The General's Daughter | 
| Director: Simon West
Actors: John Travolta, Madeleine Stowe, James Cromwell, Timothy Hutton, Leslie Stefanson
Studio: Paramount
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.99
Buy Used: $0.47
You Save: $19.52 (98%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  123 reviews
Sales Rank: 70210
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), English (Subtitled)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 116
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
DVD Layers: 1
DVD Sides: 1
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
ISBN: 6305649057
UPC: 097363290377
EAN: 9786305649052
ASIN: 6305649057
Theatrical Release Date: June 18, 1999
Release Date: December 14, 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: 100% satisfaction guaranteed! International and expedited shipping available. Ships within 1-2 business days.
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
When John Travolta first opens his mouth during the opening credits of The General's Daughter and speaks in a terrible Southern cracker drawl, one briefly hopes that the movie will turn out to be just as hilariously bad. Unfortunately, the accent is soon revealed to be part of a disguise, and the movie is just as quickly unveiled as a clumsy, run-of-the-mill potboiler. A female officer is discovered strangled and tied to the ground; she's the title character, and because of the general's political ambitions, the mystery of who did it and why has to be wrapped up in 36 hours by Travolta and fellow CID officer Madeleine Stowe (Last of the Mohicans, 12 Monkeys). Sexual violence and lurid S&M have been thrown in to shore up the incomprehensible plot, but that only adds to the queasy atmosphere. The supporting actors--an impressive collection including James Woods (Salvador), Timothy Hutton (Ordinary People), and James Cromwell (Babe, L.A. Confidential)--don't embarrass themselves, but even they can't make sense of their blustering, macho dialogue. It's amazing that screenwriter William Goldman (who wrote such great and genuinely thrilling films as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Marathon Man, All the President's Men, and Misery) left his name attached to this script; there's no sign of his usual skill and intelligence. Madeleine Stowe, a graceful presence in any film, is equally wasted. Directed with a lot of empty flash by Simon West (Con Air). --Bret Fetzer
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| Customer Reviews: Read 118 more reviews...
 Good movie November 30, 2008
Additional features of DVD(I bought the movie primarly because of them) are hard to use...
They are very important to understand the social value and meaning of the movie.
Probably Travolta's best role; he isn't much of an actor.
 Poor thriller October 13, 2008
This film drags and the plot isn't very good. There are some good moments, but for the large part I thought this was very average.
 A Father's Love August 28, 2008
This picture shows to what length a daughter will go to have her father's love.
Overtly sordid but worthwhile and potent (for some) March 30, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
1999's "The General's Daughter" takes place at and around a coastal Georgia military base. John Travolta plays an Army investigater who teams up with Madeleine Stowe, a woman he once had an affair with (yeah right), to solve the ugly murder of the daughter of the commanding officer, herself a captain.
Whether you like Travolta or not, there's no denying his star power. He easily carries this film as the protagonist from beginning to end. The real cast highlight for me, however, is the stunningly gorgeous Madeleine Stowe (remember her from 1992's excellent "Last of the Mohicans"?). Throughout most of the film Madeleine wears a white sleeveless shirt and tight tan-ish dress slacks. Needless to say, her curvaceous beauty is thoroughly spellbinding (if you're a red-blooded male, that is).
The film is rated R and for good reason. There are numerous scenes of a naked woman staked out spread-eagled, both alive and dead. Besides murder, the picture features overt elements of S & M and gang rape. This may understandably turn some potential viewers away, but the film is worth sticking with if you can brace yourself for such sordid aspects.
Why? Because "The General's Daughter" powerfully shows that sexual abuse must be addressed and not shoved under the rug. Inner wounds must be properly bound and healed, not dismissed with a casual shrug.
My wife and I recently saw a fascinating documentary on prostitutes. I never could understand how a woman could have sexual relations (especially oral sex) with some dirty, smelly sleazebag for money. It's gag-inducing to me. With one exception every prostitute interviewed confessed to being sexually abused while growing up. The abuse was never properly addressed and, consequently, no real inner-healing could take place. The abuse literally damned the women to a sordid life of self-loathing and self-destruction. My heart goes out to them!
The sleazy sexual elements are so in-your-face in "The General's Daughter" that it's hard to look past it to the meat of the story. The unaddressed sexual abuse of the General's daughter leads to an ultra-promiscuous and deviant sexual lifestyle, resulting -- of course -- in misery and (ultimately) destruction.
Travolta's character briefly knew the general's daughter before her murder. What compels him to solve the murder and enact justice & vengeance on the direct and indirect perpetrators (aside from the fact that it's his job) is that he clearly saw a genuine gleam of beauty and life in her. Amazon reviewer Steven Quan understandably objects that, if she was as horribly abused as depicted in the story, she wouldn't be so vibrant and perky. But, nevertheless, this vibancy and inner beauty is authentic. Travolta knows it because he experienced it. It's a glimpse of who she really was or could be, a glimmer of her potential as a woman and a human being. True, most of it may merely be a public veneer, an act she hides behind, but the flimsy root is REAL. Unfortunately it's overshadowed by her raw torment within, inner pain so great that it compels her to ridiculously radical actions (e.g. being staked out nude to make a point, etc.).
When Travolta finally figures out what and who destroyed the inner beauty and potential of this young woman his righteous anger is potent and palpable.
I heard the story was loosely based on real-life events, but can't verify it.
The picture was filmed on location in coastal Georgia, around Savannah. There's also a breathtaking shot of West Point, NY, where a small portion of the story takes place.
CONCLUSION: "The General's Daughter" is more than just a meaningless detective mystery/thriller. It's thought-provoking and delivers a powerful message. Some won't get it. Some are unable to get it. Others can't get past the sleazy elements. For the rest of us it's a worthwhile, heavy and potent piece of filmmaking.
(I'm not sure, but I'll likely raise my rating in future viewings).
Loved the book February 23, 2008
Well, if the movie is a good as the book then I am sure I will enjoy it. Many people complain that movies rarely live up to the books that give them birth. Well a novel's story can be developed over several hundred pages, and offer the many twists and turns needed to bring a story to life. A movie doesn't have that option so many judicious (hopefully) cuts have to be made. Certainly that does harm the story somewhat. My wife saw the movie and then read the novel and frankly she thoroughly enjoyed both.
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