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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%

Tomatometer

92 Reviews

46%

Popcornmeter

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

Full Review

Jeff Strickler

Minneapolis Star Tribune

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

Nov 6, 2002

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

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

Rated: 2/4

Mar 27, 2025

Full Review

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

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

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Chris W

This film is a perfect example of why critics can be a source to help round out decisions, but ultimately, use your judgement. This film is a masterpiece. Outstanding writing and performances from start to finish. 10/10. So happy it went on sale today. Wondering if, far too often, paid critics are given marching orders by their paymasters.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/13/25

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Stan K

There were several changes from the novel to squish it into 2 hours, and it wasn’t bad, but wasn’t great. Much of the acting seemed perfunctory; it didn’t grab me and pull me in. The relationship between the daughter and the general was core to the whole thing, and it didn’t pop the way it should have. Travolta was fine, but the character of his partner Sunhill was weak; the two are supposed to have chemistry but it wasn’t showing. Nelson deMille, the author, at least got something that resembled his novel; that’s rare.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/05/25

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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

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

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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