The defence The Prestige Tourist
“Ambition earns the room.”
The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.
Back to trending 
Born on the Fourth of July
Drama · War · 1989
Paralyzed in the Vietnam war, Ron Kovic becomes an anti-war and pro-human rights political activist after feeling betrayed by the country he fought for.
Movie details
Born on the Fourth of July
“A true story of innocence lost and courage found.”
1989 Drama · War 2h 25m
Critical arithmetic
The consensus, allegedly.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
IMDb
7.2 / 10
120.8K votes
Rotten Tomatoes
84 %
Tomatometer
Metacritic
75 / 100
Metascore
TMDB
7.0 / 10
Community rating
External scores via OMDb · CC BY-NC 4.0. Values normalized for display; availability varies by title.
Paralyzed in the Vietnam war, Ron Kovic becomes an anti-war and pro-human rights political activist after feeling betrayed by the country he fought for.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over Born on the Fourth of July?
For the defence
The Prestige Tourist
“You like your greatness pre-approved.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Popcorn Loyalist
“Big screen, big feelings, no apologies.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
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Casualties of War
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Triumph of the Spirit
Drama · 1989
During World War II, Salamo Arouch, a passionate boxer, is arrested and sent to a concentration camp. Soon, he is forced to box against his fellow prisoners for the sake of entertainment.
Redacted
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A fictional documentary discusses the effects the Iraq war has had on soldiers and local people through interviews with members of an American military unit, the media, and local Iraqis.
Escape from Sobibor
Drama · 1987
The true story of WWII's notorious Sobibor Nazi death camp, where a courageous inmate orchestrates and leads the escape of over 300 prisoners.
Once Upon a Time in America
Drama · 1984
A former Prohibition-era Jewish gangster returns to the Lower East Side of Manhattan over thirty years later, where he once again must confront the ghosts and regrets of his old life.
The Doors
Music · 1991
The story of the famous and influential 1960s rock band and its lead singer and composer, Jim Morrison.
Requiem for a Dream
Crime · 2000
The drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island residents are shattered when their addictions run deep.
Where it lives
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Oliver Stone
Written by
Oliver Stone · Ron Kovic
Tom Cruise
Ron Kovic
Raymond J. Barry
Mr. Kovic
Caroline Kava
Mrs. Kovic
Kyra Sedgwick
Donna
Willem Dafoe
Charlie
Jerry Levine
Steve Boyer
Stephen Baldwin
Billy Vorsovich
Court is in session
Put Born on the Fourth of July on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist
“Importance has entered the chat.”
The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.