Born on the Fourth of July (1989) - full transcript

It was a long time ago.

Sometimes I can still hear their
voices across Sally's woods.

There was Billy, Steve, Tommy,

and the tall kid from
down the street... Joey.

Yeah, it was Joey Walsh.

My best friend was Timmy Burns

who lived two blocks away from me.

We turned the woods
into a battlefield

and dreamed that someday
we would become men.

Did you hear it?

What?



Let's go, Timmy. Let's go.

Come on, Major.

They've got to be
somewhere, Ronnie.

Watch out.

You've got to stay in the ravine.

Go. Go. Go.

Look, there they are.

Wipe them out.

You're dead, and you know it.

No, I'm not.

Ronnie's dead.

No, I'm not. No, I'm not.

Look at the mayor.

I wonder where your mum is.



Where is that woman?

Hey.

Hi.

♪ 3 o'clock, 4 o'clock rock ♪

♪ 5, 6, 7 o'clock ♪

♪ 8 o'clock rock ♪

♪ 9, 10, 11 o'clock,
12 o'clock rock ♪

♪ We're gonna rock around
the clock tonight ♪

♪ Put your glad rags on ♪

♪ And join me, hon ♪

♪ We'll have some fun when
the clock strikes 1:00 ♪

♪ We're gonna rock around
the clock tonight ♪

Donna.

Donna, come back here.

Get out of the way.

Hey, you boys. Stop that.

♪ When the band slows down ♪

♪ We're gonna yell for more ♪

♪ We're gonna rock around
the clock tonight ♪

Donna. Donna.

Stevie Boyer just gave
Mary Barnett a ring.

Can you believe it?

Over there.

Ok.

Come here, come here.

What is this?

Is this a firecracker?

What's wrong with you?

Hey.

Hey.

This is boring.

Yeah, square, man.

Look, Daddy, the soldiers.

Happy birthday, Ronnie Kovic.

For me?

Yes. Open it.

That's really nice, Donna.

Say thank you, Ronnie.

Thanks, Donna, but
you didn't have to.

Going to the woods tonight?

They'll have fireworks there.

Should be a real blast.

Yeah, ok.

What is it? Open it.

Leave him alone.

Beautiful.

Hey, it's the real thing, Ronnie.

Feel that.

Just like Mickey Mantle, Ronnie.

Ain't he a 4th of July
firecracker in that hat?

Yeah. He's my little
Yankee Doodle boy.

Hey, get it. Get it.

Come on.

Let's go.

Did you like it?

I don't know.

I don't know.

Hey, look how many
push-ups I can do.

Wow. Yeah.

Yeah.

Come on, Ronnie.

Go, Ronnie, Go.

Go, Ronnie. You can do it.

Go.

Yes.

Yes. That's my boy.

That's my boy.

Yes.

Ronnie, you made it.

Yeah, all right.

Tommy. Ronnie. Come on.

You're going to miss it.

Michelle. Barbara.

You've got to see this.

Not as a call to bear arms,
though arms we need,

but a call to bear the burden
of a long twilight struggle,

a struggle against the
common enemies of man...

tyranny, poverty,
disease, and war itself.

You'll get a licking
if you're late.

In the long history of the world,

only a few generations
have been granted the role

of defending freedom...

Look, President Kennedy, Daddy.

That's right.

He's so handsome.

I do not shrink from this
responsibility, I welcome it.

Let the word go forth
from this time and place

that the torch has been passed

to a new generation of Americans
born in this century.

Let every nation know that
we shall pay any price,

bear any burden, support
any friend, oppose any foe

to assure the survival and
the success of liberty.

I had a dream, Ronnie,
the other night,

and you were speaking to a
large crowd just like him.

Just like him.

And you were saying great things.

And so, my fellow Americans,

ask not what your
country can do for you,

ask what you can do
for your country.

Right. Right up.

Get out. Got to get out.

You got to get out.

You got to get out.

Hit that switch. Hit the switch.

All right, hit the ropes.

Go, go, go.

Hand over hand over hand.

Get those legs off those ropes.

Come on, ladies, let's come down.

Let's come down.

That rope is like life.

You grab it and
hang onto it. Next.

I want you to kill.

You hear me?

Yes, sir.

Kill.

I want that conference
championship.

Do you want that
conference championship?

Yes, sir.

Get up. Heads.

Get them up. Do you hear me?

Get your heads up, ladies.
Get your heads up.

I want that conference
championship.

If you want to win,
you got to suffer.

You want to be the best?

You got to pay the
price for victory,

and the price is sacrifice.

Susanne, no homework
at the table, please.

No, Tommy. After supper.

Dad?

Yeah?

Can I come with you?

There's the next
conference champion.

Sorry I'm late, Ma.

There's rice on the stove
and fruit in the icebox.

I can't.

It's on your diet, right?

I got to drop 3
pounds by Saturday.

Your brother's a
hard worker, Tommy,

because he wants to be the best.

Win or lose... in school,
in sports, in life...

as long as you do your best,
that's what matters to God.

Win or lose, we still love him.

Can I go to my room?

Yeah, sure.

Thank you, God, for this food.

In the name of the Father, the
Son, the Holy Ghost, amen.

Daddy, Jimmy took my doll.

I'll get the doll.

I hate his guts.

Just go to bed.

I didn't take anything.

Where's your sister's doll?

Jackie? Why is Jackie not in bed?

Ronnie.

Where'd you get this?

What are you doing
in my room, anyway?

Don't change the subject.

I don't allow Playboy
magazine in this house.

Stevie gave it to me.

You have filthy, impure thoughts.

God's going to punish you.

I haven't even looked
at it yet, all right?

Go to confession. I want you
to tell Father McKenna.

I don't want to see this filthy
magazine in my house again.

Now, take this away.

What's going on?

Nothing.

What do you mean, nothing?

Nothing, Dad. Ok?

You're out of bounds,
guys. Back inside.

Come on, Kovic, back
inside. Come on, Kovic.

Go, Ronnie.

Kovic, back inside.
Come on, Kovic.

Back inside. Let's go.

I want to see some explosion.

Come on, Ronnie.

No messing around.

You're great, Ronnie.
You're great, Ronnie.

Stay with him.

Come on down. All right.

Ok Get off the mat.

You're going to get...

Get him. Get him.
Get him. Get him.

Reversal. 2 points.

All right.

Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

You.

One, red. You're both up.

All right, fresh
start. Fresh start.

Stand up. Don't let him get you.

Don't let him get you.

Pull him out. All right.

Watch those legs. Watch him.

Get him down. Don't
let him get the neck.

No. No.

No.

You can beat him, Ronnie.

Come on. Come on. Come on.

Ronnie, Ronnie, Ronnie.

Bridge. Bridge.

You can win. Don't give up.

Oh, no.

Ok, son?

Oh, no.

Come on, get up.

Attention.

Forward march.

Left, left.

Left, right, left.

Seats.

Good morning.

I am Gunnery Sergeant Hayes.

This is Sergeant Bowers.

United States Marine Recruiting
Station, Levittown, New York.

We are here today

at the request of your
principal Mr Richards

and other members of the faculty

to tell you a little bit
about the Marine Corps.

First off, young men, let's
get one thing straight.

Not everybody becomes
United States Marines.

We want the best, and we'll
accept nothing but the best,

because there is nothing prouder,

nothing finer, nothing
standing as straight

as a United States Marine.

Now, they've got the Army.

They got the Navy.

They got the Air Farce.

And if you want to join
them, be my guest.

But if you want a challenge...

if you want to try
something difficult...

if you want to try to
achieve the impossible...

you try 13 weeks of hell at
Parris Island, South Carolina,

and you'll find out if
you got what it takes.

You'll find out if you
really are a man,

then the Marines may be
what you're looking for.

Tarawa...

Iwo Jima...

Belleau Wood...

the Frozen Chosan Reservoir.

First to fight. We
have never lost a war.

We have always come when
our country's called us.

Now, Sergeant Bowers and I

would like to open
this up to questions.

So if any of you young
men do have questions,

go ahead and raise your hands.

Come on, now. Don't be afraid.

Don't forget, a good
Marine's a thinking Marine.

Billy Vorsovich, sir.

When would I get to wear
a uniform like you?

You can be wearing
this in 13 weeks.

Go. Go.

Go, Massapequa.

Go. Go. Go.

- Yay.
- Yay.

Hi, Donna.

Go. Go.

Go, Massapequa.

Go.

My brother's at school at Adelphi.

He said there will be a
war in... what is it?

Vietnam.

The Marines will be the first
in, and it won't last long.

So if we don't sign up
soon, we'll miss it.

I've already decided.
I'm going in.

Really?

Just like that?

I'm not waiting. I'm going in now.

You're crazy.

Our dads got to go to WWII.

This is our chance to
be part of history.

Yeah, just like our dads.

Think about what you're doing.

It could be dangerous over there.

You could get yourself killed.

Where are you going,
squirrel head? College?

I want to do something
with my life.

I can get a degree in
Business Administration.

You don't need to
serve your country?

Don't you care about
anybody but yourself?

Better dead than red.

They got missiles pointed
at us everywhere. ICBMs.

Coming in all around us.

Cuba now. 90 miles away.

They're taking over.

When will we stop them?

You can't stop them by yourself.

Communism is moving in everywhere.

Where, Ronnie? I don't see them.

They're not here in Massapequa,

so I'll just take
care of number one.

That's right. Me...
Stevie, number one.

Someone's got to stay with
the women and children

while the men go do the fighting.

All I'm saying is, think about it.

Think about it, Ronnie.

Stevie, who are you
taking to the prom?

Wendy Daniels.

Wendy Daniels?

Wendy Daniels?

Didn't the S.P.C.A. take her away?

Well, who are you taking,
Joey, your mother?

Ronnie, who are you going
to take to the prom?

You don't know her.

She's a pretty girl
from Ronkonkoma.

What's her name?

You don't know her.

What's her name, Ronnie?

Her name is Lombardi.

Lombardi?

Yeah.

Vince Lombardi?

Rosanna Lombardi.

She's from out of town, right?

She going to get a motel?

Because I'd like
to get in on that.

Ronnie, would you take
this to section three?

Check the stock for dog food.

Dog food.

Then finish stacking the potatoes.

Come on. Let's go.

Let's do some work for a change.

This goes in section three?

Section three.

Ok, Dad.

Hey, Donna.

- Hi, Ronnie.
- Hi, Ronnie.

Hi, Ronnie.

How you doing? How's...

Good.

I heard that you were
going into the Marines.

Yeah, yeah.

It's better than working at A&P.

That's great, Ronnie.

That's wonderful.

I'm going to boot camp soon.

I joined for four years,
so I go to Vietnam,

probably on the front line.

Really?

I'll see a lot of action.

Wow.

That's neat.

Heard you got into that school.

The letter?

Yeah.

Yeah, Syracuse.

It's going to be really hard.

Could I... Could I talk
to you in private?

Oh, yeah. Sure.

I've been meaning to call you.

I was wondering, are you going
with someone to the prom?

Yeah. I'm going with Jed.

Oh, yeah? That's great.

I mean, he's a nice guy... Jed.

Stevie Boyer told me

that you were taking some
girl from Lake Ronkonkoma.

Yeah. No, no.

No?

No. I don't have
time for that stuff.

There's a lot of
things to take care of

before you go in the Marines.

I didn't even know how much stuff.

Maybe I'll see you
before I leave, ok?

♪ Soldier boy ♪

♪ Oh, my little soldier boy ♪

♪ I'll be true to you ♪

♪ You were my first love ♪

♪ And you'll be my last love ♪

♪ I will never make you blue ♪

♪ I'll be true to you ♪

♪ In this whole world ♪

♪ You can love but one girl ♪

I told you I love you.

You promised.

♪ Let me be that one girl ♪

♪ For I'll be true to you ♪

The batter is Mickey Mantle.

Mickey has two strikes and the
chance to put the Yankees

ahead in this game.

The pitcher gets his sign,

takes his stretch,
checks the runners.

Here's the pitch.

Mickey swings, and he connects.

There's a long drive
deep to centre field.

It is going, going.

It is gone into the
bleachers, 455 feet away

for Mickey's 491st home run.

How about that?

The crowd is on its feet, giving
Mickey a standing ovation.

♪ And rattle your walls ♪

♪ For the times, they
are a-changing ♪

♪ Come, senators and congressmen ♪

♪ Please heed the call ♪

♪ Don't stand in the doorway ♪

♪ Don't lock up the hall ♪

♪ For the times, they
are a-changing ♪

There's absolutely no question.

The First Cavalry Division

is the latest concept
in mobile warfare.

One division is worth 2 1/2
Russian and 6 Chinese divisions.

How well will the
individual soldier

stand up here in Vietnam?

What do you think,
Dad, about that?

I don't know.

13,000 miles...

that's a long way to
go to fight a war.

They fought the French and
the Japanese for 30 years.

Can they be weeded out?

Anything that lives in a
cave can be weeded out.

I just hope they send you
to Europe or Korea or...

They can't.

Some place safe.

Every Marine has a
tour of duty there.

It's not like the Army.

What's wrong with you?

You served. Uncle Bob served.

I know, Ronnie. I know.

Remember what President
Kennedy said?

There won't be an America any more

unless people are
willing to sacrifice.

I love my country.

I know.

And you're right, Ronnie.

You're doing the right thing.

Communism has to be stopped.

It's God's will you go.

We're proud of you.

Be careful, that's all.

Up there in Hanoi,

they don't allow magazines,
newspapers, and televisions

to cast doubts on the
military system.

Don't you know what being a
Marine means to me, Dad?

Ever since I was a kid, I've
wanted to serve my country,

And I want to go.

I want to go to Vietnam, and
I'll die there if I have to.

The attitude of people
on the home front

is very important in this war.

Not a nice night for the prom.

Can the South Vietnamese
government stand up to the North?

We wouldn't be here if
we didn't think so.

Sometimes, God, I'm so confused.

Sometimes I think I'd just...

like to stay here in
Massapequa and never leave...

but I got to go.

Just help me, Jesus.

Help me to make the
right decision.

Please, dear God.

Ron.

Ronnie, what happened to you?

Ronnie.

What...

Oh, Jeez.

Donna.

Ronnie.

Will you dance with me?

Oh, yes.

Yeah, sure.

♪ Moon River ♪

♪ Wider than a mile ♪

♪ I'm crossing you in style ♪

♪ Someday ♪

♪ Oh, dreammaker ♪

♪ You heartbreaker ♪

♪ Wherever you're going ♪

♪ I'm going your way ♪

♪ Two drifters ♪

♪ Off to see the world ♪

♪ There's such a lot of world ♪

♪ To see ♪

♪ We're after the same ♪

♪ We're after the same ♪

2-Alpha, 2-Alpha, this is 6, over.

6, 6, 2-Actual, over.

2-Actual, this is
6. That's a roger.

You have beaucoup gooks.

They're coming at you.

Echo-1's pushing them. Over.

6, 6, 2-Actual.

Sit Rep as follows...

two set in on the beach.

The tracks are moving this way.

Sounds like beaucoup
gooks in there.

I'm finally going to see one.

Relax, you'll be all right.

Where you from, Wilson?

First Battalion, Ninth Motor "T."

The Sergeant Major said the
grunts needed replacements,

so they took me out
of battalion supply.

Where are you from in the world?

Oh, Venus, Georgia.

This is my second tour.

I haven't seen a Georgia
boy get hurt yet.

You'll be all right.

Echo-6, Echo-6, Snake 1-9er...

All right.

Echo-1's taking incoming
Northwest edge of the ville.

We got gooks moving this way.

Look out there, Sergeant.

Can you see them?

Right there. You see them?

They got rifles.

Can you see the rifles?

Right there. You see them?

You see them?

Can you see the rifles?

Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

Pass the word.

When I give the order, I
want to light up this ville

like a motherfucking
Christmas tree.

This time I think we
got them. Move out.

Pass the word. Fire on command.

Wilson, come with me.

Cover that big hooch.

Fire on my command. Pass the word.

Corporal, start ranking.
Fire on my command.

Fire on my command.

Cease-fire.

What happened?

What the fuck are you doing?

Cease-fire.

What happened?

Cease-fire.

I want to know what happened.

I don't know, sir.

Possible accidental
discharge, sir.

We better get a sweep
team in there.

Take five men. Tell
me how many we got.

Yes, sir.

Motherfucker.

Baldy on me.

Brooks. Martinez. On me.

Wilson. Wilson, on me.

2-alpha, moving on the
ville at this time. Over.

Line. Line. Line.

Ironhand for fire mission.

Stand by.

Grid... 1-5-6-3-7-9er.

Direction... 5-800.

Gooks in the ville, Battery 6.

Victor, Tango in effect.

How copy? Over.

Baldy. Baldy.

Lai Dai. Lai Dai.

Get him out. Get him out.

Come on, Baldy, come on.

Check it out over
there. Everything out.

Baldy, get everything out.

Baldy. There. Check it out.

Echo-2, Alpha.

Echo-2, send your Sit Rep. Over.

Lai Dai. Lai Dai.

Lai Dai. Lai Dai.

Get him out.

Get him out.

Check those hooches
and clear ASAP.

We've got a fire
mission inbound. Over.

Oh, my God.

We didn't do this, did we?

Oh, my God.

Jesus Christ.

Oh, my God.

2-Actual-2, better
get down here quick,

and bring the corpsmen.

We got beaucoup
wounded. Civilians.

Martinez, help me.

We wasted them.

Motherfucker. We wasted them.

Oh.

Det Roy.

Where are the rifles?

Where are the rifles?

There ain't no fucking rifles.

Damn it.

Jesus fucking Christ.

Well, help him then.

Help him. Help him. Help him.

Oh, motherfuck...

I want you to help him.

Forgive us.

Help me. Somebody help me.

6, 6, 2-Actual.

Request emergency medevac.

We got a lot of
friendly wounded. Over.

Get out of there.

Leave those wounded.
You got Arty inbound.

Get out. Get out.

Get back to the dunes.

We got gooks in the
ville. Move out.

Get out. Move out.

That's a direct order.

I want you out that door.

It wasn't your fault, goddamn it.

They got in the goddamned way.

Get off the deck.

We got gooks in the ville.

The baby.

Get back to the dune.

The baby.

No. Move out. Let's move.

Kovic, move.

Move out.

Move out. Move. Move.

The ville is going to blow.

Red. Abbot.

Wilson.

Wilson's hit.

What happened?

Where's First Platoon?

For God's sake, Corpsman.

Where's my "A" gunner?

Sergeant Kovic here
to see you, sir.

Stand easy, sergeant.

Yeah, Kovic, the
lieutenant told me

that was a pretty rough time.

Yes, sir. It was pretty bad.

Ran into a few of them?

Yes, sir.

You want to see me about
something, Sergeant?

Yes, sir.

Like I said to the captain, sir...

it was a very confusing day.

The villagers...

Yeah. I know about the
villagers, Sergeant.

They... the villagers...

It was very, very unfortunate.

The enemy used the
villagers as cover.

Yes, sir.

They popped up, started firing.

We were running back, sir.

It was real glary.

Very confusing, and that's
when it happened, sir.

What happened?

Sir, that was when
Wilson was killed, sir.

Yeah, I know about Wilson.

Sir, see...

he was the last one out,

and that's when it happened, sir.

Sir, I think I might...

I might have killed him, sir.

I don't think so.

He was coming up over the dune.

I think I might have killed him.

It's hard.

I was out a couple of weeks ago.

Sometimes it's... very hard
to tell what's happening.

Yes, sir.

But, sir, I think I killed Wilson.

I don't think so, Kovic.

But, sir, I want you
to know that...

Don't talk like that.

Don't tell me this shit.

I'll take your head
off. Is that clear?

Yes, sir.

That clear?

Yes, sir.

All right.

Carry on.

XO Ought to court-martial his ass.

Sergeant K.

Get some sugar in the blood.

Ain't no thing, dog.

Ain't nothing but a thing, baby.

It's so hot out here, I want to
kill some motherfucking gooks.

Dog, you're sounding
like a bitch, man.

Ain't nothing but a thing.

Nothing but a thing.

It's so hot out in this
motherfucker, this must be hell.

Or purgatory.

Where's the
motherfucking devil at?

Take cover.

Take cover.

Take cover.

Snake 1-9er airborne,
Be advised machine guns

now approaching at your 12. Over.

No. No, people.

Move forward. Move forward.

Gun up. Gun up.

2. 2. 2-Alpha. Contact. Contact.

Heavy incoming from
both treelines. Over.

Son of a bitch.

Fuck, man.

Fuck.

Son of a bitch.

2-Actual.

Heavy incoming from the ville.

I'm in trouble.

2, 2, Charlie, be advised
there's more of them.

We see two squads moving
in from the left treeline.

I'm in trouble out here.

I'm in trouble out here.

2, Echo-6. Get out of that ville.

Get out of that ville.

They're going to cut
you off. Get out.

I need everything you got.

We're going down.
We're going down.

I can't hold this bitch.

Hold it, goddamn it.
Pull up. Pull up.

Goddamn it.

God damn it.

Corpsmen...

Corpsmen...

Corpsmen... Corpsmen.

Goddamn. Motherfuckers.

Goddamn motherfuckers.

Motherfucker. Goddamn.

Motherfuckers.

Fuckers.

We got six sucking chest wounds

and 12 crispy critters coming in.

Zap him with 250 mils of happy
juice until he crashes out.

Just get him to sleep.

Open table.

Who's got a hot one?

What do we have?

His kidney and liver are gone.

We better just kiss
this one goodbye.

All right, take off.

There's something wrong with me.

Code blue. Code blue.

Let's go. He's code blue.

Code blue. Code blue.

Get the machine. Get the machine.

Let me in. Let me in.

Stay with me, Marine.
Stay with me.

Give me the shock defibs.

Stay with me now.

We're going to
jump-start you. Clear.

Where's the priest?
Get me a priest.

Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

Breathe.

I took the Packers at minus 7.

Shit. They ain't got a chance.

How are you?

You tell them they've
got to operate.

There's something wrong with me.

The doctors are real busy.

There's a lot of wounded here.

There's no time for anything
except trying to stay alive.

You got to try and stay alive. Ok?

Try and stay alive.

I've come to give you
your last rites.

Are you ready?

I'm ready, Father.

I am the resurrection
and the life.

He that believeth in me,

though he were dead,
yet shall he live.

We brought nothing
into this world,

and it's certain we
can take nothing out.

The Lord giveth, and
the Lord taketh away.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

♪ I got sunshine ♪

♪ On a cloudy day ♪

♪ And when it's cold outside ♪

♪ I got the month of May ♪

Eddie, I need some
help in room 13.

Give me a second, man.

His catheter's plugging up.

It's backing up into his kidney.

I said I'd be there.

Give me a break.

Man, what's going up?

Nothing, man.

You ain't supposed
to be having this.

Oh.

Didn't I tell you not to do
that to him in the a.m?

Take the needle out of my arm.

Good morning, Nurse Washington.

How are you today?

You up bright and early today.

Everybody up.

Good morning, gentlemen.

Let's rise and shine.

Peña.

Can I have some Aspirin?

I ain't feeling well.

I'd like some Aspirin.

I'll get to you.

Leon. How you doing today?

Look at this shit.

My catheter's clogged.

Give it a minute.

They're getting bigger every day.

You don't bother them, they
ain't going to bother you.

That's why I'm feeding him.

Keep on feeding him, and
everything'll be fine.

Up and at 'em. Frankie's here.

Hey, Frankie. What's up?

Hopkins, come on, wake up.

All you guys, 6:00 special.

Fuck you.

Fenaday, I'm looking at you.

Keep looking.

My man Kovic. Up already?

That's good. Let's go.

Let's do it. Let's go.

Give me a hand over here.

How you doing, Eddie?

Yeah, you about ready. Let
me have that thing there.

♪ Hey, where did we go ♪

♪ Days when the rains came ♪

I think my stomach is bloated.

Just take it easy.

Eddie going to take
care of all you boys.

It's like a car wash.

Bernstein, what's wrong today?

You got shit up you
ain't coming out.

Stick your head up my ass,
see what the problem is.

Your piss bag's cloudy, too.

You been drinking enough water?

You got to flush them
kidneys every day.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Frankie, I think I'm done.

I think I'm ready.

Are you fucking with me again?

You better chill out.

I'm not fucking with you.

I'm not fucking with you, man.

My man Kovic.

Mr 4th of July.

Politicians, protesters, and
police are all here in Chicago

for the 1968
Presidential Election.

Chicago police tonight
charged the crowd...

Gook-lovers. They ought to die.

Hey. Hey.

There he goes, man. It's Leon.

Hey.

Hey.

Hey.

They're coming through the wire.

Hey.

Chieu hoy. Chieu hoy, Leon.

They're going to overrun us.

Shut up.

They're going to overrun us.

Hey, John.

Hey, hey, hey, chieu hoy, Leon.

Chieu hoy, man.

Shut the fuck up, Leon.

Hit him with some morphine.

Chicago has an Alice in
Wonderland quality about it.

Things are getting
curiouser and curiouser.

Everywhere you go, there's
a sign reminding you...

Love it or leave it,
you fucking bastards.

Hey, you ready, Kovic?

They're burning the flag.

They're fucking burning
the American flag.

Come on. Let's look alive.

Looking good. Looking good.

Come on, Kovic. Real nice.

How many did I do yesterday?

Three.

Three?

You had enough?

Let's do seven.

There you go. Let's
go for seven, then.

Come on, Ronnie. That a way.

Get up there. Get up there.

Keep going. Come on,
fucking Marine.

There you go. Real nice.

♪ This'll be the day that I die ♪

We want to make one thing
very clear to you, Ron.

The possibility of your
ever walking is minimal.

Almost impossible.

You're a T-6, paralysed
from the midchest down.

Probably you'll be in a wheelchair
for the rest of your life.

Do you understand what I'm saying?

Well, doctor, will...

Will I ever be able to...

to have children?

No.

No, but we have a very
good psychologist here.

He's helped...

Oh, I'll walk again. I
know I'll walk again.

Let me tell you something.

You will never walk again.

Let's go.

You're walking good
in these things.

What am I looking like, good?

You're one crazy Marine.

So gung ho, but you
don't know shit

about what's going
on in this country.

Fuck you, Willie.

It ain't about burning
the flag and Vietnam.

Why fight for rights there?

We ain't got rights at home.

It's about Detroit and Newark.

It's about racism, man, but
you can't get no job at home.

Vietnam's a white man's
war, a rich man's war.

Where's my money?

You got to read some books.

There's a revolution going on.

If you ain't part of the solution,

then you's part of the problem.

Jesus Christ, Willie.
Just get my chair for me.

You got to watch for her.

Oh, man.

Some good weed.

Take the bra off.

I'll give you another 10.

Why, sure, sugar.

Like this?

Oh. Yeah. Yeah.

Suck on my tits.

Honey, anything you want.

Oh.

Jesus.

♪ I guess you'd say ♪

♪ What could make
me feel this way ♪

♪ My girl ♪

♪ My girl ♪

♪ My girl ♪

♪ Talking about my girl ♪

♪ My girl ♪

Good.

Easy now.

Easy now.

Very good.

Hey, Doc...

it's really beautiful up here.

Ha ha ha.

I'm walking out of here, guys.

You'll see. Right, Willie?

Right.

Easy.

Oh... I'm all right.
I'm all right.

Ok That's enough for today.

Ok Now, good. Good.

Easy, now. Easy, now.
Don't go too far.

Don't do too much.

Looking good today. Looking good.

Don't go too far.

All right.

Way to go, Kovic.

Amazing, huh?

Nothing from the chest down.

It can be done. It can be done.

Semper Fi, motherfucker.

All right.

All right, Harry, man.

Keep it going. Let's go.

Let's go. Let's go.

Let's go.

Oh.

Willie.

I think I need...

Oh. Oh.

Get him up. Somebody...

Something snapped. It's my neck.

All right.

Just my neck.

Ah, shit. Harry.

Hang on. Hang on.

What was that sound?

Oh, shit.

What?

Oh.

It's fine. We're doing fine.

Is that my bone?

Harry, Harry, get a doc.

Am I ok?

It's ok, everybody
relax. Harry. Let's go.

Oh, fuck.

- Shit.
- Fuck.

Washington.

Washington, where
the fuck were you?

I've been pushing this call button

and staring at my own
vomit for two hours.

What's the matter with
you fucking people?

I'm laying in my own shit.

Why don't you change the sheets?

This goddamned fucking place.

I need a bath.

Don't be raising your voice to me.

You watch your mouth.

Why don't you help me?

What's the matter with you?

I don't feel right.

I need to see the doctor now.

He's not available now.

I want to see him now.

He's always too busy.

What's eating you now?

You going off the deep end?

We'll amputate that leg,
you go on like this.

Don't put your hands on me.

I want to be treated
like a human being.

I don't want any of that shit.

Trying to keep me fucking drugged

so I don't know what's going on.

This is a fucking slum.

We take that leg, you're
out in two weeks.

I want my leg.

Why? You can't feel it.

It's my leg. I want my leg.

Can't you understand that?

I want to be treated
like a human being.

I fought for my country.

I'm a Vietnam veteran.

I fought for my country.

Shut the fuck up.

I should be treated decent.

Vietnam don't mean
nothing to me, man,

or any of these other
people. You got it?

You can take your Vietnam and
shove it up your ass, you hear?

No. I don't need this.

Hey, you fuck.

Hey, goddamn you.

Goddamn it.

I am a fucking Vietnam veteran.

This isn't...

Marvin.

Marvin, now.

Marvin.

What's up? What's up?

Marvin, look.

Oh, fuck.

It's off.

It ain't going to work.

Start.

Washington, get the doctor.

Wait a minute.

Ok Yeah. All right. I will.

How you doing, Eddie?

Let's see what's wrong with this.

They tell me if we don't
get this pump working,

they'll cut my leg
off. I want my leg.

Do we have another pump?

It's the only one, Eddie.

Ron. It's Ron Kovic.

Sorry, man. Ron.

You... You are a doctor?

It's the Vietnam war. Cutbacks.

The government's not giving
us the money we need

to take care of you guys.

We're doing our best.
It's really too bad.

It's not fair.

I've tried hard to keep this leg.

I've been strapped in
this bed for four months

so I could keep this leg.

Maybe I can rig up a substitute.

I'll look in the basement
and see what we got.

You're coming back?

Soon.

Let go, Ron. Let go.

We really did try
to help Mr Kovic.

Susanne, he's here.

Ronnie's home.

Ok Out on 3.

All right, 1...

2...

3.

Oh, that's great.

Did you paint the house, Dad?

Yeah. I painted it.

Yellow. It looks good.

It looks pretty good.

I got that. That's
all right. Let's go.

The kids have been
talking about you.

They can't wait to see you.

It's great to be back
in the neighbourhood.

I got it. I got it.

Everything looks so different.

Major.

Hey, Major.

Major, you know who this is?

Yeah.

You know who this is?

He's gotten old, huh?

Just like your old man.

Hey, Tommy.

Good to see you.

Look at that hair.

Dad lets you look like that?

I don't have much say.

How are you, Jimmy?

Good to have you home.
You're out for good?

I'm out for good.

Patty, gee, look at you.

Timmy.

- That's Jackie.
- Jackie?

I wanted to visit you
in the hospital.

How many pull-ups you do, huh?

You know, I did 23... 23 pull-ups.

23 pull... I'm ok. I'm ok.

I'm all right.

Ronnie.

Susanne.

Good to have you home.

You didn't tell me she
was this beautiful.

She's a woman, huh?

I'm sorry.

That's ok. I can't
feel anything anyway.

I'm only paralysed.

You look great.

Yeah?

Ronnie.

Mum.

Ronnie.

Hey, Mum.

Oh, look at your hair.

It looks great.

You like it?

Oh, you look beautiful.

Thanks.

It's good to be home.

It's better than seeing
me at that hospital, huh?

It's ok

I know.

I'm ok

I'm ok.

It's good to have
you home, Ronnie.

Gee, everybody looks so good.

Everybody looks so good.

I'm going to go
inside for a minute.

Mum, wait.

She'll be ok

Ronnie, how are you,
man? You look good.

Ronnie, you look good.

Welcome home.

It's so good to see you.

Welcome home. Nice to see you.

Look at Harry. You look good.

Welcome home.

Let's go in the house and help.

Come on, Mum. It's all right.

Looks good.

Yeah?

You need some help?

No. I'm ok, Dad.

Fixed up a bathroom
for you, Ronnie.

Put a wider doorway in.

I built a shower for you, too.

You can get in here pretty easy.

Oh, and I put some handles
on the toilet for you.

Ronnie.

Thanks, Dad.

It's really great to
be back in my room.

It's good to have you.

It's good to have you, Ronnie.

Come on, I'll show you...

I'll show you some new stuff we
got in the bedroom over here.

My Happauge Boyer's grossed
85 grand last six months.

My competitor's rushing in
to build, but I was first.

The people are loyal.

You probably think
it's just a hamburger.

A patty's just a piece of meat,
but it can have character.

See that doughnut hole?

Gets 18 patties to the
pound instead of 16.

Saves me about $40,000 a year.

That's serious money, Ron.

I plug the hole with lettuce,
tomatoes, onions, spices.

I cover it with a pickle.

They'll never miss a thing.

Give me a good one
for Ronnie. Thanks.

Good job. Try this.

You don't find that at
McDonald's on Sunrise.

I got a drive-in window, too.

It's Long Island's first.

It's clean, it's cheap, it's fast.

Feed the family for $3.95.

Check out these chicks.

They're wearing those
new miniskirts.

It's my idea. It's good for tips.

The customers always come back.

Massapequa's changed.
Watch yourself.

It's no mum and pop
operation any more.

This is our town.

You're doing a nice job.
Keep up the good work.

Good.

Copiague, Ronnie, Jericho,
Bayville, Valley Stream, man.

I want to turn Boyer's into
a whole Long Island thing.

I want you to come to work for me.

What can I do?

This is our town now.

You're a war hero,
and you can benefit.

You should benefit, Ronnie.

You mean, like partners?

We open a place together?

You got to walk before you run.

I could start you
out as a cashier.

Then you could learn the business,

work your way up to be
manager, just like your dad.

I get 1,700 a month
from the government.

I'll take my time.

That's charity money. This isn't.

Charity?

Here's your cola.

You got to put the war behind you.

Forget about this chair you're in.

Sometimes, you know, Stevie,
I think people know

you're back from Vietnam, and
their face changes, the eyes...

the voice, the way
they look at you.

I know, but people here,

they don't give a
shit about the war.

It's just a million miles
away. It's all bullshit.

The government sold
us a bill of goods.

We got the shit kicked out of us.

What do you mean "we"?
You were in college.

It was you who bought
that communist bullshit.

Yeah. They were going
to take over the world.

Do you remember that?

Finnelli, you, Walsh.

The whole town was devastated.

For what?

For lies?

For bullshit lies?

They burn the flag.

They demonstrate against us on
the cover of the paper today.

They have no respect.

They have no idea what's
going on over there

and the men that are
sacrificing their lives.

Nobody here seems to care.

It's a bunch of goddamned shit.

Don't take the Lord's name in
vain in front of the children.

I agree with everything you say.

I served my country.

They just want to take from it.

Love it or leave it.

The other side's angry
because we're not winning.

How can we win?

Tommy, what's the matter?

Nothing.

Anybody listening here? Tommy?

What?

Tommy's going to fail English.

He doesn't believe in the war.

What?

He thinks we're doing the
wrong thing over there.

He thinks it's all a mistake.

Mistake? What's this? Spit it out.

You believe in demonstrators?

Huh? What?

I just don't agree with
everything you're saying.

I don't think you understand.

What does Tommy know?

I don't understand?

He's hanging around with
longhairs who take drugs.

That's not the reason.

Have they ever worked?

You want to burn the
flag? Huh, Tommy?

What is this?

You want to bring
down this country?

Love it or leave it, Tommy.

All they're trying to say, Ronnie,

is they don't want more
people to come back like you.

That's an easy excuse.

Where were they when their
country needed them?

You served your country.

What did you get out of it?

Look at you.

Well, look at me.

Look at you, man.

I got to go. I'll see
you around, all right?

What's wrong with me, Tommy?

What's wrong with me?

Is there something wrong with me?

I volunteered, Tommy.

You don't know what
you're talking about.

Where were you? Were you
there? Were you there?

You can just love it
or leave it, Tommy.

Mum, I can't believe what
Tommy just said to me.

I can't...

I can't believe what
Tommy just said to me.

Parade time, Ronnie.

You tell them I'll be
right there, all right?

What kind of car is it?

I think it's a Continental.

Continental?

A convertible?

Yeah.

They said it would be.

Coming up in the world.

♪ Would you like to ride ♪

♪ In my beautiful balloon ♪

♪ Would you like to ride ♪

♪ In my beautiful balloon ♪

♪ We could float among
the stars together ♪

♪ You and I ♪

♪ For we can fly ♪

♪ We can fly ♪

♪ Up, up and away ♪

♪ In my beautiful ♪

♪ My beautiful ♪

♪ Balloon ♪

Die.

Today is July the 4th, and
I believe in America.

And I believe in Americanism.

But most of all, I believe
in victory for America.

Some people are starting
to say the war is wrong,

That we shouldn't be there.

Some people would like to
tear our country down.

But who are the kids defending
their right to protest?

These are the kids who
care about America,

kids who have respect
for their flag

and their parents and their
government and their religion.

Kids like Joey Walsh.

He was the first.

We got a street in the
park named after him.

And Danny Topinka, Billy
Vorsovich, Phil and Larry Powell,

Tommy Finnelli.

Six boys from Massapequa...

and they all knew

what honour, duty,
and sacrifice meant.

They paid the highest price.

They died for it.

This town's been hit hard.

It's always been hit hard.

Doc here, he was in the First War.

A lot of us here
were in the Second.

That's why we can't give up.

That's why we're going
to win in Vietnam.

Because Massapequa's
been there before,

because of those six wonderful
boys, and because of him.

Ron...

come say a few words,
would you, please?

Ron Kovic, ladies and gentlemen.

He was born on the
4th of July, 1946.

Give him a big hand on
his great birthday.

I just want to say for
the guys in Vietnam

that we're doing our best.

It's not an easy situation,

but the boys' morale
over there is real high,

and you can feel
confident that we are...

we are going to win that war.

I served my country,

and I don't want you
to feel sorry for me.

Do not shed a tear.

I have my hands, my
eyes, my ears...

I have my heart...

and I have...

what I feel...

I have what I feel is...

an unquen... quenchable...

Ok. It's ok, Ronnie.

It's ok, kid.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

And we'll continue to fight
because of guys like Ron Kovic...

Dad, where's the car?

It's across the street.

Like he said, we're
going to win that war.

Ronnie.

Ronnie.

Timmy?

Timmy, man?

Timmy.

I heard you were...

When did you get back?

When did you get out?

Wow, man.

Let's get the hell out of here.

Mr Kovic?

Yeah. Sure.

Anti-war demonstrators have
come to Washington, DC.

To shut the city down.

And Martin's Laugh In, starring
Dan Rowan and Dick Martin,

with Sammy Davis, Jr.

And Judy Carne...

Honey.

Come on. It's starting.

Ok I'm coming.

It's the one with Sammy Davis.

Oh, yeah?

Who else used to play?

Come on, Ronnie.

No. Come on. Tell me who.

Bobby Moore at shortstop.

Grady Rogers at third.

Grady got sick. It was
Finnelli at third.

Tommy Finnelli.

Yeah.

Got hit with one of
his own mortars.

That's crazy, man.

Shit, I heard about that.

Remember the twins,
Phil and Larry Powell?

Oh, the twins. Oh.

They were great wrestlers.

Oh, man. They were fucking great.

Tough.

Tough bastards.

When Phil got killed,

Larry... who wasn't much
for brains either...

went down the next
day and joined up.

Oh, God.

Then he got hit.

Oh, no.

It's true.

A land mine or something.

He got hit in the
head with a tree.

Yeah. I'm telling you the truth.

He goes over to Vietnam,

and he gets killed by a
flying fucking tree.

Oh.

That's really fucking funny.

I think the whole town
got devastated, Ronnie.

I don't think we
got a friend left.

It's really funny.

When did you get hit, Timmy?

September the 18th.

Near Dong Ha.

A lot of bad shit up there,
Ronnie, I'm telling you.

Things I don't even
want to talk about.

You know.

I mean...

it was crazy.

Shooting anything that...

anything that fucking
moved, you know?

When did you... When
did you get hit?

Me?

Well...

January 20th. Yes.

Some place off... I
don't even remember.

Up in the DMZ.

Walked into a whole
battalion of them.

Got shot in the foot.

I got up like I was...

back in the woods again,

like I was John fucking Wayne,

emptying a mag, screaming, "Come
on, Charlie, motherfucker.

Come on out, Charlie,
motherfucker."

Rat-tat-tat-tat.

I heard this crack
above my right ear,

and I just felt my body...

drop out from under me.

Well, I thought I
was dead for sure.

Was the...

How was the hospital?

It sucked.

I know.

Really bad.

I'll tell you something, Ronnie...

Sometimes at night...

I get these headaches, you know?

They're bad.

And...

they just kind of come over me,

and these doctors don't
know shit, you know.

They just come, like I'm
going crazy or something.

I don't feel... I don't feel
like me any more, you know?

I feel like... when they come,

I feel like somebody else.

What do you do?

Nothing. Not a goddamned
thing, you know?

Well... mostly I
do a lot of drugs.

Do anything you can, you know?

You get through it
any way you can.

When I was in the hospital,

I thought, "Yeah. Yeah,
this makes sense."

What makes sense?

Because I failed, Timmy.

What are you talking about?

Because I...

Because I killed someone...
some people. I...

I made some terrible...

mistakes.

Ronnie, we all made
mistakes. I mean, you...

you had no choice.

Those damn pansy demonstrators
will never understand.

Don't talk about it.

It was insane over there.

Sometimes I wish... I wish I'd...

When I got shot in the foot,
I could have laid down.

Who gives a fuck now if
I was a hero or not?

I was paralysed,
castrated that day. Why?

Because I was so s... stupid.

I have my dick and my
balls now and I think...

I think, Timmy, I'd give
everything I believe in,

everything I got... all my values

just to have my body again,

just to be whole again.

But I'm not whole.

I never will be, and that's...

the way it is, isn't it?

Ronnie...

it's your birthday.

You're alive.

You made it.

Smile.

Syracuse, New York, our next stop.

♪ Oh, where have you been ♪

♪ My blue-eyed son ♪

♪ Oh, where have you been ♪

♪ My darling young one ♪

♪ I've walked and I've crawled ♪

♪ On six crooked highways ♪

♪ I've been out in front ♪

♪ Of a dozen dead oceans ♪

♪ I've been 10,000 miles ♪

♪ In the mouth of a graveyard ♪

♪ And it's a hard ♪

♪ It's a hard ♪

♪ It's a hard ♪

♪ It's a hard ♪

♪ It's a hard rain ♪

♪ That's gonna fall ♪

♪ Who did you meet ♪

♪ My blue-eyed son ♪

Those long letters I wrote
you from over there?

Crazy stuff, huh?

That's all right.

I had to say everything

I couldn't say when
we were growing up.

They were beautiful letters.

Yeah?

Yeah.

I wasn't too sure about
the spelling in them.

Who cares if you can spell?

There was...

There was a lot of
feeling in the words.

I'm so sorry for what
happened to you, Ronnie.

My mum called me at
school and told me.

I was just so shocked.

I wanted to...

reach out and help you.

But...

it was just so frustrating,

I just...

stood in the hallway of
my dorm room shaking.

I couldn't say anything.

Donna...

they need you over at Locklin.

I can't right now, Jeff. Later.

Well, don't forget
about the meeting.

Yeah, 9:00?

Yeah. Thanks.

I'm sorry.

You're real busy, huh?

We've got this Kent State
demonstration tomorrow.

I'm on the organising committee.

Kent State. I heard about that.

It was... Jesus... terrible.

It's terrible.

When I saw that girl

lying in that pool of
blood at Kent State,

I kept on thinking of that poster

of the children that
were killed at My Lai.

And I kept on thinking
about you over there...

and all the boys who've died,

who've sacrificed
their bodies and...

and their minds.

The war is so wrong, Ronnie.

It's so wrong.

I just had to do something.

♪ We don't need arms ♪

♪ We need hands to hold ♪

♪ And we don't need bombs ♪

Strike now, shut it down.

Strike now, shut it down.

Strike now, shut it down.

You know, Ronnie, I'm not
saying that you are,

but if you have any
feelings against the war,

you could really help.

I mean, you've been there.

You know what it's like.

You could tell people
what's happening,

and they'd really listen to you.

Remember the prom?

♪ Moon River ♪

♪ Wider than the sea ♪

♪ My huckleberry friend ♪

Remember that?

Yeah.

♪ Moon River for me ♪

Boy, was I crazy that night.

I just had to dance with
you before I went in.

It was like I knew.

I made a promise to myself
that I would come back

and love you forever.

Donna. Hey, Donna.

Yeah?

The Reverend can't
make it tomorrow.

What?

He can't make it.

Oh.

What can we do? Who can we get?

Just let me think.
I'll see you later.

Better hurry.

Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

Ronnie, I got to...
I got to go inside.

Do you want to come?

No, I don't think so.

Ok.

Ok.

Maybe I'll hang around.

Maybe we'll talk later.

All right. I'll see you later.

1, 2, 3, 4.

We don't want your fucking war.

1, 2, 3, 4. We don't
want your fucking war.

1, 2, 3, 4. We don't
want your fucking war.

All right. Wow.

It's great to be at free
Syracuse University.

We're really getting an
education now, aren't we?

Right on, man. Right on.

Right freaking on.

Yesterday I was at
Brooklyn College...

NYU... they were both closed down.

Over 200 high schools
are closed down.

Over 400 universities
are closed down.

It'll be twice that
number by the time...

This is an unlawful assembly.

If you do not disperse...

The people that killed
the kids at Kent State

have names like General
Waste-more-land.

Spiro Agnew.

Tricky Dicky Nixon.

Wait for the command.

And then we go to Washington,

confront the war makers
in their own house.

On to Washington.

On to the White House.

I loved this country once.

And all this I won over there.

Check it out...

Purple Heart, Bronze Star,

all the commendation medals,
all the rest of that garbage.

It don't mean a thing.

Fuck this...

shit.

This is war.

I said this is war.

They just killed two
brothers at Jackson State.

Stand by to gas.

Take them down.

What's going on?

Get out. Get out of here.

Get out of here.

Get back. Get back.

Donna.

The whole world's watching.

The whole world's watching.

The whole world's watching.

The whole world's watching.

The whole world's watching.

The whole world's watching.

Donna.

♪ Now, when I was
just a little boy ♪

♪ I stand up to my daddy's knee ♪

♪ My papa said, son, don't
let the man get you ♪

♪ The way that he done to me ♪

♪ Because he'll get you now ♪

He says...

♪ No, he'll get you ♪

My machine breaks down, and
they're ready to cut my leg off.

And that's what the guy...

Now, that's what the guy
in the hospital said.

He said, "You can
take your Vietnam,

and you can stuff it
up your ass," he said.

That's what it's about in Vietnam.

Hey, Mel. Double shot of rye,
beer chaser, sweetheart.

They ain't fighting the
war to win, anyway.

They should just bomb Hanoi

and get the boys the
fuck out of there.

Four corner hard way.

Fucking-A.

Vietnam.

Vietnam.

They ought to write a song

about something that
gets under your skin.

Remember Del Shannon?

Runaway?

♪ As I walk along ♪

♪ I wonder what went wrong ♪

♪ To our love ♪

♪ A love that was so strong ♪

♪ Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa ♪

♪ I'll tell you what went wrong ♪

♪ It was fucking Vietnam ♪

It was the wrong fucking war.

Timmy, it was the
wrong fucking war.

Take a shot, will you?

You can take your Vietnam,

and you can shove it
up your fucking ass.

You shove it up your ass, pal.

Is everybody supposed
to feel sorry

because you're in a
fucking wheelchair?

You ain't the only
fucking Marine here.

I was on Iwo Jima.

We lost 5,000 men the first day.

Don't cry in your
fucking beer to me.

Now, you served and you lost.

You got to live with it.

You're a Marine, man.

Semper Fi.

Picked them. They didn't pick you.

Quit your fucking
pissing and moaning.

Timmy, Timmy, who is this asshole?

I don't know. Leave it alone.

I think guys...

like you...

are dumb fucking assholes.

That's what I think.

I bet you do, you
sorry son of a bitch.

Because you know if they
win, if they win it,

you'll be the first
against the wall.

You know you can't trust
a fucking traitor.

Call me a fucking traitor?

If you weren't in that chair...

I am in this chair.

Top of the ninth, Charlie.

Shut the fuck up.

You shut the fuck up, man.

Come on, Phil, forget it.

- Bullshit.
- He's a nutjob.

Come on, Ronnie, he
ain't fucking worth it.

Will you come on?

Hey, what's happening?
What's your name?

Jenny.

Penny?

Jenny.

How about going to Mexico with me?

Mexico? What do you mean, Mexico?

I mean, you're really
beautiful. That's what I mean.

Oh, yeah?

Oh, a really beautiful place...

the ocean...

the sand, sun.

We could leave tonight.

We could take a plane.
Let's go tonight.

I think you're really crazy.

Hey, hey, Billy.

Hey, Steve.

What's going on?

Same old same old.

♪ Well, I can remember
the 4th of July ♪

♪ Running through
the backwoods bay ♪

Whoo. Whoo. Whoo.

I bet you practised a lot.

I've got a lifetime
of practise, Jenny.

♪ The way that he done to me ♪

♪ Because he'll get you now ♪

♪ Gonna getcha ♪

♪ Uhh ♪

♪ Well, I can remember ♪

You ok? You all right?

I don't mean to laugh.

Shut up, Jenny.

Look at him. He's
fucking shitfaced.

Ronnie?

Ron?

Ronnie?

Give him some room.

Get him out of here.

Give me my chair.

Give me my chair.

I just want to dance.

I just want to dance.

Give me my chair.

Jenny.

Jenny.

I got it. I got it.

Come on, come on.

Hey, Steve, let's go. Come on.

Come on. Steve, come on.

Let's go.

What's going on?

Are you drunk again?

Hey, Mum.

He's drunk again.

Eli, we have a drunk for a son.

You leave that alone.

You can't stay in this house.

This is what you believe
in, but I don't.

I don't believe in him any more.

I'll take care of him.

I wish I were dead like him.

You don't know what you're saying.

That's the problem. I'm not dead.

I got to live.

I got to roll around and
remind them of Vietnam.

You don't want to see us.

You want to hide us because
it is a can of shit.

And I am a fucking dummy.

He won't listen. He won't change.

Take your mum seriously.

You can't drink in this house.

I believed everything
they told us.

Go fight. Go kill.

Sergeant man, Marine Corps.

Yo, squad. Left, squad.

Right, squad, left.

And it's all a lie.

The whole thing is
a bunch of lies.

Stop it. Go to bed.

What did they do to
you in that war?

You need help, Ronnie.

No, you need help,
with all your God

and your bullshit dreams about me.

You are ashamed of me.

Go to sleep. You go to bed.

Fuck you.

What did you say to me?

What...

Mum.

Fuck you.

You'll wake the whole
neighbourhood.

Wake them up. Tell them.

Cusacks. Camelettis. Walshes.

You tell them all
what they did to me,

what they did to this whole
block, this whole country.

They'll call the police.

We went to Vietnam
to stop communism.

We shot women and children.

You didn't shoot
women and children.

The church blessed the war.

Communism, the insidious evil.

They... They told us to go.

Yes, that's what they told us.

Thou shall not kill, Mum.

Thou shall not kill
women and children.

Thou shall not kill, remember?

Isn't that what you taught us?

Stop it.

Stop it.

Stop it.

I don't want you in this house.

You're out of this house.

Ron, you made your point.

No. I haven't made my point.

You tell her, Dad.

They're killing everyone now.

I didn't force you to go.

Yes, you did.

And it's all falling apart.

King, Kennedy, Kent State.

We all lost the fucking war.

It's not my fault.

Communism won. It's
all for nothing.

That's not true, Ronnie.

How do you know? What do you know?

Ron.

Will you... You tell her, Dad.

Tell her it's a lie.
It's a fucking lie.

There's no God.

God is as dead as my legs.

There's no God.
There's no country.

It's nothing.

It's just me and this
fucking wheelchair

for the rest of my
life for nothing.

Me and this... this...

this dead penis, Mum.

Oh, God. Ronnie.

No, not with the catheter.

- For God's sake...
- Penis.

Eli, I can't stand it any more.

To hell with you.

In church they say it's a sin
if you play with your penis.

I just wish I could.

Don't say penis in this house.

Penis.

Stop.

Penis.

Big fucking erect penis, Mum.

- Stop.
- Penis. Penis.

He won't let go. What can I do?

I never even got time
to learn how to use it.

It's gone in some jungle in Asia.

Just gone for...

I'm sorry it happened this way.

I'm sorry you're sad, Mum.

I'm so sorry you're Sa-sad.

I'm so fucked up.

Fucked up.

Ronnie...

maybe a little trip
is all you need.

That place down in Mexico
you were talking about.

I don't want to go to Mexico.

I don't want to go no place.

I don't want to go no place.

Ronnie...

I think you should go.

What can I do, Ronnie?

What do you want?

I want to be a man again.

Who's going to love me, Dad?

Who's ever going to love me?

Who's going to love me?

Hey, you maggots,
ante up 5 American.

Let's go. Ante up.

Ed, you're light.

The game is seven-card
stud, one up, two down.

One up, two down.
We got a 5, a jack.

That's a fucking joker, a king.

The price of poker just
went up, gentlemen.

Charlie buys a queen.

Charlie, puppy.

Two down, two down.

Hey, big blue eyes,
what's your name?

What's that?

What's your name?

Ron Kovic.

Just what we need.
Another limp dick.

Where from?

Massapequa, Long Island.

Guys, say hello to Ron Kovic.

Just in from the States.

Hi, Ron.

Laugh, motherfucker.
You'll get yours.

Fuck you.

Put your hand right there, baby.

What's your name?

Charlie, from Chicago.

How long has this
game been going on?

55 hours.

How long have you been here?

A hundred fucking years.

Because I got a gun.

I ain't ever going
back. Fuck the States.

Nobody understood.

Nobody gave a shit.

The fucking women didn't
even want to look at me.

Fucking States.

I ain't never going back.

I want something simple.

Oh, baby, you're so beautiful.

Ain't she beautiful?

Here we go.

She's beautiful.

Go into town. Get yourself one.

Fuck the shit out of you,
even if you are paralysed.

Ain't that right, Martha?

You know what they say: If you
ain't got it in the hips,

you better have it in the lips.

Don't stay here, man.

Get the fuck out.

You know, you're really drunk
on this Mescal shit...

when you swallow the worm and
don't even know you did it.

Last round of betting.
Let's go, maggots.

Are you from Villa Rosa?

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

Bueno.

We go?

What's that?

Do you want to go upstairs?

No. No, I'm just looking around.

I just came in... Yeah.

I'd like to go upstairs.

I'd like to.

Good. Then come.

Let's do it.

What's your name?

Maria Elena.

Maria Elena?

Yes.

The money...

Sorry, I don't know how much...

This... This is good.

Why don't you take them off?

No, I can't.

I can't feel anything.

I was paralysed in the war.

Vietnam?

Yes.

You let me see?

No. Doesn't move. I can't.

Oh, yes.

It's no good.

Yes, let me see.

No. Look, please...

the spine was severed.

I have no movement, no feeling.

There's nothing down here at all.

Nothing happens.

Ok.

Ok.

Ok.

We're going to have a good time.

It's going to be ok.

- You like?
- Yes.

Hey, man, Kovic. How was it?

How was it?

♪ Ai yi yi yi ♪

Did you get one? Did you get two?

Look out.

Banzai, motherfucker.

She loves you, right, tiger?

Thanks a lot. It was great.

Just remember, keep
one hand on her tits

and the other hand on your wallet.

Paradise. Right, man?

Whoo.

Can I see this?

I'll rip your fucking eye out and
skull-fuck you, motherfucker.

You ever been skull-fucked?
You ever been skull-fucked?

Yeah, I'll do it, man.
I'll do it, motherfucker.

It don't mean a fucking thing.

I'll be here tomorrow.

You couldn't keep me away
with a baseball bat.

I'll be here for sure.

Vietnam.

So...

we get married today, no?

Oh, yeah, yeah. That
would be great.

Yeah.

Hi.

Want to fuck me? Huh?

I'll give you a blow job.

Hey, mister, you want me?

60 pesos.

Let's go.

"Dear Mr And Mrs Wilson...

"I don't... I don't know
how to tell you this.

"I knew your son in Vietnam.

He was..."

I'm going to kill
that fucking guy.

I got him once. I'll kill him now.

You'll see.

I'm serious.

Your body.

I'm just going to
fucking kill him.

Imas.

I'll fucking kill you.

I'll kill you, bitch.

You can't talk to me like that.

Hey. Charlie.

Get out. Get out.

The bitch thinks it's funny
I can't move my dick.

Fuck her.

I'll kill you, bitch.

Fuck all you Mexican
motherfuckers.

Imaricon.

You don't like it, get out.

Fuck you.

Hey. Don't touch my friend.

Don't you touch me.

Get the hell out.

Don't come back no more.

I wouldn't be here if it
weren't for that fucking war.

Fuck you. Fuck all of you.

You sure you told him
the right place, man?

I told him fucking Villa Rosa.

Villa Rosa?

Villa Rosa.

Villa Rosa, senor, Villa Rosa.

Beautiful place.

Great whorehouse there, man.

Wait until we get there.

Beautiful women with big
tits, small tits...

That goddamned slut. That
Mexican scumbag cunt.

I think I saw a sign, Villa
Rosa, Charlie, 10 minutes ago.

How far you going, taco head?

What happens?

Wasn't that turn back there...
that sign that said "Villa Rosa"?

Look at the metre. It's rigged.

He's rigged the fucking metre.

Hey, asshole.

Hey, I told you
fucking Villa Rosa.

What are we going to do now?

Fuck them.

Yeah, sure. How we going
to get out of here?

Fuck them all.

Fuck the whores.

Fuck the cab drivers.

Fuck Mexico.

Fuck Nixon, fuck
Vietnam, fuck them all.

But how we going to
get out of here?

They made me kill babies, man.

Little gook babies.

You ever have to kill a baby?

Yeah. Ok, come on.
We'll get a ride.

We got to get back to the villa.

Fuck you. What do you mean, ok?

What do you mean, ok?

You ever have to kill
a little gook baby?

What the fuck do you
know what I did?

I didn't think so.
I didn't think so.

You're full of shit.

No, you are.

Leave me the fuck alone.

You're nuts.

The sun is going down.

We got to get out of here.

Don't shit me, Kovic. You
never killed a baby.

You never had to.

You never put your
soul into that war,

never put your soul on the line.

How the fuck do you know?

Maybe I killed more babies
than you did, you fuck.

Maybe I did, but I don't
have to talk about it.

Why not? Why the fuck not?

What are you hiding?

What are you, better
than anybody else?

You a hero, maybe?

Got a bunch of fucking medals,

but deep down you're full of shit.

You never fought. You
weren't even there.

What the fuck do you mean,
I wasn't there, man?

Come on, hero, come clean.

Why should I?

What are you hiding?

You're the one that's
hiding here in Mexico.

What are you hiding
from, you whiny fuck?

Don't shit me.

You never killed anybody,
anything, did you, Kovic?

Did you?

Ever look at yourself
in the fucking mirror?

- Fuck you.
- You.

No... you.

Fuck you.

No, fuck you.

Get off me.

Hi, gentlemen. What's
happening here?

We need a ride.

Ok.

Let's go.

You ok, man?

Fuck you. You're full of shit.

You don't get it.
You don't get it.

You had a town once, Charlie,
and a mother and father.

Things that made sense.

Do you remember things
that made sense,

things you could count on,
before we all got so lost?

What are we going to do, Charlie?

What am I going to do, man?

What am I going to do?

Where you from, Wilson?

Venus, Georgia.

Georgia? This is my second tour,

and I haven't seen a
Georgia boy get it yet.

Yeah?

Yeah, I know about Wilson.

Sir, I think I might
have killed him, sir.

I think I killed him.

I don't think so.

You don't have to worry
about them dogs.

They won't bite.

You all get away now.

Get on away.

It's all right. It's all right.

They're probably just
afraid of that chair.

Mr Wilson, I'm Ron.

Thanks for, for seeing me.

Any friend of Billy's
is a friend of ours.

Well, why don't you
come on in the house?

My wife fixed some
chicken, if you want some.

Yes, sir, it was a
real nice funeral.

Marine Honour Guard came all
the way down from Atlanta

in their fancy uniforms.

Fired their rifles up in the sky.

Thank you.

The drums was beating.

Course it was nothing
like the big war

100 years ago down here.

But there was Billy and
Bruce... Bruce Crabtree...

Andy Henderson.

And the Rutledge boy, Lance.

Yeah, Lance. He was a nice boy.

For the life of me, I still can't
quite figure that war out.

Why we had to go all that
dang way to fight it

and why's we had to
lose so many young men.

Can't figure it out.

But we got a proud tradition
here in this town.

Billy's great-grandfather
was at the First Bull Run.

My pa was over in France in '18.

Don't forget, you were over
in the Pacific in '44.

Guadalcanal.

Is that right?

Yeah. Well, I guess
this family's fought

in every war that, this
country's ever had.

I reckon we're ready to do
it again if we have to.

Course they never did know
what done happened and all.

There was a letter from a
colonel, I think it was.

Colonel Moore.

That's right, Colonel Moore.

He said there was a
bad ambush one night.

Said that Billy distinguished
himself in the fighting.

He also told us that
Billy died real quick.

That's good that he died quick.

I was his squad leader.

I didn't know Billy real well.

He was new, kind of quiet.

We didn't talk much to new guys.

He was 19, is that right?

That's right, 19.

Only son?

Yes, sir. My only boy.

I think he said he was married
and you were pregnant?

I remember the day he was killed.

It was a strange day.

We were out on patrol
near a beach area...

and, oh, it was very confusing.

There was screaming and firing.

It was getting late, and
there were these children...

these babies...

that we killed by mistake.

How awful.

And then it...

got really crazy.

And we had to pull back because
the NVA were coming up on us.

And we got scattered in the dunes.

People were yelling at
anything, firing at anything.

And that was when it happened.

I was, confused...

scared.

I raised my rifle three times...

and... shots...

The body fell in the dunes.

God, this is...

this is very difficult
for me to say.

We don't have to hear this, Ron.

But I think I was the one
that killed your son.

I was the one. I was the one.

I was the one.

What's done is done, sir.

I can't ever forgive you...

but maybe the Lord can.

We understand, Ron.

We understand the pain
you've been going through.

Peace now.

Peace now.

Peace now.

Peace now.

Peace now.

Bring our brothers home now.

Bring our brothers home now.

Bring our brothers home now.

Bring our brothers home now.

Bring our brothers home now.

1, 2, 3, 4, we don't
want your fucking war.

1, 2, 3, 4, we don't
want your fucking war.

1, 2, 3, 4, we don't
want your fucking war.

1, 2, 3, 4, we don't
want your fucking war.

1, 2, 3, 4, we don't
want your fucking war.

1, 2, 3, 4, we don't
want your fucking war.

1, 2, 3, 4, we don't
want your fucking war.

Bring our brothers home now.

Drugs. Marijuana.
Traffic violations.

Separate the hippies.

Tonight, I again proudly
accept your nomination

for President of
the United States.

And let us place ourselves to
win an even greater victory

this November in 1972.

Four more years.

Four more years.

Four more years.

Four more years.

Four more years.

Four more years.

Four more years.

Four more years.

Four more years.

Can I break through
your complacency?

Do you have compassion for the
people suffering in this war?

I'm telling you this
war is a crime.

I'm not as bitter
about my wounds...

Who do you think you are?

Can I help you, sir?

You can't come through.

You can't come through, sir.

I have a pass.

Who are these people?

You can't stop us.

You can't stop me.

You can't stop me.

Why are you here tonight?

What do you have to say?

My name's Ron Kovic.

I'm a Vietnam veteran.

I'm here to say this war is wrong,

that this society lied
to me and my brothers...

Why don't you shut up?

It deceived the people
in this country.

It tricked them into
going 13,000 miles

to fight a war against
a poor peasant people

who have a proud
history of resistance,

who have been struggling
for their own independence

for 1,000 years... the
Vietnamese people.

I can't... I can't find
the words to express

how the leadership of this
government sickens me.

Now, people say...

people say if you
don't love America,

then get the hell out.

Well, I love America, but when
it comes to the government,

it stops right there.

The government is a bunch
of corrupt thieves.

They are rapists and robbers.

We are here to say we don't
have to take it any more.

We are here to tell the truth.

They're killing our
brothers in Vietnam.

We want them to hear the truth.

Traitor.

What are you, a communist?

Is this what we get,
spit in the face?

Is this what we get?

Is this what we get,
sir? Spit in the face?

We're never going to let the
people forget that war.

Four more years.

You're not sweeping
it under the rug

because you didn't
like the ratings.

This wheelchair, our wheelchairs,
this steel, our steel

is your Memorial Day on wheels.

We're your Yankee
Doodle Dandy come home.

We're your Yankee Doodle Dandy.

Let's reject any philosophy

that would make us a
divided people of America.

Stop the bombing.

Stop the war.

Stop the bombing.

Stop the war.

Stop the bombing. Stop the war.

Some sort of scuffle has broken
out on the convention floor,

disabled veterans
protesting the Vietnam War.

We'll try to get down there.

Why are they gassing
us in the parking lot?

Why are they fighting us?

Because it's a lie.

The truth is they've killed
a generation of young men.

They have sacrificed a whole
generation of young men.

Stop the bombing.

Stop the bombing.

Communists.

Communists.

Stop the bombing.

Stop the war.

Stop the bombing. Stop the war.

Traitor. Go home.

I say to you tonight...

in these times, when there
is so much of a tendency

to run down those who
have served America

in the past and today,

let's give those who
have served in Vietnam

the honour and the respect

that they deserve and
that they've earned.

1, 2, 3, 4, we don't
want your fucking war.

1, 2, 3, 4, we don't
want your fucking war.

Get the car.

Get the car.

Shut the fuck up.

You're under arrest,
Kovic. Come on.

What?

Shut up.

You're a pig?

You should've died over
there, you traitor.

I don't have balance.

Give me your hands.

Ok, I'll go with you.

I'm not under arrest.

I don't have to...

Hey, take it easy.

Get your hands behind you.

I'm paralysed.

Get those cameras out of here.

Hey.

Hey.

I'm paralysed.

Get in the fucking car.

Hey.

Hey.

My chair.

My ch...

Stop it.

Tactical line.

Advance and disperse the crowd.

The whole world's watching.

Let me go.

You ok?

Doc, is he ok?

I'm ok.

How we doing here?

How many fingers you got?

Your head is cut.

Any place else hurting?

I'm ok. Where's my chair?

Where's my chair?

Bring his chair over.

You're cut over your eye.

The media's got to see this.

We heard you shouted down Nixon.

Eddie was arrested,
they beat Peterson,

O'Malley's gassed real bad, and
Piscatelli's got a concussion.

It's a fucking mess over there.

Frankie, bring the
media to the gate.

What?

The pigs are coming.

They're clearing the park.

They've arrested like 30 people...

Ok, ok, listen up.

Listen up. Hey, hey, hey.

We're going to take the hall back.

You hear?

We're going to the gate,

we're gonna take the
motherfucking hall back.

Fall out. Let's move.

1, 2, 3, 4, we don't
want your fucking war.

1, 2, 3, 4, we don't
want your fucking war.

1, 2, 3, 4, we don't
want your fucking war.

Let us reject the notion
of politics of the few,

by the few, and for the few.

We dedicate ourselves
to the notion

this is a government
of the people,

by the people, and
for all the people,

black, brown, red,
yellow, white, women,

young, old, workers, students.

This is our land in this country.

Ransom, the feminist,
she's six minutes over.

I've got the Jackson people
breathing down my neck.

Who follows?

It won't be a problem.

You're next.

Mr Kovic?

We're just about ready for you.

Can I get you anything?

Coke, iced tea?

Let's do it.

Ok, Ron. It's your time.

It's been a long way to get here.

Tell them what it is, Ron.

Come on, Ronnie.

Go get them, man. For Eddie, man.

Ronnie for president.

- Whoo.
- Whoo.

The whole world's
watching. I love you.

All right, Frankie.

I feel good.

Ronnie for president.

Whoo.

Congratulations.

I love what you're doing.

Clear a path for me,
please. Stand back.

Thank you.

I had a dream, Ronnie.

You were speaking
to a large crowd,

and you were saying great things.

Our next speaker is one
of our Vietnam veterans

who has something very
special to say tonight.

Please.

Please be quiet.

Coming up top.

What will you say
tonight, Mr Kovic?

I'm going to tell the truth.

Any plans for the future?

I guess we'll see.

Mr Kovic, could you
please sign your book?

A young man who comes from
Massapequa, Long Island...

All righty, coming through.

All right, sweetheart.
Straight on through.

Straight on through.

How does it feel to address
the entire country?

Overwhelming...

an honour...

It's been a long way for us...

the vets...

Just lately I've
felt like I'm home.

You know?

Like, maybe we're home.

Welcome home, Ronnie.

Go get them, Ron.