The General's Daughter

R

Released Jun 18, 1999

1 hr. 51 min.

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

List

21%

90 Reviews

Tomatometer

46%

50,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

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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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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

Audience Member

The General's Daughter is a fast gripping thriller about military conspiracies. Its well-incorporated political elements never outweigh its entrainment and suspense unlike the pious, preachy and insufferably patronizing modern Hollywood movies. John Travolta's dramatic delivery makes quite a strong character with genuine aplomb and inalienable valor.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A solid military police thriller on par with NCIS. One of Travolta's better performances and a solid supporting cast. The juxtaposition between military culture for protecting their own and the search for truth is well balanced. Not surprisingly, the criminality of the military covering up the rape of women soldiers is as prevalent today as when this movie was made.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

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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

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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 - John Travolta Arrests James Woods

2:17

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

3:00

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 - Violent Interrogation

2:54

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

2:52

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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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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

Full Review

Jeff Strickler

Minneapolis Star Tribune

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

Nov 6, 2002

Full Review

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

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: D

Mar 22, 2013

Full Review

Jim Lane

Sacramento News & Review

Rated: 1/5

Aug 7, 2008

Full Review

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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
Executive Producer: Jonathan D. Krane
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
Sound Mix: Surround

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