20 War Movies EVERY Film Fan Should Have Seen

14. Born on the Fourth of July

Directed by Platoon helmer and Vietnam veteran Oliver Stone, Born on the Fourth of July is an adaptation of author Ron Kovic's biography of the same name.

A soldier paralyzed from the waist down who devoted his post war life to anti-war activism, Kovic is a compelling and righteously angry presence throughout the film as played by a young Tom Cruise.

Shedding the cocksure charm of Top Gun for a harder edge, Cruise excels in a challenging role as the film offers no easy answers, refusing to idealize either its hero or the deeply flawed institutions he devoted his life to dismantling.