BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY: Great To Be Nominated
All that ugly makeup for naught… Tom Cruise watches Daniel Day-Lewis run away with the best actor Oscar statuette of 1989.
Oliver Stone’s 1989 best picture nominee Born on the Fourth of July will be screened as the next feature in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences‘ "Great To Be Nominated" series on Monday, July 30, at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
Actor Raymond J. Barry, sound effects editor Scott Gershin, and rerecording mixers Gregory Harold Watkins and Michael Minkler will take part in a panel discussion following the screening.
Born on the Fourth of July is one of those films whose importance stems from their messages, as opposed to how those messages are conveyed. This family & politics drama tells the story of Ron Kovic, a paraplegic Vietnam veteran who becomes an anti-war activist. Stone and Kovic adapted Kovic’s autobiography for the screen, and the result was — as to be expected, considering that this is an Oliver Stone production — a mixed bag.
Stone is not one to convey ideas with subtlety. If he can’t find himself a hammer, he’ll get an electric chainsaw to ensure that his Message — however muddled — will get into the brains of his audience. Platoon, Wall Street, and Alexander were torpedoed by that approach; JFK miraculously survived it. Born on the Fourth of July sometimes sinks, sometimes stays afloat.
In truth, Born on the Fourth of July is superior to most of Stone’s output, even though it does suffer from the director’s usual lachrymose Dramatic Moments and heavy-handed speechifying. Compounding matters, although Tom Cruise tries — and tries hard — he’s not up to the demands of the role. The film’s technical credits, however, are just fine.
Born on the Fourth of July received a total of eight Academy Award nominations, winning Oscars for Directing (Oliver Stone – who beat Woody Allen’s masterful work in Crimes and Misdemeanors) and Film Editing (David Brenner, Joe Hutshing). The film was also nominated for Best Picture (A. Kitman Ho and Stone, producers), Actor in a Leading Role (Tom Cruise), Cinematography (Robert Richardson), Music – Original Score (John Williams), Sound (Michael Minkler, Gregory H. Watkins, Wylie Stateman, Tod A. Maitland) and Writing – Screenplay based on material from another medium (Stone, Ron Kovic).
James Hendrie’s Oscar-winning live action short Work Experience, about an inexperienced man looking for a job that requires experience, and Mark Baker’s Academy Award-nominated animated short The Hill Farm, about a country couple whose placid lives are turned upside down on a fateful day, will be screened prior to the feature.
Individual tickets for the remaining screenings in part four of "Great To Be Nominated" are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. Tickets may be purchased by mail, in person at the Academy during regular business hours or, depending on availability, on the night of the screening when the doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets also may be purchased online at www.oscars.org/events. There are no minimum order requirements and no transaction or processing fees. Tickets may be purchased online until noon PDT on the day of the event.
Curtain time for all features is 7:30 p.m., and pre-show elements will begin at 7 p.m. The Academy is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information, call (310) 247-3600.
Photo: © A.M.P.A.S.
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