# Rough Riders (1997)

> A two-part miniseries following Theodore Roosevelt and his volunteer cavalry as they charge up San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/42609

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 2
- Episode runtime: 92 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: war, drama, history
- Created by: John Milius, Hugh Wilson
- Network: TNT
- Cast: Tom Berenger, Sam Elliott, Gary Busey, Brad Johnson, Illeana Douglas, Dale Dye, Brian Keith, George Hamilton
- TMDB rating: 7.3/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118453/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: patriotic, rousing, swaggering, gritty

## What critics say

Viewers who reviewed it found it a first rate adventure story, with historical figures portrayed accurately if somewhat over the top.

## Synopsis

Rough Riders (1997) is an American two-part historical war miniseries created by John Milius and Hugh Wilson for TNT. Tom Berenger plays Theodore Roosevelt, leading a volunteer cavalry unit through the Spanish-American War, with Sam Elliott as the wry, hard-bitten Captain Bucky O'Neil and Gary Busey as General Joseph Wheeler. The engine of the story is the training, friction and eventual charge of an improvised regiment of volunteers bound for Cuba, with political pressure from President William McKinley and the press shaping every decision on the ground. Each episode runs about ninety minutes and the story moves through a single campaign rather than separate cases, giving it the shape of a compact epic. Set in 1898 Cuba and the American home front, it leans toward a grand, patriotic pageantry, with brutal battlefield sequences set against camaraderie and cocky bravado. Fans of Band of Brothers, Lincoln and John Adams will find resonance in its blend of real figures, sweeping military history and character-driven ensemble drama.

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