. Ron wants to ask her to marry him but he sees her with another customer and decides against it. Hooking up with another wheelchair-bound veteran, Charlie (who is furious over a prostitute laughing at his lack of sexual function due to his severe wounding in Vietnam, the two travel to what they believe will be a friendlier village. They're kicked out of their taxi for annoying the driver and are stranded on the side of the road. They quarrel and fight, knocking each other out of their wheelchairs. They're picked up by a man with a truck and eventually driven back to the "Village of the Sun".

On his way back to Long Island, Ron makes a side trek to Georgia to visit the parents and family of the soldier he killed. He tells them the real story about how their son died and confesses his guilt to them. While the man's wife is less empathetic, the parents explain they can't fully forgive him but God can. The confession seems to lift a heavy weight from Ron's conscience.

He joins Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) and travels to the 1972 Republican National Convention in Miami. He and his compatriots force their way into the convention hall during Richard Nixon's acceptance speech and cause a commotion that makes it onto the national news. Ron himself tells a reporter about his negative experiences in Vietnam and the VA hospital conditions. His interview is cut short when guards eject him and his fellow vets from the hall and attempt to turn them over to the police. They manage to break free from the police, regroup, and charge the hall again, though not so successfully this time.-1... The 1972 Republican National Convention was held August 21–23, 1972 in Miami Beach, Florida. ... This article is about the city in Florida. ... Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. ...

The film ends with Kovic speaking at the 1976 Democratic National Convention, shortly after the publication of his autobiography. The 1976 Democratic National Convention in New York City nominated Jimmy Carter of Georgia for President and Walter F. Mondale of Minnesota for Vice President. ...

Themes

The most prominent theme of the film centers on the physical and mental anguish Kovic suffers. He is robbed of his ability to walk, a particularly vicious wound since he was an athlete in high school. He is also unable to have "normal sex" due to his paralysis.

The mental stress that Ron experiences, specifically post-traumatic stress disorder, are common to nearly all Vietnam veterans. Along with his guilt over shooting his fellow soldier, he must also come to terms with combat situations that required him to kill not only North Vietnamese Soldiers but also innocent civilians. As we see during the July 4th birthday celebration the town veterans association holds for him, he can't shake the reminders of combat, like the crying infant or fireworks that sound like gunfire or hand grenades. It also shows the pain he endures from the American government for not listening to the problems of the hospitals.

Awards

• Wins
  • Best Director (Academy Awards)
  • Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures (Directors Guild of America)
  • Best Director - Motion Picture (Golden Globes)
  • Best Film Editing (Academy Awards)
  • Best Actor (Chicago Film Critics Association Awards))
  • Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama (Golden Globes)
  • Best Motion Picture - Drama (Golden Globes)
  • Best Screenplay - Motion Picture (Golden Globes)
  • Film Music Award (BMI Film & TV Awards)
  • Best Sound Editing (Motion Picture Sound Editors)
  • Democracy (Political Film Society)
• Nominations
  • Best Picture (Academy Awards)
  • Best Actor in a Leading Role (Academy Awards)
  • Best Actor (BAFTA Awards)
  • Best Casting for Feature Film, Drama (Casting Society of America)
  • Best Cinematography (Academy Awards)
  • Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography (American Society of Cinematographers)
  • Best Edited Feature Film (American Cinema Editors)
  • Best Music, Original Score (Academy Awards)
  • Best Original Score - Motion Picture (Golden Globes)
  • Best Sound (Academy Awards)
  • Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (Academy Awards)
  • Best Screenplay - Adapted (BAFTA Awards)
  • Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (Writers Guild of America)

The Academy Award for Directing is an accolade given to the person that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences feels was best director of the past year. ... Academy Awards The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent film awards in the United States and most watched awards ceremony in the world. ... Directors Guild of America (DGA) is the labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry. ... Golden Globe Award for Best Director - Motion Picture has been awarded annually since 1944 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. ... The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and television programs, given out each year during a formal dinner. ... The Academy Award for Film Editing was first given for films issued in 1934. ... The Chicago Film Critics Association is an American film critic association. ... The Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture - Drama was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as a separate category in 1951. ... Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Drama has been awarded annually since 1944 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. ... Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) is a collecting society that protects composers intellectual property in the communications business, especially radio. ... Founded in 1953, Motion Picture Sound Editors (M.P.S.E.) is an honorary society of motion picture sound editors. ... The Political Film Society is a nonprofit corporation that exists to recognize Hollywood films ability to raise awareness in political matters in the world. ... The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; the awards are voted on by other people within the industry. ... The Academy Award for Best Actor is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; nominations are made by Academy members who are actors and actresses. ... The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role has been presented to its winners since 1952 and actors of all nationalities are eligible to receive the award. ... The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), is a British organization that hosts annual awards shows for film, television, childrens film and television, and interactive media. ... Founded in Los Angeles, California in 1982, the Casting Society of America (CSA) is a professional society of about 350 casting directors for film, television, and theatre in Australia, Canada, England, Italy, and the United States. ... The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is awarded each year to a cinematographer for his work in one particular motion picture. ... The American Society of Cinematographers is not a labor union or guild, but is an educational, cultural and professional organization. ... Founded in 1950, American Cinema Editors (ACE) is an honorary society of film editors that are voted in based on the qualities of professional achievements, their education of others, and their dedication to editing itself. ... From Rule Sixteen of the Special Rules for The Music Awards Original Score: An original score is a substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by the submitting composer. ... The Academy Award for Sound Mixing is an Academy Award that recognizes the finest or most aesthetic sound mixing or recording, and is generally awarded to the production sound mixers and re-recording mixers of the winning film. ... The Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay is one of the Academy Awards, the most prominent film awards in the United States. ... Annual awards given out by the Writers Guild of America for outstanding achievements in film, TV, or radio writing. ... The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is the collective bargaining representative, or labor union, for writers in the motion picture and television industries in the United States. ...

References

1. ^ ^a b Born on the Fourth of July: The Long Journey Home Ron Kovic - accessed on 8 August 2005

August 8 is the 220th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (221st in leap years), with 145 days remaining. ... Template:Diffgggtgerent calendars 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Born on the Fourth of July at The Internet Movie Database

The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about actors, films, television shows, television stars, video games and production crew personnel. ...