There are many aspects of this movie by Oliver Stone that ring truthful. With the general consensus that the Vietnam Conflict was not a very supported war in the eyes of the American people. This movie does a great job of capturing how the main character himself was so excited and happy to serve his country and join the Marines, but how fast this thought changed once he got into the field and was fighting. Not only did this movie do a great job of showing the changing opinions, but it also captured how the soldiers and Marines themselves viewed the war after fighting the questionable fight they did not sign up for. - Kaylee Williams

The film Born on the Fourth of July does a great job at depicting the struggles that veterans endured in their times back in the United States. With the treatment of the veterans being mixed on their trips back home, the main character struggles to understand his personal lifestyle with his experiences in Vietnam. Returning to a mixture of middle fingers and parades, veterans were left with an emptiness inside and deep PTSD. This film is a great secondary source for people to understand the back and forth of veterans and their outlooks after the Vietnam War. –Tara Scroggins

The film, Born on the Fourth of July, delves into the harsh and complex conditions endured by the veterans of the Vietnam war. The film does a good job of capturing the promises of the war for the young men who signed up to fight it. The promised glory of a war for democracy like that which their fathers and grandfathers previously earned. The character Ron Kovic in the beginning of the film repeats the ideals of the war as it was thought to be a short conflict that would grant them the glorified experience of war and the honor of having served their country that the US portrayed after WW2 and Korea. The parade at the beginning is a fun celebration of the veterans and an influence on the young minds. The promised glory is a strong thread as many soldiers felt cheated by the government like Ron. The presentation of the Vietnam war was okay but lacked any solid detail of how the war really was. The film certainly prefers to focus on the psychological and cultural ramifications of the war rather than the war itself. The film does a decent job of portraying the surface level of pain and psychological trauma endured by many veterans. It hints towards the presence of PTSD with haunting memories for Ron and the reliance on drugs and alcohol to cope with their time. The anger and anguished that Ron presents as he must accept that he will never be able to return home. I also like the insistence of those around Ron that he did nothing wrong while stating that war is wrong constantly. In general, the film is a decent possibility for what some veterans could have experienced but is far from being a historical source on the subject matter it covers. – Robert Keitz

This film does a fair job in portraying the Vietnam War and what the returning veterans went through. It shows how the war was simultaneously supported and protested by Americans. Some scenes really stood out to me as being particularly accurate. One scene was when Kovic was recovering in the hospital and Willie, one of the hospital attendants who is African American, states that he wouldn't fight a war for a country that doesn't respect his rights. I feel like this line captures the main reason why a lot of African Americans opposed the war and formed organizations like the National Black Antiwar Antidraft Union, as well as one of the goals of the Black Panther Party. Another scene that stood out to me was a brief scene when Kovic's mom was flipping through channels on the television. The television turns on to show protests against the war, and she changes the channel to show something more entertaining. This stood out to me because it showed how some Americans were turning a blind eye to the war, they chose to ignore what was going on because no matter what, they felt the war was right and they were too stubborn to see the other side of things. This relates to today too, especially in regard to politics. Rather than educate themselves on what's going on in the world around them, they ignore it. – Jordan Petty

The film, Born On the Fourth Of July, does a tremendous job on portraying the struggles that many veterans face when coming home from the Vietnam War. Even though they may have only served in the war for a short time compared to other wars, this still had a huge impact on their overall mental state with the perception of themselves and others when returning home. This movie depicts the story of Ron Kovic who was just like any other bright-eyed young boy looking to go into the military. When he was finally able to go, he realized the toll that the war had on him and the years of his life that was taken away. The ways in which the director chose to highlight Ron's growing opposition to the war was executed in a brilliant way for the audience to sympathize with him. -Lauren Simpson

There were a number of details that the film got right about history. Blue on blue was not that rare of a tragedy during the war. Soldiers were in an area totally unfamiliar to them and they were fighting forces who could come out of hiding at any time. Also, while they showed the poor conditions of the hospitals. None of the patients seemed to be getting the care they needed. There is even the scene where the man basically says he is not even a doctor. The film also does a good job of showing the difficulty in readjusting to life back home and the friction that can have in a family. Unfortunately, families like Ron's were fairly common where they simply could not handle their kid after the war. Overall, the film was fairly accurate although it was dramatic and cheesy at times.- Daniel Walker

I thought the movie did a good job of showing the brutality of war and portraying the struggles of soldiers coming back from Vietnam, facing a community that in the words of Ron's friend Stevie: didn't really care about what was going on abroad. Like we discussed in class, people were not involved in the war effort on the home front, as the economy was booming. Although, unlike other wars, people were more aware of some of the horrors abroad as in the movie Donna brings up the My Lai massacre. I think another thing that was good about the movie was it gave a good amount of nuance to the views of soldiers who had just arrived and the thoughts of protestors. Obviously, Ron was upset that he had lost his ability to walk in a war that was so unpopular at home, he had wanted to be seen as a hero, like the men in WWII, and didn't get that treatment. But as Ron comes to understand the point of view of the protestors, he realizes the horrors of the war, and begins to fight so other young men won't be sent without reason. – Helen Dhue

This movie grabs you right from the very beginning with the first scene in Vietnam. When they approach the village after shooting it and see the women and children lying there it give you the same feeling in your stomach as the picture of the My Lai massacre does. Then the aspect of friendly fire thrown in immediately after. Then his supervisor telling him no to talk about it. It all feels real and it makes you angry. Then as the movie progresses they show the crappy hospital conditions and the mixed reception he receives back home. It is that beginning that appears to work very well as a secondary source that ropes you in immediately. I expected to see a film about living through the war during Vietnam, instead I saw a film about living life after the war in Vietnam.- Dan Dilks

It struck me how similar Ron's story was to other Vietnam vets and their experiences returning home, particularly John Musgrave. Musgrave was interviewed for Ken Burns' documentary on Vietnam and severely wounded like Ron. Upon returning home, Musgrove was initially hostile to protestors for many of the same reasons Ron is; so many sacrificed their lives for “freedom” and that the protestors were ungrateful and privileged. However, over time Musgrove began sympathizing with protestors after events like Kent State and quickly started to see the destruction the war was causing at home. Musgrove joined anti-war veterans groups and began protesting the war in similar ways that Ron did. In telling the story of Ron Kovic, Oliver Stone really touched on the experience of so many vets who returned from Vietnam in a really accurate way. - Wilson

The film gets a lot right about the experiences of soldiers during this period. It showed the whole journey of a soldier in the Vietnam War, from their naive optimism when enlisting, to the brutal violence they experienced abroad, and also the harsh reception and treatment of returning soldiers. Soldiers back then truly believed in the cause when they first enlisted and then slowly became disillusioned as the war went on, and the film captured this well. It also showed the struggles of veterans, not just the cold treatment they receive from the citizens, but also the addiction and PTSD issues they often struggled with. The movie works well as a secondary source because it portrays the nuances of each perspective in this time period very well, and it gives people an honest portrayal of the Vietnam War and all that went into it. -Purnaja Podduturi

This film works pretty well as a secondary source - though definitely for mature audiences - about the Vietnam war and the treatment of veterans after the war. It presents a very biting and bloody film contrasted with the glorification of war at the beginning of the film. Born on the Fourth of July does a good job of contrasting the treatment and views of WWII veterans with that of Vietnam veterans and how much less likely it was for them to get the massive parade demonstrations or the kinds of commendations that other veterans often received, particularly when the war was over and the United States had lost. It exemplifies many of the struggles that veterans suffered through medical treatment, permanent and long-lasting effects from the warlike PTSD and paralysis, and the struggle to reintegrate into society after the war, particularly with all of the anti-war protests at home. Additionally, it dove into the protest movement and the treatment of protestors by the police, other veterans, etc. I was overall fairly impressed with the movie and how jarring it made its scenes to give you the sense of chaos and displacement that veterans like Ron felt through their time in the war and at home. - Ashley Dimino

I think that Born on the Fourth of July does a great job at capturing the mixture of emotions about joining the military and fighting in the Vietnam war. It shows both sides of Americans, those who believed that what they were doing was right, and those who disagreed with joining in the fighting. Even within Ron's household, you could see siblings who thought differently, and parents who were unsure of their children's desires to go overseas. I think that the film also did a good job of showing the issues that soldiers faced once they were overseas, such as, low morale, friendly fire, and mixed emotions about their roles once they started actually fighting in the war. In my opinion, this movie would be a good secondary source overall because it is good at showing the mixture of emotions and opinions about the Vietnam war as a whole. -Mariah Morton

After doing some research on the background on Born on the Fourth of July, I found out about Kovic's real life story. In the film, the person Ron never had a girlfriend nor did he speak at the Fourth of July parade. Overall, however, I think that the film does a good job at displaying the historical events involving the Vietnam War. The discussion of the killing of another member of your military is a dark one, and I think that they do a good job at portraying these harsh realities of war. –Tara Scroggins

I also saw that he didn't speak at the fourth of July speech, which I think is important to note, as in class we discussed that Vietnam soldiers often didn't get parades or praise from the community. I think the movie still stays fairly true to the overall disapproval towards the war, as during his speech the audience boos him. –Helen Dhue

One aspect of the film that I thought was misleading is that it only really showed Kovic as a widely recognized leader in the peace movement after the writing of his book. However, it's important to note that Kovic was a leader in the peace movement (not just a reluctant, hap-hazard follower as the film shows) - Ethan

In reading the sources, I noticed more similarities than differences between the sources and Born on the Fourth of July. In particular, reading Philip Caputo's piece showed how soldiers were initially excited to go and fight for their country, but then became quickly disillusioned once they started fighting in the war. This is also shown in the movie when Tom Cruise's character first signs up to fight vs. when he lands in Vietnam. Similarly, Timothy O'Brien's piece deals with the trauma and PTSD soldiers dealt with during their tours, which is shown through Cruise's flashback during the parade, and the guilt he struggles with over killing another soldier.– Cat Kinde

I thought the movie was pretty accurate to the scholarly sources. One of the interesting things the sources pointed to was the Kennedy quote “Ask not what your country can do for you..” and discussed how this sentiment was strong in the minds of many young men. In the movie, Ron watches the same speech and is inspired. As well, the sources describe a nostalgia many men felt towards Vietnam even though it had been a scarring experience. I think we see a little bit of that in Ron, even though he suffers greatly, upon his arrival at home he seems to have some bit of nostalgia towards his time there. –Helen Dhue

Like Cat, I feel as if I noticed more similarities than differences between the historical sources and the movie Born on the Fourth of July. I particularly enjoyed reading the prologue to Philip Caputo’s Rumor of War because he talked about how the war was a long experience for soldiers during and after the War or even when they had left the combat zone. I feel as if the movie captures that concept by having it span over Ron Kovic’s experience after he was injured. Additionally, the prolog talks about “the pride and overpowering self-assurance” that the young men had at the beginning when they signed up for the war. Additionally, the prologue talks about how the men were disillusioned of war and were partially “seduced” into a uniform by Kennedy. I feel like these are things expressed in the film, however, I feel as if the influence that Kennedy played on these young men's lives was downplayed in the film. -Megan Williams

Like mentioned before, I think that this film actually stayed fairly true to the readings. I think that it did a good job of showing the excitement and romanticization people had of war before becoming a part of it; later, it did a good job of showing how those feelings changed. Other issues such as PTSD, life-long injuries, and the death of fellow soldiers, were also bought up in the film as well. I think that it did a good job of portraying the same issues and feelings that were written about in the primary sources. -Mariah Morton

I was wondering when we were going to watch an Oliver Stone movie. Stone is a director known for his historical drama films, like JFK (1991), Nixon (1995), World Trade Center (2006), just to name a few. He's also a director known for his war dramas, like Platoon (1986) and Heaven and Earth (1993). I feel like this film is just another resume filler, it makes complete sense that he directed it. As for the casting, it makes sense to see Tom Cruise as the lead. Cruise was one of the most bankable stars in the 1980s, being in films like The Outsiders (1983), Risky Business (1983), Top Gun (1986) and Rain Man (1988). Everyone wanted him for their projects, and although Stone was not a fan of Top Gun, he wanted Cruise in the movie because of the reputation Cruise had built up, being Hollywood's “Golden Boy.”

Dutka, Elaine. “The Latest Exorcism of Oliver Stone : With Ron Kovic's ‘Born on the Fourth of July,' the Film Maker Returns to Vietnam to Cast out More of the War's Demons.” Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, December 17, 1989. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-12-17-ca-1635-story.html.

“Oliver Stone.” IMDb. IMDb.com. Accessed November 18, 2020. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000231/.

“Tom Cruise.” IMDb. IMDb.com. Accessed November 18, 2020. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000129/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0. – Jordan Petty

Born On the Fourth Of July can be used as a primary source for the time in which it was made due to the director and the actors that were in the movie. The director of this movie is Oliver Stone, who made many other historical film dramas and war-related movies. Some of Stone's other movies that he directed were JFK (1991), Nixon (1995), Platoon (1986), and Heaven and Earth (1993). It is interesting to see that Stone made this movie as a trilogy series along with Platoon and Heaven and Earth because they were all movies that were made about the Vietnam war. Stone wanted to develop these movies because when he was younger, he served as an infantryman in the Vietnam War. It was probably a way for him to showcase his ideas about the war while at the same time trying to emulate Ron Kovic's own personal experience of the war as well. This movie allowed for Stone to showcase both of the men's perceptions and feelings about the war and the changes they felt when returning home. -Lauren Simpson

As a primary source of the time period, Born on the Fourth of July offers an interpretation of the changing opinions in America's policies related to ward in a post-Vietnam setting. The movie itself is based off the autobiography of Ron Kovic, who actually served in Vietnam. The movie also shows the changes in how Kovic perceived U.S. involvement in Vietnam, going from being enthusiastic to join the Marine Corps to openly stating how disillusioned he is with the conflict. While not everything in the film is entirely accurate, the Kovic's changing opinions of Vietnam reflect the public's changing opinion of that era as well as the long lasting repercussions that have carried over into modern day portrayals of war. The movie was made just a little over ten years after Kovic's autobiography was published, meaning these topics were still fresh in the public's minds. – Lyndsey Clark

Oliver Stone has made many movies about Vietnam and is one of the most famous directors of the last several decades. This movie came out very soon after his Best Picture award-winning film “Platoon”. It also came out during a time when movies about the Vietnam War were very popular and frequently made. Stone committed himself to accuracy and genuineness in aspects of these films. For “Platoon”, he sent the cast out in the jungle for two weeks in an attempt to help them get experience in what it was like wandering around the jungles of Vietnam. In this film, while it focused much less on the war, it is clear that the movie checks off the box of being a movie about Vietnam which would increase its popularity in that time. Additionally, given Stone's own experience in Vietnam, it also demonstrates his own viewpoints towards the war and therefore a relevant viewpoint towards the war of many people during that time period.

This film is a great primary source for the time period in which it was made because it represents societal change on the views of Vietnam Veterans and their treatment both in the field and upon returning home. As referenced in class and in the reading, Vietnam veteran’s experience was intensely different than that of American soldiers before them. The raw and real experiences of soldiers featured in this film are incredible because it really shows the struggles some Vietnam veterans went through. While this was just the story of Ron Kovic, it shows the horrors of the Veterans treatment from both the government and the American people, which is something 10 years prior to 1989, just after the war ended, the nation would have never really admitted and the American people certainly would have tanked this movie. The success that it had in 1989 was remarkable in and of itself simply because of how graphic, raw, and uncomfortable the movie is for Americans as it exposes the ugly truth of being a Vietnam veteran and returning to the country veterans risked and lost so much for. -Morgan Gilbert

The film Born on the Fourth of July is an excellent primary source for the filmmaker Oliver Stone. Since Oliver Stone was a Vietnam Veteran himself and has said he has a similar experience to Kovic he was able to relate to his story. Like Kovic, Stone had volunteered for the war and ended up with multiple wounds. Again like Kovic, struggled after that because what started as his patriotic duty left him confused as he tried to understand what actually happened in combat. By deciding to make this film Stone was able to make war real for audiences showing them what people like he and Kovic went through.https://dailyprogress.com/entertainment/oliver-stone-looks-back-at-born-on-the-fourth-of-july-at-va-film-festival/article_6239bdab-d5f2-5503-b88a-1df81089d9da.html -Megan Williams

The film acts as a good primary source for the director, Oliver Stone. Oliver Stone has been known to have some extreme opinions, and he has often criticized public policy and controversial world leaders. He is known for making movies like Salvador, Nixon, JFK, and Platoon. He has strong political opinions and he isn't afraid of showing them through his films. This film shows Stone's personal views on the Vietnam War while adding to his repertoire of historical films. -Purnaja Podduturi

I think it is very important to understand the type of movies and films that Stone creates. It is clear that with the movies under his belt that he focuses on the public's distrust within the Government. Ranging from presidents, the American military, and other hot-button issues, Stone likes to create media that starts a conversation regarding Government officials and the calls they make. We should also note that Oliver Stone does take a large number of creative liberties within his movies, but that there is some truth to them as well. - Kaylee Williams

The film explores an issue that has had resounding consequences since the Vietnam war. The veterans of the war were promised glory but returned home to learn that the nation had defined them as murderers. The psychological tole of a war of ambushes and attrition based on body counts was enough to haunt and break many who endured the Vietnam war. The films that explore the Vietnam era are granted a great opportunity to showcase the PTSD like no other war because the veterans were granted no glory and the Vietnam war is not idealized unlike WW2 or the Korean war. The Vietnam war is a mistake that is overtly acknowledge with hindsight and films that explore the turbulent times surrounding the Vietnam war are important because the time period is one of intense change on both the perception of war and the culture of nationalism. The Vietnam war was a sobering up period for the US following its glory in WW2. The memory of what happened is still fresh and deserves to be explored as a time of social unrest and dissatisfaction. – Robert Keitz

Born on the Fourth of July is important because it shows one of the darker moments in American history, our involvement in the Vietnam War. In terms of dramatization, this film is not as rife with it as some of Stone's other films, and what's more important is that it not only shows the brutality of the war but the turmoil the United States was going through within the country during this time. It does a great job in showing the antiwar sentiment and movements that were going on during the Vietnam War. – Jordan Petty

This movie challenges a very sensitive topic in American history, veterans and anti war sentiment. There is this perception of war and nationalism as being paralleled for patriotism and here we see that they are not the same thing. Kovic is the American dream, a young man going to fight for his country, yet the dream here is paralyzed and left feeling abandoned by the very people he was so passionately protecting. It’s not a very common theme in war movies to have the soldier hate the war and for that it becomes a much more difficult film to watch. -Janis Shurtleff

This movie represents the veterans perspective of events they witnessed in Vietnam, as well as the aftermath. Vietnam is as unpopular as wars get, yet finding an accurate take on the conflict from a veteran's perspective is tough to do. Kovic sees many brutal things while in Vietnam then comes home and suffers just as much in a place where he should be welcomed. For instance, the friendly fire killing of Wilson, which is simply brushed off. And the incident where Vietnamese villages are killed. These are horrific things that not only the American public became aware of, but the soldiers themselves had to deal with committing such atrocities. Circumstances like those can cause a person to become disconnected and develop questionable morals. More importantly, we see how Kovic deals with being paralyzed for the rest of his life because of the war. Veterans can potentially become suicidal and even learn to resent their lot in life due to the circumstances surrounding an condition such as that. – Lyndsey Clark

One important aspect of this movie is the view it provides of a soldier trying to readjust back to life on the homefront. Many movies gloss over this readjustment or simply ignore it. This movie does not. It is important for audiences to see how it can feel as a veteran coming back home, so people around them can help them. It also is able to develop the anti-war sentiment strongly because of the trajectory of the story. Ron starting off as being pro-war but transitioning to anti-war creates a more compelling argument. This movie is more than just a blockbuster Hollywood movie because it has a clear message and desired effect. -Daniel Walker

Compared to other movies we talked about in class on Tuesday, Taxi Driver, Coming Home, Deerhunter, and Rambo: First Blood all depict Vietnam veterans in villainous and monstrous ways. Born on the Fourth of July deals with the struggle veterans had abruptly come back from a war that was so different from anything else the United States had dealt with, and the lack of support veterans had. After the My Lai Massacre, most Vietnam veterans were painted as murderers, rapists, and baby killers. This movie helped to re-humanize Vietnam veterans to the American public, as well as help them understand the impossible situations they found themselves in during the war. –Cat Kinde

This movie is really eye-opening in that it forces audiences to deal with the ugly truth of America’s treatment of Vietnam veterans. This movie highlights so many different aspects of the Vietnam Veterans’ return home, from the social unrest and hatred towards the war and therefore the veterans to their own personal struggles with reintegration to society as a changed person from their experiences. The lack of funding for veteran services in comparison to other wars, the anger between Vietnam veterans and other American veterans from previous wars, the pressure and anger put on families from their sons who they encouraged or forced to join the service were all issues displayed in this movie. The issue of PTSD is also displayed but in 1989 research into its diagnosis was still being completed. Regardless, this movie is powerful and really impacted the viewpoint of its viewers by making them confront the ugly underside of the Vietnam war that more modern generations will have a harder time understanding as they didn’t live through its complexities. -Morgan Gilbert

On some level there was a lot of things that were in this film that can be compared to some things that are happening in America today. People are still burning flags. People are still telling people to leave the country if they don't like it. Police are still over stepping their bounds. We are still sending our men and women off to fight pointless wars that not only result in their deaths but the deaths of thousands of civilians. You can still get called a communist or a traitor for doing something as simple as opposing these wars. Veterans still aren't properly taken care of. The list goes on. This is not to say that we are experiencing the same exact type of social unrest that they were in the 60's and 70's but there is something to be said about these comparisons. That is why this movie matters because it is so relevant to today. It will probably continue to be relevant for many years to come as it seems we haven't been learning from our mistakes. - Dan Dilks

Coming out of the Vietnam era many Americans felt they had been cheated and lied to, this is shown in the film quite well, and many Americans felt really negatively about the conflict and the government all together. However, most of these Americans never experienced the war. The film as well as the primary sources explore the relationship veterans had with the war and the disconnect they felt returning to civilian life. I think this film did a great job trying to bridge the gap between the veteran and civilian perspective. Tons of Americans knew the war was wrong, granted many still believed in it even by the end, but the trauma and hardships faced by returning vets was something that was almost impossible to understand for civilians. The film is still relevant today for that same reason; it explores the pain, nuance, and trauma faced by vets who couldn't or wouldn't talk about those things themselves. - Wilson

I feel like particularly with its focus on the anti-war protests, Born on the Fourth of July is still very relevant in discussing police brutality and this very tempestuous period of protest and rising conservatism. The scene with the 1972 Republican National Convention well-established the contrast of Nixon's words about treating Vietnam veterans well at the same time Ronnie and the other veterans were being abused by Republicans, security, and the police. The primary complaint I had of this film was that it still gave a happy ending, that Ronnie was able to be successful and that him going to the Democratic National Convention in 1976 was somehow going to fix everything. Overall, I thought it was a good film on the horrors of war and the aftermath, but I wish they had addressed that some of the veterans never recovered. I don't know that this helped too much about the consistent portrayal of the crazy Vietnam veteran, but this movie at least provided more understanding and context to what could cause that in veterans and the kind of trauma they went through. - Ashley Dimino