The General's Daughter (1999)

Director:

Simon West

Writers (WGA):

Nelson DeMille (novel)
Christopher Bertolini (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

18 June 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller | War

Tagline:

Go behind the lies.

Plot:

When the daughter of a well-known and well-respected base commander is murdered, an undercover detective is summoned to look into the matter and finds a slew of cover-ups at West Point.

Plot Keywords:

General | Detective | Army | Murder | Investigation

Awards:

3 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

John Travolta	...	Warr. Off. Paul Brenner
Madeleine Stowe	...	Warr. Off. Sara Sunhill
James Cromwell	...	Lt. Gen. Joseph Campbell
Timothy Hutton	...	Col. William Kent
Leslie Stefanson	...	Capt. Elisabeth Campbell
Daniel von Bargen	...	Police Chief Yardley
Clarence Williams III	...	Col. George Fowler
James Woods	...	Col. Robert Moore
Peter Weireter	...	Belling
Mark Boone Junior	...	Dalbert Elkins
John Beasley	...	Col. Donald Slesinger
Boyd Kestner	...	Capt. Jake Elby
Brad Beyer	...	Capt. Bransford
John Benjamin Hickey	...	Capt. Goodson
Rick Dial	...	Cal Seivers

Also Known As:

Wehrlos - Die Tochter des Generals (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for graphic images relating to sexual violence including a strong rape scene, some perverse sexuality, nudity and language

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

Germany | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | USA:R (certificate #36365) | Philippines:R-18 | Malaysia:U | Canada:14A (Manitoba) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | Netherlands:12 (TV version) | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Belgium:KNT | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Germany:16 (bw) | Ireland:18 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | Singapore:R(A) (original rating) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18

Filming Locations:

Savannah, Georgia, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The Fort MacCallum scenes were filmed at Savannah State University and Van Nuys Airport.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Brenner walks into the basement and says, "Move aside, man with a gun", which is not the proper terminology for a soldier. The Army teaches the soldiers to use 'weapon' in place of gun. "Move aside, man with a weapon," would be correct.

Quotes:

Kent: What do you have?
Brenner: Just a preliminary list of suspects.
Kent: Who?
Brenner: Everyone.
Kent: Looks like you have to narrow it down.
Brenner: Where were you when she was killed?
Kent: I was in the tower when I got the call. No witnesses, though. You?
Brenner: I was too busy killing someone else. I didn't have time to kill two people.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The General's Son (2000) (V)

Soundtrack:

Say You're Mine

Overly Talky, But Well Made

Overly talkative and overly complex, "The General's Daughter" just doesn't know when to quit. Still, there's no denying it is a well-made, well-acted effort from director Simon West (Con Air, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider). John Travolta stars as Warrant Officer Paul Brenner, determined to get to the bottom of the murder of a respected base commander's daughter. Of course very little is as it initially seems as Brenner peels back one layer of lies after another -- some surprising, others less so. The final truth is so bizarre and disturbing that even the most experienced viewers won't guess it. More focus and a shorter running time would have helped this one.