The General's Daughter (1999)
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22% of critics liked it
(89 reviews) -
54% of users liked it
(52,168 ratings)
A murder on a military base unearths a netherworld of corruption in this thriller based on the novel by Nelson DeMille. General Joe Campbell (James Cromwell) is a respected military leader with a flawless reputation; he's due to retire from the Army soon and is headed for a Vice-Presidential… More A murder on a military base unearths a netherworld of corruption in this thriller based on the novel by Nelson DeMille. General Joe Campbell (James Cromwell) is a respected military leader with a flawless reputation; he's due to retire from the Army soon and is headed for a Vice-Presidential nomination. However, Campbell finds himself in both a personal and political crisis when his daughter is brutally murdered. Captain Elizabeth Campbell (Leslie Stefanson) was beautiful, intelligent, disciplined, and well-regarded, the very model of an ideal female officer; she was also stationed at the same base as her father. Paul Brenner (John Travolta), a warrant officer of the Army's Criminal Investigation Division, is assigned to look into the case alongside CID officer Sara Sunhill (Madeleine Stowe). Brenner and Sunhill were once romantically involved, complicating an assignment that soon offers more than enough complications of its own. Brenner and Sunhill come to realize that, for all her accomplishments, Elizabeth carried a lifetime of emotional scars from emotional abuse and sexual harassment, and that, despite the General's reputation, his relationship with his daughter was not always a happy or healthy one. It also seems possible that the General's second-in-command, General George Fowler (Clarence Williams III), a likely candidate for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, may also be implicated in the crime. The General's Daughter was the second feature film for director Simon West; his full-length debut was Con Air (1997), after a long string of successful television commercials and music videos. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Simon West
- Written By
- Christopher Bertolini
- Genres
- Mystery & Suspense, Drama
- In Theaters
- Jun 18, 1999 Wide
- Studio
- Paramount Pictures
Critic Reviews
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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.
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Jeff Strickler, Minneapolis Star Tribune
In terms of tone, the film is all over the map.
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Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
A lurid mess, a Southern gumbo simmering in Gothic cliche.
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Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
A middling, so-so thriller.
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Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
The General's Daughter is a well-made thriller with a lot of good acting.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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John Travolta
as Paul Brenner
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Madeleine Stowe
as Sara Sunhill
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James Cromwell
as Gen. Joe Campbell
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Timothy Hutton
as Col. Kent
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Leslie Stefanson
as Elisabeth Campbell
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Daniel von Bargen
as Chief Yardley
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Clarence Williams III
as Col. George Fowler
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James Woods
as Col. Moore
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Peter Weireter
as Belling
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Mark Boone Jr.
as Elkins
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John Beasley
as Col. Slesinger
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Boyd Kestner
as Captain Elby
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Brad Beyer
as Bransford
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John Benjamin Hickey
as Capt. Goodson
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Rick Dial
as Cal Seiver
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Ariyan Johnson
as PFC Robbins
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John Frankenheimer
as Gen. Sonnenberg
