This might be old news to some people, but Charlie Sheen is stating that Oliver Stone had originally offered him the role of paralyzed Vietnam vet and activist Ron Kovic in the 1989 movie "Born on the 4th of July". Sheen thought he had the role which eventually went to Tom Cruise.
Sheen said Stone never called him back as promised and Sheen's brother Emilio Estevez apparently broke the news to him saying:
"Are you sitting down? Cruise is doing Born on the Fourth."
The biopic worked out fine for Tom Cruise and director Oliver Stone – it grossed $70 million domestically and got Stone his second directing Oscar and Cruise his first best actor nomination. And Sheen has gone on to great things acting wise in the tv sitcom world, but many think that this role might have solidified his movie career that seemed to start to sputter around that same time.
As for me.. I totally love the beginning of "Born on the Fourth of July" especially when Cruise shows up soaking wet at the dance and starts passionately making out with Kyra Sedgwick. Even the ideology of going off to defend your country and then the shocking reality of war were done quite well in this film. Tom Cruise showed a side of his acting that I didn't know he had at the time and it left me feeling it was a very good movie. But it has also been a movie that I seldom revisit because of the troubling subject matter.
I'm the first to say that war is ridiculous and makes no sense to me.. but I also know that kind of like the speech by Jack Nicholson in "A Few Good Men" ..
"you don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall."
If we didn't have brave men and women defending our freedom everyday.. just where would we be right now?
[ 04. July 2011, 09:39: Message edited by: Valley ]
Posted by Ronnie (Member # 465) on :
this was on cable a few times over the last month or so. i remember my mom watching it a long time ago, and i saw pieces of it with her. haha i remember thinking.. 'this seems too serious of a cruise movie.."..i like cheesy 80s cruise!
great review Val! you make all movies sound cool when you write about them ha! Posted by Pyro (Member # 7658) on :
Nice write up Val. Even though I'm not the biggest Tom Cruise fan..I couldn't imagine anyone else doing a better job playing the role of Ron Kovic in this film. Cruise's performance really is good in this one, and it probably still ranks and one of his most dramatic performances to date. I really doubt Charlie Sheen would have been as good if he had landed the role.
Posted by Bamersy (Member # 8808) on :
This is a good movie. Couple parts really stand out for me even though I've only seen it once:
I want to be a man again. Who's going to love me, Dad? Who's ever going to love me? Who's going to love me?
and the part when he goes to the family of the man he shot accidentally-"friendly fire". Heavy stuff. On a lighter side, Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians version of Dylan's "Hard Rain's Gonna Fall" is one of my favorite songs-ever http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgpF5VjWO34 Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
This 10 minute stretch of the movie really sucked me in .. Cruise was brilliant and it made for great character insight right before Ron heading off to war..
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