''The Siege at Ruby Ridge'' is a 1996

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

directed by Roger Young and written by

Lionel Chetwynd Lionel Chetwynd (born January 29, 1940) is a British-American screenwriter, director and producer. Life and career Lionel Chetwynd was born to a Jewish family in Hackney, London, the son of Betty (née Dion) and Peter Chetwynd. His family move ...

about the confrontation between the family of

Randy Weaver Randall Claude Weaver (January 3, 1948 – May 11, 2022) was an American survivalist, former Iowa factory worker, and self-proclaimed white separatist. He was a central actor in the 1992 Ruby Ridge standoff at his cabin near Naples, Idaho, th ...

and the US federal government at

Ruby Ridge Ruby Ridge was the site of an eleven-day siege in 1992 in Boundary County, Idaho, near Naples. It began on August 21, when deputies of the United States Marshals Service (USMS) initiated action to apprehend and arrest Randy Weaver under a bench ...

in 1992. It was based on the book ''Every Knee Shall Bow'' by reporter

Jess Walter Jess Walter (born July 20, 1965) is an American author of seven novels, two collections of short stories, and a non-fiction book. He is the recipient of the Edgar Allan Poe Award, and was a finalist for the National Book Award in 2006. Career Wal ...

. It originally aired as a two-part

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

miniseries entitled ''Ruby Ridge: An American Tragedy'' on May 19 and May 21, 1996. The miniseries was edited together to become the film ''The Siege at Ruby Ridge''.

Cast

Laura Dern Laura Elizabeth Dern (born February 10, 1967) is an American actress. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award, and five Golden Globe Awards. Born to actor Bruce Dern and ac ...

as Vicki Weaver *

Randy Quaid Randy Randall Rudy Quaid (born October 1, 1950) is an American actor known for his roles in both serious drama and light comedy. He was nominated for an Academy Award, BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award for his role in ''The Last Detail'' i ...

Kirsten Dunst Kirsten Caroline Dunst (; born April 30, 1982) is an American actress. She made her acting debut in the short ''Oedipus Wrecks'' directed by Woody Allen in the anthology film ''New York Stories'' (1989). She then gained recognition for her rol ...

as Sara Weaver *

Darren E. Burrows Darren E. Burrows (born September 12, 1966) is an American actor and director. He is best known for playing Ed Chigliak in the television series '' Northern Exposure''. He also appeared in ''Cry-Baby'', '' Amistad'', '' Sunset Strip'', '' Forty ...

as Kevin Harris * G. W. Bailey as Ralph Coulter *

Bradley Pierce Bradley Michael Pierce is an American actor, producer and cinematographer. Along with other roles and bit parts in television, films, direct-to-video animation, advertising, and video games, he played Peter Shepherd in ''Jumanji'', the original ...

as Sammy Weaver *

Gary Graham Gary Graham (born June 6, 1950) is an American actor, musician, and author. He may be best known for his starring role as Detective Matthew Sikes in the television series ''Alien Nation'' (1989–1990) and five subsequent ''Alien Nation'' televi ...

as Brian Jackson *

August Schellenberg August Werner Schellenberg (July 25, 1936 – August 15, 2013) was a Canadian actor. He played Randolph in the first three installments of the ''Free Willy'' film series (1993–1997) as well as characters in '' Black Robe'' (1991), ''The New Wor ...

as Indian *

Diane Ladd Diane Ladd is an American actress. She has appeared in over 120 film and television roles. For the 1974 film '' Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore'', she won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and was nominated for the Academy A ...

as Irma Coulter *

Tracy Griffith Tracy Lee Griffith (born October 19, 1965) is an American actress, sushi chef and painter. Early life Griffith was raised in Bedford, New York, the daughter of actor/producer Peter Griffith and his second wife, model/actress Nanita Greene. Her ...

as Gwen Coulter *

Nicholas Pryor Nicholas Pryor (born Nicholas David Probst; January 28, 1935) is an American actor. He has appeared in various television series, films, and stage productions. Life and career Pryor was born Nicholas David Probst in Baltimore, Maryland, the son ...

as Bert Yeager *

Hal Landon Jr. Hal Landon Jr. is an actor most notable for portraying Ted's Dad in the ''Bill & Ted'' franchise. In 1986, he appeared in Highway to Heaven. Life He was a member of the South Coast Repertory in Orange County, California, most notably playing th ...

as George Mill *

John Dennis Johnston John Dennis Johnston (born May 14, 1950) is an American film and television actor. Career He appeared in a number of feature films including ''Close Encounters of the Third Kind'', '' Streets of Fire'', and '' Flesh+Blood'', as well as various T ...

as Tony Vickers *

Robert Harper Robert or Bob Harper may refer to: * Robert Almer Harper (1862–1946), American botanist * Robert Goodloe Harper (1765–1825), US senator from Maryland * Robert Harper (fl. 1734–1761), founder of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia * Robert Harper (a ...

as Earl Martens * Lyman Ward as Ross Jones *

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'', ...

Bo Gritz James Gordon "Bo" Gritz (; born January 18, 1939) is an American former United States Army Special Forces officer and presidential candidate. After serving in the Vietnam War and retiring from the military, Gritz has worked on attempted POW res ...

Joe Don Baker Joe Don Baker (born February 12, 1936) is an American character actor and a life member of the Actors Studio. He established himself as an action star with supporting roles as a mysterious cowboy drifter in '' Guns of the Magnificent Seven'' (19 ...

Gerry Spence Gerald Leonard Spence (born January 8, 1929) is a semi-retired American trial lawyer. He is a member of the Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame. Spence has never lost a criminal case before a jury either as a prosecutor or a defense attorney, and has not ...

Awards

References

External links

* * 1996 television films 1996 films CBS network films American films based on actual events Films directed by Roger Young Films set in 1992 Films set in Idaho 1990s English-language films {{US-tv-film-stub