Customer Reviews

The General's Daughter

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(40)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(19)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

Not a great movie, but still entertaining. I especially enjoyed the characters and performances of Travolta and James Woods. The nudity and S&M in the film is disturbing, as it was probably intended to be, but its so in-your-face that it threw me off from fully immersing in the experience, making me feel like I'd stepped into the wrong movie. Stowe was underused, her role as a romantic foil for Travolta forced. You have a pretty good idea who the bad guys are going to be by the middle of the movie, if not earlier, but there's still enough doubts and twists to keep you second guessing till near the end. I didn't like the same old portrayal of the military. From this film you'd think most of the officers are sexual or moral deviants without integrity or honor. But I guess it wouldn't have been much of a who-done-it if you can't suspect everyone. Watch the film, but don't let your expectations get too high.

When you see such a polarisation of opinions on a book or a film, you actually see a good work because it is making people think. This movie does that and yes, provokes violent extremes in how people perceive it.

Yeah, John's accent [stinks] big time, but he gives one of the best performances of his career. Stowe is always beautiful to watch, an elegant actress that be oh so feminine and yet have a strong will and a mind of her own. She shines in a role that often gives her little to work with speaking of her radiant talent. Timothy Hutton is as always, a superb actor (Tim your Daddy would be very proud of you!!) James Woods - what can you say - you love him or you hate him, but he is one of the best around and he gives a moving performance and the person with the secrets Travolta needs. James Cromwell is finally getting the recognition and the roles he deserves and does his very best in another unlikeable role, bringing it little nuances of a man caught between loving his daughter and the higher calling of military honour.

This movie does not show the military and its treatment of its female members in a good light bringing back many such stories we have seen through the years on evening news, maybe with such graphically grim - almost claustrophobic feel that it will cause some people to dislike the film for that alone, especially in today's climate of the world.

But is a gripping, on the edge film, that does not take the easy road, but delivers a powerful punch...maybe too powerful for some.

Don't see this movie or buy it. It was a poor excuse for an action movie. The end makes no sense -- the murderer has no motive.

And... to top it all off. The rape seen is totally eroticized. The female protagonist is in agony, and we, as viewers, keep seeing her perfect nipples. It's enough to traumatize any female viewer.

I put this movie above all my other favorites of all time. The General's Daughter is thrilling and leaves you guessing until the end. Above all, I believe the movie sends out an excellent message that needs to be taken by our society and the military: it is a message that is not fabricated as many think, but one I know from personal experience needs to be taken by many people. From my experiences, this movie gives an accurate picture of the military. Shots of nudity and sexual scenes are not anything one would have seen in a movie ten years ago, but certainly adds to the plot of this movie. All of the actors give great performances. This is a must see film!

I have to disagree with some of the reviewer's that left their message. One writes that Cap. Elizabeth Campbell shouldn't have been so perky and happy because she was raped 7 years earlier and that she slept with half the camp.... I must disagree on that because the mind can really play tricks on you and having gone through such an expierience, you tend to put it in the back of your mind and pretend that nothing happened. Since she tried to please her father, she did a good job on that, but her concious didn't let her, so she acted out the way she did. I don't think she was happy or perky when she helped John Travolta with his tire, that was a way to lure him in and do what ever she wanted to do with him. It's clear to see on those video's that she prefered the kinky side and needed that controll. Maybe watch the movie again and observe. I thought it to be an excellent movie.

This was an excellent drama marred only by a little too much profanity and the normal Hollywood obsession of portraying the United States military as corrupt. (I have a news flash for filmmakers: there are some honest men in the military....really!!!) Feminism in the armed forces is another "agenda" item in this film.

There are many pluses, however, with this movie that should be noted. . The acting is excellent with a deep cast featuring John Travolta, James Cromwell, Madeline Stowe, Timothy Hutton, James Woods, Clarence Williams III, Leslie Stefanson and more.

I loved the dialog between Travola and Woods. It reminded me of the film noir films of the 1940s. The general's daughter, Stephanson, is a bit hard-edged in here but it's understandable when you find out why she acts the way she does. The characters the actors are all interesting and the story hooks you in right away.

The cinematography is great. This looks stunning on DVD. There are no lulls in this film and the action isn't overdone, either. Very entertaining.

I give this movie 4 stars but it is only because I can't give it a 3 1/2.

The thing I like about it is that it keeps you on the edge of your seat. The action keeps rolling along and you won't find yourself bored for one second. John Travolta does a very good job as a CID Officer and Madeleine Stowe always amazes me with her beauty and grace.

The biggest qualm I have with this flick is with Elizabeth Cambell (the General's Daughter). Here is a young woman who has been savagely gang raped. Her father, the General, refuses to press any charges and tells her to "forget about it" as it would destroy the Naval Academy. She winds up becoming filled with self torment, finding herself unable to fulfill any relationship with a young man as her rape has caused tremendous psychological damage. She sleeps with what seems to be almost half of the men stationed in camp.

When we see Leslie Stefanson (Elizabeth Cambell, the General's Daughter) changing Paul Brenner's (John Travolta) flat tire at the beginning of the movie we see a young, vibrant, very beautiful, bubbly, even perky young woman. When we see her afterwards she continues to act this this way, as if she were the happiest person in the world.

Now, if you were hiding dark secrets like being gang raped and were having sex with half the members of your camp, and happened to also be the General's Daughter, and was so tormented, that you were on the verge of spilling the beans to the entire world, wouldn't it be difficult to behave so happy and so perky?

I think Gina Gershon would have done a better job. She has kinda of a dark, sexy, beautiful, mystical, naughty kind of disposition. And if called upon, she could probably act like she was living as if she were hiding something.

I don't know whether or not to blame Leslie Stefanson or the director as he should certainly have seen that she wasn't playing the part right. In any case, in my humble opinion, it's a major oversight. You don't have happy, perky, people, who are supposed to be hiding dark, deep, secrets. Especially when the movie is named after your character.

As a longtime laserdisc/DVD fan I was disappointed with the bonus material on "The General's Daughter". Director Simon West reads his stiff commentary off of cue cards and reveals little insight beyond what you'd expect to find in the publicity kit. Cinema fans might be interested in the deleted scenes, the ones that give the Travolta/Madeline Stowe characters greater depth and history are missed and the original ending is much much better than the Movie of the Week one they used in the film. Like "Disturbing Behavior", the deleted scenes are actually better than the junk they used. Not a good film, but the flat commentary by West make this one to miss if you are thinking of starting a DVD collection..

The General's Daughter is a powerful film about conspiracy, lust, and above all, betrayal. It tracks the excellent Nelson DeMille novel of the same name fairly closely, and tells a compelling story that engages the viewer. John Travolta, in particular, does a stellar job as CID agent Paul Brenner. Madeleine Stowe is perfect as Sara Sunhill. The rest of the cast turn in excellent performances as well, with the possible exception of James Cromwell, of whom I am not a fan.

Some critics (and some reviewers) panned this movie, which I do not understand. At least this one has a plot, a storyline, and moves things along. Many of the overlong, tedious productions that Hollywood and its foreign rivals have been belching out for the past 20 years do none of these things. This one has no long dreary interludes, and every scene is relevant to the story. The main flaw in this film, in fact, is its downbeat tone. This is not a happy story, and the film utterly fails to inject any lightheartedness into the storyline, which is something DeMille did very successfully in the novel, by the way.

The soundtrack of this film is quite good. It is one of those soundtracks that significantly adds to the drama of the film.

Highly recommended.

I'm a big DeMille fan, and I enjoyed "Daughter" thoroughly. However, if I had had to read one more trip down rifle range road, I would have put this one away. Good story, good suspense, maybe not the greatest ending.

I cannot imagine a W04 in the army so sure of himself that he would talk to senior officers the way Brenner did in this book, and I cannot believe a W04 would ever have the authority on his own to grant immunity to a prisoner.