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Roswell (1994)

Roswell (1994), directed by Jeremy Kagan, starring Kyle MacLachlan and Martin Sheen.

07/31/1994 BR Science Fiction and TV Movie 1h 31m

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The Pentagon denied it was a UFO. But one man knew better, because he was there.

Synopsis

Based on the book "UFO Crash at Roswell" by Kevin Randle and Donald Schmitt, Roswell follows the attempts of Major Jesse Marcel to discover the truth about strange debris found on a local rancher's field in July of 1947. Told by his superiors that what he has found is nothing more than a downed weather balloon, 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.

  • Steven PosterCinematography
  • Jeremy KaganDirector
  • Elliot GoldenthalOriginal music
  • Arthur KopitScreenplay

About the film

Roswell (also known as Roswell: The U.F.O. Cover-Up) is a 1994 American television film based on a supposedly true story about the Roswell UFO incident, the alleged U.S. military capture of a flying saucer and its alien crew following a crash near the town of Roswell, New Mexico, in July 1947. Along with the Roswell crash, the film references prominent UFOlogy events such as Area 51, alien autopsies, the death of James Forrestal and Majestic-12.

The script was based on the book UFO Crash at Roswell, by Kevin D. Randle and Donald R. Schmitt.

Read the full article (2k characters)

Roswell (also known as Roswell: The U.F.O. Cover-Up) is a 1994 American television film based on a supposedly true story about the Roswell UFO incident, the alleged U.S. military capture of a flying saucer and its alien crew following a crash near the town of Roswell, New Mexico, in July 1947. Along with the Roswell crash, the film references prominent UFOlogy events such as Area 51, alien autopsies, the death of James Forrestal and Majestic-12.

The script was based on the book UFO Crash at Roswell, by Kevin D. Randle and Donald R. Schmitt.

Plot

Beginning at a 30-year reunion for members of the 509th Operations Group, 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, 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 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 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 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

References

External links

Roswell at IMDb

Text from Roswell (film) on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roswell_(film)

Trivia

Production

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Set in

  • New Mexico

Cast

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What is Roswell about?

Roswell: Based on the book "UFO Crash at Roswell" by Kevin Randle and Donald Schmitt, Roswell follows the attempts of Major Jesse Marcel to discover the truth about strange debris found on a local rancher's field in July of 1947. Told by his superiors that what he has found is nothing more than a downed weather balloon, Marcel…

Who directed Roswell?

Roswell was directed by Jeremy Kagan in 1994.

Who stars in Roswell?

The cast of Roswell includes Kyle MacLachlan, Martin Sheen, Dwight Yoakam, Xander Berkeley and Bob Gunton.

How long is Roswell?

Roswell runs for 91 minutes, or 1h31.

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Page updated on 09/11/2026.

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Scene from Roswell