In Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Tom Cruise played Ron Kovic, a real-life Marine who is paralysed in Vietnam and returns home to become an anti-war activist. Directed by Oliver Stone, the film follows Ron from patriotic teenager to wounded veteran struggling with his injuries, his family and his country’s response to the war.
Cruise gave a raw, committed performance, playing Ron across years of anger, despair and resolve. The role brought him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and a Golden Globe win, and it proved that the young star of Top Gun could carry a serious, political drama.
Born on the Fourth of July remains a signature Cruise role because it was his first great dramatic test, and because Ron Kovic’s journey from belief to protest still carries power today.