BEFORE: Oh, sure, I could have saved this for July 4, or even Veteran's Day, but I started the war-film chain with Tom Cruise ("Lions for Lambs") so I might as well end the chain with Tom Cruise.
THE PLOT: The biography of Ron Kovic - paralyzed in the Vietnam war, he becomes an anti-war and pro-human rights political activist after feeling betrayed by the country he fought for.
AFTER: Ach, this was a tough one to watch, as Kovic endured not just the horror of war, but the horror of being treated in a Bronx V.A. hospital. It's almost hard to determine which situation was worse. I sort of gave our soldiers short shrift by choosing "Manchurian Candidate" as a Veteran's Day film - this would have been much more appropriate. Let this serve as a reminder, going into the holiday season, that the people who have sacrificed, deserve proper care and our gratitude.
That said, it's easy to draw the connections between Vietnam, as portrayed in this film, and our current situation in the Middle East. Wounded soldiers here complain about being sold a "false bill of goods" about the war, and parents wonder why their sons are being sent to the other side of the globe to die - which sounds all too familiar. And it makes me wonder why the later scenes of 1970 war protests are not being echoed more frequently in our streets today.
This was made a few short years after "Platoon", also directed by Oliver Stone, and features appearances by several of the same actors (11 in fact, including Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, John C. McGinley) but it's really Cruise's movie. And an interesting character study as we watch Kovic go from idealistic teen to jittery soldier to defiant patient to angry protester.
There's no question that Kovic got a raw deal, but I'm forced to question whether it all went down so melodramatically - or whether details were added so that his story could be more of an idealized story, representing the plight of many Vietnam vets. Kudos for focusing on the individual, who as a microcosm represents a larger situation.
Also starring Willem Dafoe (last seen in "Clear and Present Danger"), Tom Berenger (last seen in "Training Day"), Kyra Sedgwick (last seen in "Phenomenon"), Frank Whaley (last seen in "Ironweed"), and a ton of cameos: Tom Sizemore (last seen in "Black Hawk Down"), John C. McGinley (last seen in "Talk Radio"), Stephen Baldwin, Billy Baldwin, Daniel Baldwin (that's gotta be a rarity, 3 Baldwins in one film), Mike Starr (last seen in "Blood and Wine"), James LeGros, Bob Gunton, Edie Brickell, Lili Taylor (last seen in "Public Enemies"), Holly Marie Combs, Wayne Knight, Vivica A. Fox.
RATING: 6 out of 10 shots of mezcal
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