12: Born On The Fourth Of July

This week, things get grim with Oliver Stone’s 1989 anti-war biopic Born on the Fourth of July. Is Stone on the side of the angels? How does political criticism work in a film about a real person’s life? Has Willem Dafoe ever been less enjoyable? Content warning: graphic violence, medical trauma, militarism, disability, sex work and sex workers, religious iconography and language, riots and civil disobedience Unanswered Questions: Do Oliver Stone’s personal politics help or hinder the narrative of the film? Is it acceptable to fabricate real-life events in the service of a political point? How do we feel about the treatment of race in this film? Further reading: Born of the Fourth of July The Sad Decline of Oliver Stone Meryl Streep and Martin Scorsese on Woman’s Language The Last Star In Hollywood Definitive List Of Tom Cruise Films The Last Star In Hollywood: Production Schedule Thanks for listening! For bonus shows, extra content and more, support The Last Star In Hollywood and the Next Word network by visiting Patreon.com/NextWord! Join us next time as we begin the 1990s with a return to Scott, Bruckheimer and Simpson — and introduce Nicole Kidman — with Days of Thunder! The Last Star In Hollywood is an independent podcast produced by Elizabeth Rae and Alastair Stephens. Copyright © 2023 The Last Star In Hollywood. All Rights Reserved. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★