Born on 4th of July
Page 1 Childhood battle games.
Page 2 Parade in the neighborhood, where people are all very patriotic. The children are in awe of the soldiers, who are parading their wounds unwillingly.
Page 4 Ronnie can always make his parents proud, by playing baseball.
Page 8 The family gathers to watch JFK’s speech. Ronnie’s mother tells Ronnie that she dreamed that one day, Ronnie is able to say great things just like the president.
Page 10 Ronnie is in college. He is trained by coach as if he’s already in the military. When he comes back home, we realize that his family is deeply religious. His mother makes a big fuss when she finds out that there are playboy magazines in Ronnie’s room.
Page 12 Ronnie participates the championship. When he loses the game, everybody is devastated by his failure.
Page 14 The pitch meeting of the marine corp. What the soldier says speaks to Ronnie’s soul. (EMOTIONALLY OPPORTUNITY FOR RONNIE)
Page 17 The students discuss what they have heard about the marine and their decisions. Ronnie is very passionate about joining the marines, but a few others are selfish.
Page 19 While Ronnie helps his dad at the store, he sees the girl that he likes. The girl is very uncomfortable that he is going to become a marine to fight as she is going to the university. Ronnie is very disappointed that learn that she’s already had a company for the prom.
Page 22 When Ronnie talks to his family about whether to join the marine, although his dad is hesitant, his mother naively encourages him to go. Then Ronnie retrieves to his room, praying to God because he is conflicted himself. In fact, he is so conflicted that he runs all the way to the prom in the pouring rain to find the love of his life and asks to dance with her.
Page 28 Marines. Oct 1967, Vietnam. Ronnie is already a Sergeant and he comforts a frightened rookie. He is a very effective leader but when there is an accidental fire discharge, they killed a lot of civilians, which shocks Ronnie. Although he wants to save the civilians, the incoming of the enemy forces them to evacuate. In panic and chaos, Ronnie accidentally kills one of his fellow soldier.
Page 35 Ronnie tries to confess his responsibility about the killing of the civilians and his fellow soldier, but his commanding officer refuses to listen. After that, Ronnie is tormented by his soul, his fellow soldiers and the terrible condition in Vietnam. (EMOTIONAL CHANGE OF PLAN: RONNIE STARTS TO REALIZE THAT THE WAR IS WRONG.)
Page 38 After Ronnie is hit on the foot, things are going down for the entire platoon. When Ronnie’s gun is jammed, he is hit on the chest by the enemy. Then Ronnie is taken to the battle hospital by the helicopter, but it is too crowded and short-staffed that Ronnie is not attended by the doctor in time. The only one available is the priest.
Page 45 The nurses are busying with playing the cards that nobody cares about Ronnie. There are mice everywhere. He is paralyzed that he doesn’t have dignity.
Page 48 Ronnie watches the TV about people who are protesting against the war. Ronnie is very angry that people are burning the American flag. Although he is very optimistically training himself, the doctor gives him a death sentence, telling him that he is never going to walk again. Also the nurse tells Ronnie that he is blind about the truth of the war. Ronnie feels terrible when a patient gets a hooker in the ward.
Page 52 Ronnie forces himself to walk, refusing to face the fact that he is not going to walk again. But he walks so hard that he injures himself again. Ronnie dreams about being able to walk again in his dream. But the reality is that he has been staring at his shit for a long time with nobody caring for him. Because of the cutbacks of the hospital, Ronnie suffers nightmare in the hospital, fearing that he will lose his leg.
Page 59 Ronnie comes back home at last. The neighbors welcome him with open arms. But Ronnie’s mother is uncomfortable with his own son, which devastates Ronnie. When he sees his own past photo as an athlete, Ronnie is destroyed.
Page 63 A friend of Ronnie opens a successful burger store. Ronnie thought that his friend is going to offer him a partnership, but instead, his friend offers him a cashier position. His friend also tells Ronnie that he has sacrificed for the lies of the government. Back at home, when Ronnie starts to talk against those people who are against the war, when Ronnie’s brother shows disagreement, Ronnie don’t know how to live with himself.
Page 68 Parade time. Ronnie is very excited about it in his marine uniform, sitting in the convertible. But he is frightened by the firecrackers. When some of the civilians show disrespect for the veterans, conflicts ensure.
Page 71 Speech time. The anchor talks about the sacrifices of the boys on the town, died in Vietnam. When it is time for Ronnie to speak, he is lost for words and he feels embarrassed. The family is ashamed of him again. But Ronnie’s best friend finds him and wheels him out of the circus. (POINT OF NO RETURN FOR RONNIE)
Page 75 Ronnie’s parents are not interested in the news and watches comedy instead. While the best friends catch up in the backyard. At first it was like jokes, but then they talks about their common experience of getting shot and how bad the hospital condition was and how ignorant the doctors are. Ronnie talks about how guilty he is and he thinks that he deserves it because he killed the innocent people. Ronnie also talks about how foolish he was and how he is willing to trade his penis for all the belief in the world.
Page 80 Ronnie meets his old girlfriend again. They talk about the past and how sorry she is for Ronnie. The old girlfriend is going to the protest for the Kent State Incident. But they have to separate when a curb is between them.
Page 86 The protest where the students are agitated and the police are ready to put them down. When the police starts to beat the students, chaos starts and Ronnie is completely helpless.
Page 89 Ronnie indulges his sadness in the bar. But a veteran doesn’t like his feeling sorry for himself and conflicts insure. Then Ronnie asks a girl to go to Mexico with him, but he is rejected. But he continues to dance with the girl in his wheelchair until he is completely drunk.
Page 93 Ronnie is sent home by his friend. His mother is angry because Ronnie is drunk again and Ronnie attacks his mother’s religion. Ronnie thinks that he is in more pain than Jesus. When he says that everything has been a lie, it is beyond what his mother can take and the noise wakes up the whole neighborhood. Ronnie blames his mother for forcing him into the army because of her vanity. When Ronnie takes out the tube out of his pants, it really pushes his mother off the edge. When Ronnie comes back to his senses, his father encourages him to go to Mexico. But Ronnie is devastated that he can no longer be a man and no girl will love him.
Page 100 Ronnie goes to Mexico where things are simple and the girls are willing. The veterans claim that they would never go back to the states. Ronnie goes to the whore house and meets a girl. Ronnie is devastated that he won’t be able to connect with the girl in bed.
Page 106 After the sex, Ronnie is really happy for a long time. In fact, he is so appreciative of the hooker’s service that he bought a present for her until he sees her with another man. Then Ronnie goes to see all different kinds of prostitutes. But he is still haunted by the terrible memory during the war.(EVERYTHING IS LOST)
Page 111 Ronnie tries to write a letter to the soldier that he killed during the war but he doesn’t know how. When one of the soldiers starts to have a fight with hookers, both of them are thrown out of the whore house. Then they start a fight with the taxi driver, who leaves them in the middle of the desert. Then they start to attack each other’s credibility. But finally they are picked up by a warm-hearted local.
Page 118 Ronnie goes to visit the grave of the solider that he killed. The family welcomes him with open arms.
Page 126 Ronnie joins the protest against the Vietnam war. They are not allowed to enter the Nixon celebration. But Ronnie still manages to express his hatred for the lies told by the government on TV, which causes chaos in the convention and Ronnie is spit upon and regarded as a traitor just like Ronnie would do when he was young. Just when he is about to be arrested, Ronnie is rescued by his fellow veterans. But then he decides to return to protest.
Page 135 Ronnie is going on TV to talk about what he believes for another presidential candidate against Nixon. He has even written a book.
Page 140 Directed by Oliver Stone.
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