Born on the Fourth of July

Ron Kovic is a paraplegic Vietnam War veteran, and Born on the Fourth of July is the story of his life. He is an All-American boy, patriotic and proud to serve his country in the Vietnam War. After enduring horrific treatment in Vietnam and back home in the veteran hospitals, his adoration for his home country dwindles and he returns to his home town a changed man. Kovic is under the pressure of a progressive brother who supports the Vietnam protests and an overbearing, hyper-religious mother. He goes through periods of his life when he is an alcoholic, a protester, and then a successful author. There are many film techniques used to signify Kovic’s damaged mental state and his fragile psyche. For the first half of the movie, every scene change was quick and dramatic, as if Kovic was always waking up suddenly from a bad dream. Once the protagonist came to terms with himself and his predicament, the scene changes began to happen slowly and calmly, as if his life was on track and whatever was to happen next was supposed to be coming up. Film music plays a large role in tying together all of the parts of Ron Kovic’s life. The song ‘You’re a Grand Old Flag’ is played the first time Kovic sees a Fourth of July parade with Vietnam War veterans. At this point in the story, he is a young boy with a lot of love for his country and tons of respect for the soldiers that fought in their wars. He idolized these veterans, and it conflicted him to see the men broken, with their eyes vacant, jumping at every sound of a firework. The second time this song is played, Kovic was a disabled veteran himself and he was speaking at a Fourth of July celebration in his home town. He has an incident on stage when the sound of a helicopter reminds him of a very vivid memory of the war. This is one of his most damaged moments. The last time ‘You’re a Grand Old Flag’ is played is at the end of the film, where Kovic is being pushed down a hallway towards a stage, where he is about to introduce his memoir. He is adored and respected, and he mentions in a quick interview that he finally feels as if he is home.