A true story of innocence lost and courage found.
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.
Born on the Fourth of July (1989) is a drama and war film directed by Oliver Stone, released on December 20, 1989 with a runtime of 2h 25m. It stars Tom Cruise, Raymond J. Barry, Caroline Kava and Kyra Sedgwick. Viewers rate it 7.0 out of 10 across 1,944 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for Born on the Fourth of July before you stream it.
Official trailers, teasers, clips and featurettes for Born on the Fourth of July.
Trailer
Teaser
Clip
Clip
Clip
Tom Cruise
as Ron Kovic
Raymond J. Barry
as Mr. Kovic
Caroline Kava
as Mrs. Kovic
Kyra Sedgwick
as Donna
Willem Dafoe
as Charlie
Jerry Levine
as Steve Boyer
Stephen Baldwin
as Billy Vorsovich
Josh Evans
as Tommy Kovic
Rob Camilletti
as Tommy Finnelli
Vivica A. Fox
as Hooker
Lili Taylor
as Jamie Wilson
Tony Frank
as Mr. Wilson
Directed by Oliver Stone, written by Oliver Stone, Ron Kovic and Ron Kovic, produced by Oliver Stone, A. Kitman Ho and Lope V. Juban Jr..
Average viewer score of 7.0/10 from 1,944 ratings.
"Born on the Fourth of July" is a powerful, worthwhile, and highly recommended film which shows the real social and familial challenges Ron Kovic faced when struggling to come to terms with the devastating after effects of war and the reality of how the contentious conflict changed him as a person and redefined how he perceived the world. He became dependant on alcohol for a time, but during a sojourn in Mexico…
Reviewed on February 28, 2025
I think this might be the only film in which I’ve seen Tom Cruise actually act! It’s an inspired piece of casting from Oliver Stone that puts this pretty boy Ron Kovic front and centre as the Vietnam War rages half way around the world from his American home. This lad’s family have history fighting for their country, and despite some reservations from his father (Raymond J. Barry) but with the active support of his…
Reviewed on July 27, 2025
I think this might be the only film in which I’ve seen Tom Cruise actually act! It’s an inspired piece of casting from Oliver Stone that puts this pretty boy Ron Kovic front and centre as the Vietnam War rages half way around the world from his American home. This lad’s family have history fighting for their country, and despite some reservations from his father (Raymond J. Barry) but with the active support of his…
Reviewed on July 27, 2025
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Born on the Fourth of July (1989) is available to stream on Netflix and Netflix Standard with Ads, and to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home and FlixFling. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of Born on the Fourth of July (1989) includes Tom Cruise, Raymond J. Barry, Caroline Kava, Kyra Sedgwick and Willem Dafoe. The film was directed by Oliver Stone. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
Born on the Fourth of July was released on December 20, 1989 and runs for 2h 25m.
Born on the Fourth of July (1989) holds an average rating of 7.0 out of 10 from 1,944 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy drama and war films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official Born on the Fourth of July trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
