Born On The Fourth Of July: Tom Cruise’s Best Performance?

[@mcnultyssobercompanion6372]

I'm glad you're highlighting this film. If I ever encounter someone who dismisses Tom Cruise as an actor, I bring it up. As well as "Magnolia". You cannot deny the fact that, whatever else he is, Cruise is a gifted artist. I'm also glad anytime Oliver Stone's cinema is discussed. His work particularly from "Salvador" through to "Nixon" deserves much more serious recognition than it receives. He essentially redefined cinema grammar for a little while, which, In my opinion, only the greatest filmmakers are capable of.

[@kasualkombat6404]

Magnolia was his best performance in my opinion but this is up there.

[@charlesderosas5577]

collateral and tropic thunder

[@benjaminngopwaamos6878]

He was also great in The Last Samurai.

[@trinaq]

Yes, another unsung performance from Tom Cruise, and he deserved to win the Oscar for his role, in my opinion.

[@titusmccarthy]

He won the Golden Globe for the performance. Apparently he returned it.

[@cameronpickard7456]

his best performance too bad he didnt continue

[@DougUnfunny]

Don't forget , he role in a few good men. That too is great dramatic preformance from Tom Cruise.

[@hankheavy]

Pretty much the only Tom Cruise movie I've seen where I forget it's actually Tom Cruise cause he does it sooo well. Brilliant performance

[@Locadel2003]

TOM CRUISE is just phenomenal he can do everything: War movie: Born on the fourth of july Thriller: Collateral Comedy: Tropic thunder & Risky business Drama: Magnolia Sci fi: minority report, oblivion and edge of tomorrow Courtroom drama: A few good men Sport movie: Days of thunder Historic movie: The last samurai Sci-fi horror: War of the world He isnt onlt that guy from Top Gun or Mission Impossibile (Action)

[@AurioDK]

You forgot my favorite movie with him, I guess it´s a bit due to nostalgy and thus very subjective. "Legend" which is a magical adventure movie and a category you didn´t you include 😀.

[@julienbencze]

He is very good in American Traffic, a great (tragic) comedy!

[@Omar-wq9dz]

Had he won the Oscar for this role, he would have beat Adrian Brody as the youngest Best Actor winner ever

[@edvaira6891]

Yeah, but NO ONE was beating Daniel Day Lewis for My Left Foot! Just was NOT gonna happen…(which is why it was a freaking Miracle that Brody actually DID end up beating Lewis to win His Oscar!)

[@robzilla730]

He was younger than Timothy Hutton??

[@Marcusx1980]

​@@robzilla730hutton won a "best supporting actor" award

[@davidgagnon5581]

I woululda pegged Tatum O'Neal's Paper Moon Oscar at age ten as the youngest.

[@drown_n]

@@davidgagnon5581again that was was best supporting actor not best actor

[@JohnnyNiteTrain]

Don’t get me wrong, almost every action/sci-fi flick Cruise puts out is great… but I do remember him giving such iconic performances in movies like Born on the 4th, A Few Good Men, Jerry McGuire, Magnolia, Vanilla Sky and so on… I hope some day he gets back to these kinds of roles. Cruise is a really great actor.

[@wattlebough]

They just don’t make films like that any more. At least not in Hollywood. Cinema in America is dead.

[@Divinecomedy232]

He was absolutely incredible in this movie. It was beyond moving, touching, & memorable.

[@stephenfermoyle4578]

i LOVED TOM in this ROLE TOM was OUTSTANDING in every way in this movie. BRAVO TO TOM

[@hcanderson3787]

Thanks so much, I love this movie! I had an experience watching it back in '89 in the theater I had never had before and I haven't really had since, during the sequence when the helicopter crashes and Kovic gets shot, where I forgot I was watching a movie and the reality on screen became everything. Amazing movie from an era where a serious film for adults could get funded and become a hit. An era long gone

[@grapeshot]

Yeah this is the movie he should have got an Oscar for.

[@jamesmorant1406]

Collateral is my favorite performance by Tom Cruise he should have gotten an Oscar for that

[@juicycoutureee]

Tom Cruise is one of the best actors of all time for his range. His performance in this movie solidified it for me.

[@benjaminngopwaamos6878]

He's a great actor, performer, entertainer, hollywood star. He's going to leave behind one hell of a legacy when he dies.

[@rodneycooperjr3223]

His role in 'Lions for Lambs' is a good one, in my opinion. Also, I can't wait to see 'Valkyrie' on this channel. 😁

[@chanclerwalls2739]

Doesn't get enough respect as one of the most perfect book to film adaptations ever made.

[@philip2010]

Born on the 4th of July and apocalypse now are my favorite Vietnam Nam movies

[@Omar-wq9dz]

I think I read somewhere there was a hope Tom Cruise would win an Oscar for this role

[@ChristianGames316]

A very harrowing story to read and Cruise really did knock it out of the park. When I was fresh into college when I was 16 in 2003 we watched this movie in my intro speech class.

[@JonBlockCreations]

Thank you for this! As a huge Tom Cruise fan, I consistently refer to this as his best film and best performance.

[@erichall3326]

Although I've never been to war, this film and Platoon were my first glimpse into what war might be like. Born of the Fourth of July is a film that has always been close to me, and really impacted me somewhere deep within my heart.

[@gloriathomas3245]

Oliver Stone's experience in Vietnam made him quite an anti war person and those anti sentiments were shown in his films

[@oberstul1941]

One of my fav TC movies. The John Williams score hits all the marks, all the feels. Cheers!

[@RC19786]

Thanks for covering this Chris B, a heart wrenching portrayal by one of the most handsome actors to come out of Hollywood who dont just rely on their looks but have talent to boot…an important film and Cruise’s best performance to date!

[@plissken2156]

Fun fact: Three out of the four Baldwin brothers appeared in this movie. Stephen was one of Kovic's buddies during the high school years, William was one of Kovic's fellow infantry men while in country and Daniel was one of the peace activists near the end of the film. Alec sat this one out.

[@neplusultra4196]

I just found out Adam isn’t a brother lol

[@plissken2156]

@@neplusultra4196 Nope. But don't worry. I thought the same thing for the longest time.

[@Dr_1212]

Seen parts of this I need to sit & check it out

[@anotherpeasant]

I always thought this movie is under rated. Most people who like war movies want to see war and explosions on the big screen. It's a tough pill for the average person to swallow that not all soldiers return home with no issues or don't return at all. There's a whole lot of grey area in between and a soldiers fight doesn't end with the last bullet fired.

[@JohnnyNiteTrain]

I wouldn’t really call 8 Oscar nominations “underrated”, including a best picture nomination, Cruise with a nomination, and the movie winning two for Best Director (Stone), and for Best Editing.

[@anom6707]

@@JohnnyNiteTrain not underrated but maybe forgotten? Compared to movies like saving private Ryan, you don’t hear anybody talk about born on the Fourth of July anymore it’s basically been forgotten.

[@JohnnyNiteTrain]

@@anom6707 yeah for sure. I agree.

[@AurioDK]

Nobody ever talks about "Legend" which is my favorite movie with T. Cruise, very subjective as it is related to the first love of my life and thus brings up some nostalgic moments when I watch it. I was a young boy in love with "Sheena Easton" which most of you probably don´t know either, one of those weird fantasy romances, fits the movie concept quite well.

[@danthsmith]

The music is fantastic

[@laurencelikestopgun]

Another Fun Fact: Tom Cruise really wanted the role of Bud Fox in Wall Street, but Stone already gave the role to Sheen on the set Platoon, Stone then suggest that they do BOTFJ together. Personally, I wish Stone had ditch Sheen and done Wall Street with Cruise so we would have gotten two great Stone/Cruise movie

[@elichilton7031]

Agreed. This is easily Tom Cruises best performance. Raw and vulnerable, Tom Cruise pushed himself, not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well, to find and play Ron Kovic. One of Oliver Stones best too, but the thing I am fascinated by is that Robert Richardson was nominated for an oscar for BOTFOJ and his amazing camerawork, but the winner was the legendary Freddie Francis for Glory. How do you choose?

[@djtenzen]

He was actually born on the third of July. July 4th alumni include Geraldo, Post Malone and myself, DJ Tenzen ;)

[@BEEFTEEF4]

This movie is great, and also tough for me. I love how Stone shows how the golden child can come out of 50s/60s America and believe he had to go fight for his country. This was my father’s path. A brilliant and charismatic baseball player that is now a hard edged and disabled 76 year old. He fought hard in the 1st infantry division and came back to people telling him he was a baby killer. Life is hard.

[@KMHill]

IMO, his best is Magnolia. Born on the Fourth is one of Williams' best scores.

[@neplusultra4196]

I was thinking the same thing when I watched the other night. I love his stuff with Spielberg of course but his two favourite scores of mine are with Stone.

[@thedroidish]

It's hard to watch, but, great.

[@MutantsInDisguise]

Yeah, Born onthe Fourth of July is excellent, one of the very few Olives Stone films I like.

[@darkkrenaissance42]

Soon,,, maybe as far as the 2030s ,,, Cruise will begin to make incredible character based (less action) movies involving more drama and emotion,,, just wait... this man is a machine

[@lionlyons]

"Tom Cruise’s Best Performance?" Easily. The whole "thou shalt not kill" drunk sequence is Oscar worthy. It's interesting: all Cruise's early stuff is his best. This, _Rain Man_ , _The Firm_ , _Top Gun_ , _Cocktail_ , _A Few Good Men_ . Tom Cruise hasn't delivered as powerful as this for the last 25 years. Ron Kovic was very impressed by Cruise's portrayal of him and his emotional journey. When the production wrapped, Kovic gave Cruise his Bronze Star Medal, appreciating his commitment to the role.

[@Leonard1977ful]

The movie Born on the Fourth of July I was fantastic. Kovic's autobiography, on the other hand, I thought was too graphic and disturbing in its war violence for me to want to read again.

[@bryanhernandez2045]

He has many great ones but Vanilla Sky is my favorite.

[@matthewmarcinko9157]

This film changed the way I thought about America forever...

[@wstine79]

This really showed an fearce side of Tom Cruise.

[@titusmccarthy]

Fierce?

[@tacoenvy]

Love this movie

[@anom6707]

No wonder why Tom cruise is done with doing drama movies, whenever he did a great job in them he never got much appreciation, specifically from audiences. His drama movies were nominated for awards, but most audiences didn’t care that much about it. Audiences always loved him more in action, so it makes sense why he’s chosen to stick with that now.

[@jasonaugustine3370]

An absolute send, that he did not win the Oscar for this performance And not even nominated for the last samurai

[@charlesderosas5577]

collateral is an underrated performance from him.

[@reijiminato8762]

Kyra Sedgwick - Not only is she Kevin Bacon’s wife, but also the aunt to the Nozuka Siblings (a Japanese-American family of musicians and teachers). Not to mention one of her nephews Justin Nozuka looks like a Japanese Tom Cruise!

[@makatron]

Tom Cruise was robbed an Oscar, he's always giving 200% in every movie he's in.

[@someguy7842]

well no. not exactly. Cruise is a fine actor but Day lewis is arguably the best living actor and his performance in my left foot was one of the best performances of any actor in any movie. Have you seen that movie. Lewis was incredible. Cruise just got unlucky with that years competition. nobody was beating daniel day lewis that year

[@makatron]

@@someguy7842 that pesky Daniel Day Lewis being nominated should be enough for the nominated not tk even bother to attend 😂

[@Omar-wq9dz]

While he wasn’t the star, I really liked his performance as Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder

[@Nicholaus13]

Love Oliver Stone, but Platoon is my fav. This one is great, and Cruise is INSANE. My fav Cruise movies are easily Magnolia and Last Samurai (sue me).

[@siamkia35]

agree with your view

[@joefien3420]

I wanna watch this movie

[@ctttt7019]

So, the last video ends on Top Gun, and you skipped over The Color of Money directed by an unknown director Martin Scorsese and Cocktail as well as a cameo in Young Guns. Hopefully those get covered in the next video

[@ajossi]

I plan to show this film to my sons before they ever decide to join the armed services before they ever go to war, I hope it dissuades them from eating the bullshit the government feeds them about war.

[@anom6707]

I would say let them. They wanna be heroes and act all egotistical and prideful then that’s upto them. Not everyone wants to go to another country to kill someone and some of them even become rapists and never suffer any consequences. So that’s that. No thank you for their service.

[@TrollHunterxXx]

It’s a potent movie … is it my personal favorite … I don’t know … I like him in Risky Business.. Cocktail .. and Vanilla Sky

[@strawdawgs78]

Losing to Daniel Day Lewis is still quite an achievement.

[@michaelstaunton1632]

👍👍👍🎥

[@SpeedyGamer_HD]

i absolutely could not stand tom cruise then one night my girl makes me hop off the game to watch a damn tom cruise movie, i was hooked in the first 15 mins if i had saw this movie before any of his others he would be my favorite actor 10/10

[@Kaitschi]

I love the Mission Impossible Franchise, but I really miss the Character-Actor Tom Cruise like in this, Rain Man, The Firm, Magnolia or like in A few good Men.

[@klabkebash]

Question: So Elias from Platoon survived and ended up in Mexico in a wheel chair with PTSD? =/

[@Ironheart73]

The movie showed just how oppressive the Vietnam war is. Not just to the people of Vietnam but to the American Youth as well. Pres. Johnson was determined to end the war before 1970. So as a result, the Military was aggressively drafting. While there are guys like Ron Kovic who did want to join the marines, many teenagers from middle to low income families had to be drafted because they had no choice. Rich kids could easily dodged the draft (*cough* Trump cough*). When the war became unpopular what the US did to these soldiers to simply put was disgusting beyond belief. First, they were thrown under the bus. They were being hated, spat on, protested as soon as they got to the airport. Second, the government did very little to help these veterans when they returned home. Remember these are kids who barely had any skills in life before they were drafted. Some of them lost a limb or a leg. As they say, Wars are started by men with power, but are fought by those who carry a weapon, and the ones that suffer the most are those with neither.

[@josephnicolino8529]

I missed being born on the Fourth of July by two hours

[@alexanderchase6795]

Hey Chris, you forgot to mention Or maybe you didn't know That Tom Cruise's birthday is on the 3rd of July.

[@grapeshot]

Did he run in this movie I mean before you got put in the wheelchair?

[@rxtsec1]

Originally Tom Cruse wanted to do wall Street but stone promised that part to charlie sheen but he wanted tom for born

[@gidgetgucci4578]

👼🏻

[@gx12]

Cruise needs one more deep character study like this, or Magnolia. Just to shut people up.

[@anom6707]

I don’t think he’ll do another movie like this now. Maybe one movie after he’s done with the mission impossible movies, as a breather perhaps. But I doubt it’ll happen.

[@ivanfranco2363]

Turn up your mic, man. I can barely hear you even with full volume. You have almost a million subs, you’d think you could hire a real sound engineer. Good content though

[@aspie-anarchist9854]

Seriously i know tom is known for is crazy action stunts now. But he can act! He is obviously great here. But he is also amazing pta's magnolia. When is allowed to interesting characters he shines. But he is probably too lost in his ego and image to do that again. I heard he was really mad at paul for making the master which is really about the lunacy of scientology.

[@Al_Camino77]

I’m going with Magnolia as his best.

[@SolCresta3405]

Better than Maverick, better than Ethan Hunt? No way.

[@anotherway007]

Scientology has ruined his potential, he was doing great on and off screen until 2000. He's just done action roles, saving the world but he could have done so much more.

[@Hellomhk]

Crap, i have literally forgot the movie, hamburger hill

[@titusmccarthy]

You're right, compared to this, Forrest Gump IS a cartoon. A very bad cartoon.

[@JordanMayjor3p7]

Tom Cruise can act, but Scientology. So that is that.

[@gonogazz]

Tom Cruise is a kareoke actor..but not singing..just mimicking..the words..But he got a billion dollar smile..Without that smile..day time soap opera for him..!

[@darkkrenaissance42]

I LOVE Daniel Day Lewis,, but My Left Foot was overrated big time,,, by HolyWood moguls.... This is commonplace in the land of make believe ~

[@strohrum001]

poor anLysis, cruise best movie. let other movies die pls stop comparing

[@edsmith4821]

An awesome gutwrenching well acted/scripted movie only let down by Tom's fake beard

[@Movypro23]

Nope, Jerry maguire his best performance

[@titusmccarthy]

WRONG!!!!!

[@JoBloOriginals]

Definitely top 5

[@neplusultra4196]

When I was young we were pretty poor. So we would have a few movies that would come and go before we wore them out. For a year or two the only two movies we owned were taped from TV…Bear and Born on the Fourth of July. I was pretty young like 10 but I’ve seen this movie hundreds of times.

[@concernedandequal1928]

volume is too low

[@blattimus]

So talentless Tom is going above his typical performance playing himself running somewhere on those little stubby legs, and playing himself trying to play an angry paralyzed war vet. I’m pretty sure Daniel Day-Lewis is quaking in his boots at this level of raw talent.

[@ctttt7019]

well, TC gives a great performance here, even though DDL deserved the award. He won the Golden Globe.

[@DougUnfunny]

Don't forget , he role in a few good men. That too is great dramatic preformance from Tom Cruise.