Rough Riders (1997) (TV)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

John Milius

Writers (WGA):

John Milius (written by) and
Hugh Wilson (written by)

Release Date:

20 July 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | History | War

Plot:

In 1898 the US government decided to intervene on the side of the Cuban rebels in their struggle against Spanish rule...

Plot Keywords:

Theodore Roosevelt | Military | Silver | Gatling Gun | Americana

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Tom Berenger	...	Theodore Roosevelt
Sam Elliott	...	Capt. Bucky O'Neil
Gary Busey	...	Gen. Joseph 'Fighting Joe' Wheeler
Brad Johnson	...	Henry Nash
Illeana Douglas	...	Edith Roosevelt
Chris Noth	...	Craig Wadsworth
Brian Keith	...	President William McKinley
George Hamilton	...	William Randolph Hearst
R. Lee Ermey	...	Secretary of State John Hay
Nick Chinlund	...	Frederick Remington
Dale Dye	...	Col. Leonard Wood
Holt McCallany	...	Hamilton Fish
Geoffrey Lewis	...	Eli
James Parks	...	William Tiffany
Dakin Matthews	...	Wadsworth, Sr.

Also Known As:

Teddy Roosevelt & the Rough Riders (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

240 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Portugal:M/12 (video premiere)

Filming Locations:

Bandera, Texas, USA

Company:

Affinity Entertainment

Trivia:

Tom Isbell actually sustained as many gunshot wounds in the Battle of Las Guasimas as was depicted in the film, and survived.

Goofs:

Continuity: There are several mirror shots as the Spanish are preparing to defend against the American attack on San Juan and Kettle Hills. In particular, several Spanish soldiers are shown shooting Mausers that are suddenly left-handed, and two other Spaniards feed a Maxim machine gun from the left when the German later tells Roosevelt that the Maxim feeds from the right.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Henry Nash: I miss you, boys. Been more that twenty years. My God, we were young. Well, it was a young country then, full of promise and hope. Anything was possible then if you were an American.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Bridge on the River Kwai: An Appreciation by Filmmaker John Milius (2000) (V)

A rousing, splendid account!

I cannot overly praise this great motion picture. When I saw it on television, I was amazed at its quality and verve, and eagerly awaited it on video. I was not disappointed.

This is a fantastic motion picture on many levels. The scoring was perfect, and the painstaking, accurate attention to detail in period weapons, uniforms, and accoutrement was obvious.

Though the actual facts of the engagements depicted were a bit different than is portrayed in the film (due to time constraints and for the sake of lucidity), the movie has a genuine 'feel' for Teddy Roosevelt, his famous outfit, and the times they lived in.

Sam Elliott, as Captain Bucky O'Neil, was a standout and should have won an award for his performance. He's always a pleasure to watch on screen, but he infuses his part here with genuine toughness, a wonderful dry humour, and great humanity.

Then again, the entire cast was wonderful, particularly Chris Noth, Brad Johnson, Tom Berenger, Dale Dye, and especially scene-stealer Gary Busey. Watch for the actor who played "Indian Bob"; he has one of the funniest (and most human) lines in the film.

This is the only movie I've ever seen that I wanted to be in, in some capacity. It's that good.