Rough Riders

I enjoyed this movie tremendously, but then again I'm a big Theodore Roosevelt fan. The movie does nothing to damage his reputation and is minimal in its application of modern sensibilities. There's lots of action, which closely mimics the historical accounts I've read. Believe it or not, by all reports TR was much as he is portrayed. Good performances abound with Tom Berringer topping the list.

I'll skip trying to tell you what was on these peoples mind when they went to war, however, TR had been de facto Secretary of the Navy and a politician for quite a while so I vote for less naivete than hinted at by another commentator. That said, true believers are reported to have been a far more common breed at the time.

A good rent, but I wish it were available on DVD. Talk to Ted Turner about that.

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.

This film chronicles the 1st US Volunteer Cavalry ("Rough Riders") from their inception in the mind of Teddy Roosevelt through the capture of the San Juan Heights, the moment at which Roosevelt said "We will always live in its shadow." Although it takes some liberties with the facts, they're simply to strengthen the story as constrained by the medium: better than two months and a thousand men are pushed into three+ hours and some fifteen characters, enough to catch the flavor of the time. And what a time: when rich young men from Park Avenue sincerely believed it was their duty to take part in their country's wars, and a politician who started one went to fight in it, when artists calmly painted oils of battle, and correspondents walked toward the sound of the guns... Fiercely accurate in the feel of the battle, especially the waiting under fire, and in the making of men into killers, "Rough Riders" is beautifully filmed and scored. But mostly, it's well acted. Berengar *is* Theodore Roosevelt, and Sam Elliott gives another good performance, as does William Katt as Edward Marshall (with a lot of Richard Harding Davis's actions). Gary Busey's Fighting Joe Wheeler is a scene-stealer, much like "the old gamecock" undoubtedly was, and the little roles are well handled as well, especially Nick Chinlund's Frederic Remington. But the real focus of the movie is on Brad Johnson's Henry Nash, the Arizona outlaw, and Chris Noth's Craig Wadsworth, the Park Avenue polo player... Noth in particular gives a understatedly lovely, nuanced performance as the rich young man coming face to face with Life -- the very thing his family had tried so hard to keep him from ever having to experience. His transformation mirrors the transformation this particular war created in our country; as Roosevelt says in the film, "It will never be the same again." I heartily recommend this movie.

This three-hour, made-for-cable TV in America story of Cuban battles in the Spanish-American War was good enough to sit through once but not edited well enough to see it again.

I say "edited" because, after the short stage-coach robbery scene in the first minute or two, nothing much happens for almost an hour. Then, for the rest of the film - 90 to 120 minutes - it's almost non-stop action. After awhile, with only a few very short lulls, you get tired of it. All the shooting and cannons, etc., become too repetitive and get boring.

Also, for those who assume, as I did, that this film is a biography of sorts of Theodore Roosvelt, before he became President of the United States, might be a bit disappointed. You do see him, and he's a major figure in this long story, but there is no real central character in here. The film gives a fair amount of screen time to a handful of people, not just Teddy. There is no real star in this story.

Tom Berenger must have done a pretty good job because I wouldn't have known it was him had I not read about this before seeing it. Whether it was his pronounced choppers, or odd way of speaking, it didn't sound or look like the actor. However, it was good to get some glimpse of what our former President was like as you don't often see "Teddy" portrayed on film.

This also gave us a good insight on the Spanish-American war, another historic event not often seen on film. I wonder how many people even know that "San Juan Hill," which helped make Roosevelt famous, is located in Cuba?

For a TV-film, the action scenes were well-done and it appeared no expenses were spared in making this movie. A little more action in the first hour, and a little less in the next two, would have made this film more interesting.

Tom Berenger as Theodore Roosevelt! Is this guy an ACTOR or what?!? He's got Teddy's look & demeanor down pat. He certainly does his research!

Crux of the film - A volunteer rag-time bunch of men become soldiers trained by Buck O'Neil (the ever-outdoorsy M-A-N of the cowboy/war-type flicks, Sam Elliot). Goodrich & Tiffany are just some of the now famous names who went down in history fighting this war on San Juan Hill. Besides the rich & priviledged there were outlaws & everyday men. And who led them up that hill? Tom Berenger as Theodore Roosevelt himself. It's something how he can change his look in practically every film he's in. Just before this one, he was The Substitute. He looked older, grayish hair, wrinkles in his face. As Teddy, his skin is so smooth, his hair not gray at all & has a much younger stance. I know make-up & hair dye can do wonders (& Berenger's wife was the person on the set to do it here) but what a transformation!

Gary Busey is not one of my favorite actors but he's got the energy & craziness for his role as Joe Wheeler here, in command & in pursuit! Go buy this film & enjoy the thrill of acting!