Roughing It on AllMovie

James Garner stars as Samuel Clemens -- better known as the great American author Mark Twain -- in this made-for-television adaptation of his serio-comic autobiographical novel. While Clemens was won worldwide fame for his humor writings, he feels as if he wasn't won real respect in the literary world, and is intimidated when he's invited to speak before Bryn Mawr's 1891 graduating class. With the encouragement of his wife Livy (Jill Eikenberry), Clemens begins writing a new story for the occasion ... the story of a naive aspiring writer from the East (Robin Dunne) who travels West in search of his fortune, and soon discovers his refined ways are sorely out of place in his new surroundings as he meets a vivid cast of remarkable characters. Roughing It also features Eric Roberts, Adam Arkin, and Ned Beatty; director Charles Martin Smith appears in a supporting role.