Born on the Fourth of July

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.

Goofs

Anachronisms: A 1957 Chevrolet convertible (released in the fall of 1956) is used in the 1956 Fourth of July parade.

Continuity: Ron’s family watches JFK’s inauguration in Washington, DC in January 1961. It is sub-freezing there. Outside the Kovic home in Long Island, NY at the same time, it appears to be early fall.

Anachronisms: A Jackie Gleason Blvd. street sign can be seen at the 1972 Republican National Convention in Miami Beach. The street wasn’t named that until after Gleason’s death in the late ’80s.

Anachronisms: Set in 1968-69, includes the 1971 song “American Pie”.

Anachronisms: Reeboks (first made in 1978) at a 1972 Republican convention.

Continuity: When Ron returns home from the hospital the subtitle says “…1969″. The colors of the leaves and the dead l eaves in the street indicate it is autumn. A few scenes later the subtitle reads “July 4, 1969″, and the implication is that time has moved forward.

Anachronisms: In the welcome home parade in 1969 we see two Elvises with the American eagle jumpsuit. This was not made for Elvis until his Aloha From Hawaii show in 1973.

Anachronisms: While the US Marines did use the M14 rifle at the beginning of the Vietnam War, they had already been traded in for the new M16 by 1968.

Factual errors: During a scene identified as July 4, 1969, the Kovic family is watching “Rowan &
Martin’s Laugh-In” (1968). Laugh-In aired on Monday evenings, and July 4, 1969 was a Friday.

Quotes

Mrs. Kovic: Don’t say penis in this house!;
Ron Kovic: Penis! Penis! Big fucking erect penis, ma!

Ron Kovic: People say that if you don’t love America, then get the hell out. Well, I love America.

Media