Born on the Fourth of Jul
written by Oliver Stone & Ron Kovic (from his book)
Mrs. Kovic: What's going on? Are you drunk again?
Ron: Hey Mom.
Mrs. Kovic: He's drunk again. Eli, we have a drunk for a son... (Ron picks up a crucifix) Leave that alone, give that to me. You can't stay in this house.
Ron: This is what you believe in, isn't it mom? I don't believe in him anymore.
Mr. Kovic: Go to bed, honey. It's okay, I'll take care of him.
Ron: He only had to stay three days up there, me, I gotta spend the rest of my life, I wish I were dead like him.
Mrs. Kovic: You don't know what you're saying.
Ron: That's the problem, I gotta live. I gotta roll around, I got a reminder of Vietnam, and you don't wanna know, you don't wanna see us, you wanna hide us, you wanna hide us cuz this is a can of SHIT! And I am a fucking DUMMY!
Mrs. Kovic: He won't listen, he won't change!
Mr. Kovic: Ronny, please, you gotta take your mom seriously, you can't drink in this house.
Ron: We believed all the things they told us: "Go FIGHT! Go KILL! Sergeant man marine corps!!" It's all a lie, the whole thing's a lie!
Mr. Kovic: Ronny...!
Mrs. Kovic: Stop it! Got to bed! You sleep it off. What did they do to you in that war? What happened to you? You need help, Ronny. You need h--
Ron: No YOU need help! With all your God and all your bullshit dreams about me!! You are ashamed of me! You are embarrased about me! Fuck you!
Mr. Kovic: Don't talk to your mother like that.
Mrs. Kovic: What did you say to me? What did you say to me?!! (slaps him)
Ron: FUCK YOU!
Mr. Kovic: Ronny, that's enough!
Mrs. Kovic: You're gonna wake the whole neighborhood!
Ron: Wake them up! Tell them! CUSACKS! CAMELLETTIS! WALSHES! You tell them all, tell them all what they did to me, what they did tot his whole block, this whole country...
Mrs. Kovic: They're gonna call the police this time.
Ron: ...we went to Vietnam to stop communism...we sh--....we shot women and children...
Mrs. Kovic: You didn't shoot women and children, what are you saying?
Ron: The church blessed the war. Communism, the insidious evil. They told us to go!
Mrs. Kovic: Yes, that's what they told us!
Ron: Thou shalt not kill, mom. Thou shalt not kill women and children. Thou shalt not kill, remember? Isn't that what you taught us? Isn't that what they taught us?
Mrs. Kovic: Stop it! Stop it! Stop iiiiiit! I don't want you in this house. You are out of this house.
Mr. Kovic: Ron, come on now, you made your point.
Ron: NO! I haven't made my point! You tell her, dad! You're killing everyone now!
Mrs. Kovic: I didn't force you to go!
Ron: YES YOU DID! YES YOU DID!!! And it's all falling apart! King Kennedy, Kent State, we all lost the fucking war.
Mrs. Kovic: It's not my fault.
Ron: Fucking communism, it's all for nothing.
Mrs. Kovic: That's not true, Ronny.
Ron: What do you know? What do you know? 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 just me in this fucking wheelchair...for the rest...of my life, for nothing. Me and this dead penis... (starts to remove his cathetor)
Mrs. Kovic: Oh GOD!
Mr. Kovic: Ron, not the cathetor, for God's sake!
Ron: Penis.
Mrs. Kovic: Oh God, Eli, I can't stand it anymore. To hell with YOU!
Ron: At church they say it's a sin if you play with your penis, I just wish I could.
Mrs. Kovic: Don't say penis in this house!!!
Ron: Oh my God, PENIS! PENIS! BIG FUCKING ERECT PENIS, MOM! PENIIIS! PENIIIIIIIIS!
Mrs. Kovic: STOP! He won't let go, what can I do, what can I do?
Ron: By the time you learn how to use it, it's gone in some jungle, in some fucking jungle over in Asia, just gone...
Mrs. Kovic: (crying helplessly) No, oh no, God...
Ron: I'm sorry it happened this way....I'm sorry you're sad, mom. I'm so sorry.
(His father carries Ron to his room.)
Ron: (mumbling) So fucked up...fucked up.
Mr. Kovic: Ronny, maybe a little trip is all you need. That place down in Mexico you were talking about.
Ron: I don't wanna got to mexico, I don't wanna go no place.
Mr. Kovic:Ronny, i think you should go....What can I do, Ronny? What do you want?
Ron: (crying) I wanna be a man again...Who's gonna love me, dad? Who's ever gonna love me? Who's gonna love....me?
Kudos and much thanks go to Daniel M. for this scene, it is very much appreciated.