on the 99th anniversary of the spanish american war and the most famous land battle of that brief say war and john millius write and direct a stir tribute to the first volunteer cavalry . the group have come down to u in history a the rough rider and it organizer and second commander become president of the united state on the strength of one afternoon very bloody work at a place call kettle hill and good know a san juan hill . tom berenger make a splendid theodore roosevelt . he capture all the passion in him and the brilliance as well a the bumptiousness . some may find roosevelt too super patriotic and even too racist in some regard . it be a different time a century ago . roosevelt be also a man who would stand for nothing less than the united state be nothing less than number one . in his own way he pioneer integration and he be of the patrician class with root go all the way back to dutch new amsterdam . but his rough rider a you see come from all walk of life and from society kid to even western outlaw . milius do his research well for the most part . ileane douglas whose family pedigree include grandparent melvyn and helen gahagan douglas and play the ever patient edith kermit carow roosevelt . she love her husband and but be able to say an occasional now theodore to put the brake on his enthusiasm get the good of him . rough rider mark the farewell performance of brian keith a president william mckinley who roosevelt say have the back of a chocolate éclair . that be one of roosevelt not so admirable quality and his failure to see merit the other point of view have . mckinley be a wounded civil war veteran who saw action a a young man in place like antietam . he be not a man to rush lightly and foolhardily into a decision for war and know far more than tr at the time of what war can cost . my favorite in the film be sam elliott a yavapai county and arizona sheriff bucky oneill who join the rough rider and be in charge of mold them into a unit . this be definitely one of elliott fine moment on screen . the last rough rider die in 1975. i wish some of them have be around to see this fine film about a young america and what some of the best and bright of that generation do . the politics behind the spanish american war be debatable and dubious at best and but the heroism of our soldier be unquestioned .