''Roswell'' (also known as ''Roswell: The U.F.O. Cover-Up'') is a 1994 American

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...

based on a supposedly true story about the

Roswell UFO incident The Roswell Incident started in 1947 with the recovery of debris near Roswell, New Mexico. It later became the basis for conspiracy theories alleging that the United States military recovered a crashed extraterrestrial spacecraft. The debri ...

, the alleged U.S. military capture of a

flying saucer A flying saucer, or flying disc, is a purported type of disc-shaped unidentified flying object (UFO). The term was coined in 1947 by the United States (US) news media for the objects pilot Kenneth Arnold UFO sighting, Kenneth Arnold claimed fl ...

and its alien crew following a crash near the town of

Roswell, New Mexico Roswell () is a city in and the county seat of Chaves County, New Mexico, Chaves County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 48,422 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in New Mexico, fi ...

, in July 1947. Along with the Roswell crash, the film references prominent

UFOlogy Ufology, sometimes written UFOlogy ( or ), is the investigation of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) by people who believe that they may be of extraordinary claims, extraordinary origins (most frequently of extraterrestrial hypothesis, extrate ...

events such as

Area 51 Area 51 is the common name of a highly classified United States Air Force (USAF) facility within the Nevada Test and Training Range in southern Nevada, north-northwest of Las Vegas. A remote detachment administered by Edwards Air Force B ...

, alien autopsies, the death of

James Forrestal James Vincent Forrestal (February 15, 1892 – May 22, 1949) was the last Cabinet (government), cabinet-level United States Secretary of the Navy and the first United States Secretary of Defense. Forrestal came from a very strict middle-cla ...

and Majestic-12. The script was based on the book ''UFO Crash at Roswell'', by

Kevin D. Randle Kevin Douglas Randle (born June 4, 1949) is an American ufologist, science fiction and historical fiction writer and a military veteran. Within the UFO community, he is often regarded as one of the preeminent experts on the reported crash of a UF ...

and Donald R. Schmitt.

Plot

Beginning at a 30-year reunion for members of the

509th Operations Group The 509th Operations Group (509 OG) is the flying component of the United States Air Force 509th Bomb Wing (509 BW), assigned to Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. It is equipped with all 20 of the USAF's B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, flown by it ...

, flashbacks are presented that follow the attempts of Major Jesse Marcel to discover the truth about strange debris found on a local rancher's field in July 1947. Told by his superiors that what he has found is nothing more than a downed

weather balloon A weather balloon, also known as a sounding balloon, is a balloon (specifically a type of high-altitude balloon) that carries instruments to the stratosphere to send back information on atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity and wind spe ...

, Marcel maintains his military duty until the weight of the truth, however out of this world it may be, forces him to piece together what really occurred.

Reception

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' reviewed the film as a tense drama, maintaining "an engrossing course." Criticizing the conspiracy aspect, it's noted that "What prevents this professionally fashioned hokum from being a high flier is the annoying question of how a cover-up that involved hundreds or thousands of people could have been maintained for 30 years or even 30 seconds in this expose-prone society." ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' labeled it "a gripping fictional account." The review concludes, "Wherever the truths of the Roswell incident may lie, director Kagan paces his story convincingly and, in the suspicions it raises about American military mendacity, unflinchingly: superior made-for-TV fare, in other words. The extraterrestrial bodies, by the way, are terrific." ( ''

The Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper in the U.S. and the larges ...

'' considered the film "no mere sci-fi hardware yarn," adding "''Roswell'' is not so much a space odyssey but the story of a man's lost soul, that of an Air Force intelligence officer doggedly searching for the truth."

Cast

Kyle MacLachlan Kyle Merritt MacLachlan ( ; ' McLachlan, February 22, 1959) is an American actor. He is best known for his Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe-winning role as Dale Cooper in ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991, 2017) and its film prequel '' Twin Peaks: Fire ...

as Jesse A. Marcel *

Martin Sheen Ramón Gerard Antonio Estévez (born August 3, 1940), known professionally as Martin Sheen, is an American actor. His work spans over six decades of television and film, and his accolades include three Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and ...

as Townsend *

Dwight Yoakam Dwight David Yoakam (born October 23, 1956) is an American singer-songwriter, actor, and filmmaker. He first achieved mainstream attention in 1986 with the release of his debut album ''Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.''. Yoakam had considerable s ...

as Mac Brazel *

Xander Berkeley Alexander Harper Berkeley (born December 16, 1955) is an American actor. Since beginning his career in the early 1980s, he has appeared in over 200 film and television projects. His films include ''Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' (1991), ''Candyman ...

as Sherman Carson *

Bob Gunton Robert Patrick Gunton Jr. (born November 15, 1945) is an American character actor of stage and screen. He is known for playing strict authoritarian characters, including Warden Samuel Norton in the 1994 prison drama ''The Shawshank Redemption'', ...

as Frank Joyce *

Kim Greist Kim Greist (born May 12, 1958) is a retired American actress and model. Her credits include '' C.H.U.D.'' (1984), ''Miami Vice'' (1985), ''Brazil'' (1985), '' Manhunter'' (1986), ''Throw Momma from the Train'' (1987), '' Punchline'' (1988), '' Hom ...

as Vy Marcel *

Peter MacNicol Peter MacNicol (born April 10, 1954) is an American actor. He received a Theatre World Award for his 1981 Broadway debut in the play '' Crimes of the Heart''. His film roles include Galen in '' Dragonslayer'' (1981), Stingo in '' Sophie's Choic ...

as Lewis Rickett * John M. Jackson as Colonel Blanchard *

Nick Searcy Nicholas Alan Searcy (born March 7, 1959) is an American character actor best known for portraying Chief Deputy United States Marshal Art Mullen on FX's '' Justified''. He also had a major role in the Tom Hanks–produced miniseries ''From the ...

as Mortician * J.D. Daniels as Young Jesse Marcel, Jr. *

Charles Hallahan Charles John Hallahan (July 29, 1943 – November 25, 1997) was an American film, television, and stage actor. His films include '' Going in Style'' and ''Nightwing'' (both 1979), '' The Thing'' (1982), '' Silkwood'' and '' Twilight Zone: The M ...

as Older Pilot MacIntire * Ray McKinnon as Deputy Joe Pritchard *

Eugene Roche Eugene Harrison Roche (September 22, 1928 – July 28, 2004) was an American actor and the original " Ajax Man" in 1970s television commercials. Personal life Roche was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Mary M. (née Finnegan ...

Charles Martin Smith Charles Martin Smith (born October 30, 1953) is an American actor, director and writer based in British Columbia, Canada. His breakout role was as Terry "The Toad" Fields in George Lucas' film ''American Graffiti'' (1973), which he reprised ...

as Sheriff Wilcox * Doug Wert as Older Jesse Marcel, Jr. * Cynthia Allison as TV commentator * Hoke Howell as Bar veteran * Bruce Ed Morrow as General * Will Huston as Alien clown (as William Edwards) * Layne Beamer as Soldier * Max Trumpower as Gate Guard * Mik Scriba as Air Mechanic * Matt Landers as Lt. Walter Haut * George Gray III as Deputy * Stephen C. Foster as Gate MP * Dave Adams as Provost Marshal * Bill Cook as Jeep Driver * J.W. 'Corkey' Fornof as Pilot * Charles Beck as Pilot * Randy Gagne as Pilot * Charles M. Kistler as Interrogator #1 * Daiton Rutkowski as Interrogator #2 * F. William Parker as Older Stanton * Jonathan Mincks as Younger Stanton * Peter Radon as Melvin Brown * Gary Bullock as Eavesdropper * Jim Hayne as Harris * Mark Phelan as Gate Guard * Steve Lanza as Outside Doctor *

Arthur Kopit Arthur Lee Kopit (; May 10, 1937 – April 2, 2021) was an American playwright. He was a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist for ''Indians (play), Indians'' and ''Wings (play), Wings''. He was also nominated for three Tony Awards: Best Play for ...

as Inside Doctor * Michael Strasser as Hospital MP * Don Fischer as Outdoor MP * Denice Marcel as Waitress * Brandey Martinez as Waitress #2 *

Lisa Waltz Lisa Waltz is an American actress who has had roles in many television shows and who played Nora in the film adaptation of '' Brighton Beach Memoirs''. Personal life Waltz was born and raised in Limerick, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Bobby an ...

as Janet Foss * John Mahon as Red Hat Vet * Stanley Grover as Straw Hat Vet *

Warren Munson Warren Munson (born November 30, 1933) is an American film and television actor. Career Munson's likeness and voice were used to portray Admiral Owen Paris in two early episodes of ''Star Trek: Voyager''. He also played the role of Vice Admi ...

as Yellow Hat Vet *

Hansford Rowe Hansford Herndon Rowe Jr. (May 12, 1924 – September 5, 2017) was an American film, stage and television actor. Early life and education Rowe was born in Richmond, Virginia, the son of Virginia Isabel (née Willis) and Hansford Herndon Rowe, ...

as Chaplain *

Richard Fancy Richard Ronald Fancy (born August 2, 1943) is an American actor and comedian known for his recurring role on ''Seinfeld'' as publisher Mr. Lippman, Elaine Benes's employer. Early life Fancy was born August 2, 1943, in Evanston, Illinois, to ...

as Doctor *

Paul Davids Paul Davids is an American independent filmmaker and writer, especially in the area of science fiction. Often collaborating with his wife Hollace, Davids has written and directed several films. He has also written episodes for the television seri ...

as Photographer *

Philip Baker Hall Philip Baker Hall (September 10, 1931 – June 12, 2022) was an American character actor. He is known for his collaborations with Paul Thomas Anderson, including '' Hard Eight'' (1996), ''Boogie Nights'' (1997), and ''Magnolia'' (1999). He also ...

as Roswell General *

Lawrence Dobkin Lawrence Dobkin (September 16, 1919 – October 28, 2002) was an American television director, character actor and screenwriter whose career spanned seven decades. Dobkin was a prolific performer during the Golden Age of Radio. He narrat ...

as General (as Larry Dobkin) * Edward Penn as Civilian Advisor *

Arthur Hiller Arthur Hiller, (November 22, 1923 – August 17, 2016) was a Canadian television and film director with over 33 films to his credit during a 50-year career. He began his career directing television in Canada and later in the U.S. By the late ...

as Scientist #1 *

Parley Baer Parley Edward Baer (August 5, 1914 – November 22, 2002) was an American actor in radio and later in television and film. Despite dozens of appearances in television series and theatrical films, he remains best known as the original "Chester" ...

as Civilian Advisor *

Bruce Gray Bruce Gray (September 7, 1936 – December 13, 2017) was a Canadian actor, known for multiple roles in films and television shows for over five decades. Early years Gray was born in Puerto Rico and lived in Toronto after 1949. He graduated fro ...

as Admiral

References

External links

* {{Jeremy Kagan 1994 television films 1994 films 1994 science fiction films 1994 in American television 1990s American films 1990s English-language films American science fiction television films English-language science fiction films Fiction about the Roswell incident Films about the United States Air Force Films based on non-fiction books Films directed by Jeremy Kagan Films scored by Elliot Goldenthal Films set in 1947 Films set in 1977 Films set in New Mexico Films set in Texas Showtime (TV network) films Television films based on books UFO-related films UFO-related television Viacom Pictures films