The General's Daughter

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The General's Daughter

R

1999

1h 51m

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

22%

Tomatometer

88 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 cover-up 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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Rick Groen

Globe and Mail

Apr 25, 2003

1.5/4

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

Nov 6, 2002

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

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John Wrathall

Sight & Sound

Mar 5, 2002

This salacious whodunit requires very little action, but an endless parade of dialogue scenes in which assorted suspects tell the investigating duo what happened, cueing thunderous flashbacks.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Mar 27, 2025

2/4

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

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Allison Rose

FlickDirect

Mar 18, 2025

3.5/5

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

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Common Sense Media Editors

Common Sense Media

Dec 21, 2022

2/5

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.

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Car0le A

@Caroleannealex Oct 18, 2026

I enjoyed the whole movie. It's one of my favorites.

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Jack M

@JackMiehof Nov 20, 2025

Darker, grittier military thriller than A Few Good Men. One of my favourite thrillers with a stunning Leslie Stefanson & Madeleine Stowe.

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Yorkie B

@RT61137861 Nov 9, 2025

What a disaster. Absolutely impossible to follow. Disjointed. No real plot. I don't know how anyone could recommend this terrible movie. Two hours of my life that I'll never get back. A real stinker.

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Graeme C

@RT97195190 Sep 22, 2025

I mistakingly sent my wife out to Blockbuster when renting a VHS was a Friday night treat. I have never forgiven her for bringing back this absolute dross, a plot that is all over the place, Travolta at his over acting worst with the rest of the ensemble no better. The General’s Daughter has entered the family vocabulary as a synonym for a particularly terrible movie and in the 20 years since it first offended our eyes and ears, I don’t think we have witnessed anything worse. If your idea of fun is dripping molten sugar onto your eyeballs whilst simultaneously hoisting yourself up on meat hooks attached through your cheeks then watching this as an act of masochism might be right up your street. If not then avoid at all costs.

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Todd B

@RT92383055 Sep 5, 2025

The General's Daughter 98 was a good movie 🎬 about a raped military 🪖 female who's father is the General of a certain patallion. John's character is a military lawyer, who was sent in to investigate the murder of the slain female military victim. Well ultimately, she wins, and her death wasn't in vain.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Aug 9, 2025

Success in 1 hour and 59 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $102,700,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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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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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 cover-up 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, Crime, 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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