The General's Daughter

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The General's Daughter

R

Released Jun 18, 1999

1h 51m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

22%

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92 Reviews

46%

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50,000+ Ratings

When the body of Army Capt. Elizabeth Campbell (Leslie Stefanson) is found on a Georgia military base, two investigators, Warrant Officers Paul Brenner (John Travolta) and Sara Sunhill (Madeleine Stowe), are ordered to solve her murder. What they uncover is anything but clear-cut. Unseemly details emerge about Campbell's life, leading to allegations of a possible military coverup of her death and the involvement of her father, Lt. Gen. Joseph Campbell (James Cromwell).

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Critics Consensus

Contrived performances and over-the-top sequences offer little real drama.

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Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: B-

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Rick Groen

Globe and Mail

No doubt about it, to divulge the plot would spoil the experience -- you'll be shocked to discover, and maybe even surprised to learn, just how lame the damn thing really is.

Rated: 1.5/4

Apr 25, 2003

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Jeff Strickler

Minneapolis Star Tribune

In terms of tone, the film is all over the map.

Nov 6, 2002

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

It barely rates a sideways glance, let alone a proper salute.

Rated: 2/4

Mar 27, 2025

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Allison Rose

FlickDirect

Director Simon West (Con Air) does a decent job transferring the story from the page to the big screen.

Rated: 3.5/5

Mar 18, 2025

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Common Sense Media Editors

Common Sense Media

The General's Daughter's attempt to present an expose of sexism in the military is clumsy at best and as subtle as a chainsaw.

Rated: 2/5

Dec 21, 2022

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Lone F

Best John Travolta movie!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/15/25

Full Review

Robert D

Woefully criticized by haters. I thought it was a tremendous film with plenty of tricks and turns and ingenious moves to trap the guilty using fake evidence and the threat of DNA. Plenty of prospective villians and the only fault I found was poor audio making some lines difficult to get their full intention.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/11/25

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Narciso R

Horrific accent from Travolta. Terrible movie. NRJ.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/11/24

Full Review

anthony m

I disagree with panning critics' nitpicking. It was a well-made movie about a murder, and there was a surprise ending --- something that seems for some reason unpopular with critics. The African folk song at the outset is captivating, and the southern Spanish moss helped provide verisimilitude. I noted that half the audience liked it while a quarter of the critics did. Why the discrpency?

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/22/23

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Dawna H

Watch it…. you'll enjoy it although if you're not overly sensitive to some content…. Justice will prevail and remember it's not over until the credits roll.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

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Audience Member

The betrayal of the daughter by her father made me sick. I have a daughter. Had to turn the movie off.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

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Simon West

Director

John Travolta

Paul Brenner

Madeleine Stowe

Sara Sunhill

James Cromwell

Lt. Gen. Joseph Campbell

Timothy Hutton

Col. William Kent

Leslie Stefanson

Capt. Elisabeth Campbell

The General's Daughter: Official Clip - Did the General Do It?

2:51

The General's Daughter: Official Clip - Interrogating a Rapist

2:55

The General's Daughter: Official Clip - YOU Killed Her!

2:42

The General's Daughter: Official Clip - The Military Covers Up Rape

3:00

The General's Daughter: Official Clip - John Travolta Arrests James Woods

2:17

The General's Daughter: Official Clip - Secret Sex Dungeon

1:50

The General's Daughter: Official Clip - Are You A Soldier or A Policeman?

2:59

The General's Daughter: Official Clip - Brutal Motorboat Kill

2:52

The General's Daughter: Official Clip - The Murderer's Minefield

2:52

The General's Daughter: Official Clip - Violent Interrogation

2:54

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The General’s Daughter takes on a hokey feel with all the overacting, wrong shooting style, and unbelievable plot points.

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Synopsis

When the body of Army Capt. Elizabeth Campbell (Leslie Stefanson) is found on a Georgia military base, two investigators, Warrant Officers Paul Brenner (John Travolta) and Sara Sunhill (Madeleine Stowe), are ordered to solve her murder. What they uncover is anything but clear-cut. Unseemly details emerge about Campbell's life, leading to allegations of a possible military coverup of her death and the involvement of her father, Lt. Gen. Joseph Campbell (James Cromwell).

Director: Simon West
Producer: Mace Neufeld
Screenwriter: Nelson DeMille, Christopher Bertolini, William Goldman
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount Pictures, Paramount Pictures International
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 18, 1999, Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 1, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $102.7M
Runtime: 1h 51m
Sound Mix: Surround

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