Born on the Fourth of July Page #5

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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 sh*t!

Trying to

keep me f***ing drugged

so I don't know

what's going on.

This is a f***ing 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 f*** 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 f***!

Hey, goddamn you!

Goddamn it.

I am a f***ing

Vietnam veteran!

This isn't...

Marvin!

Marvin, now!

Marvin!

What's up?

What's up?

Marvin, look!

Oh, f***!

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.

Aah!

Susanne, he's here.

Ronnie's home.

O.K. Out on 3.

All right, 1...

2...

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 O.K. I'm O.K.

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 O.K. I can't

feel anything anyway.

I'm only paralysed.

You look great.

Yeah?

Ronnie.

Mom.

Ronnie.

Hey, Mom.

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 O.K.

I know.

I'm O.K.

I'm O.K.

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.

Mom, wait.

She'll be O.K.

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, Mom.

It's all right.

Looks good.

Yeah?

You need some help?

No. I'm O.K., 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 mom-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 sh*t

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 sh*t

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 sh*t.

Don't take the Lord's name in vain

in front of the children.

I agree with

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