The General's Daughter
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The General's Daughter
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The General's Daughter is a mystery thriller with a very graphic rape scene, sex tapes, murder, suicides, guns, blood, and language. John Travolta stars as Chief Warrant Officer Paul Brenner who is investigating the rape and murder of the daughter of a high-ranking general, played by James Cromwell. The movie attempts to tackle the weighty issue of sexual violence and discrimination of women in the army, but fails. The rape scene is very traumatic, with the film revisiting the scene in flashback throughout. There are also a number of gory deaths, some a result of suicide. One person shoots themselves in the head and another deliberately steps on a mine. A sex tape is discovered as part of the investigation and shows the participants engaging in bondage. Variants of "f--k," "bitch," "s--t," and more are heard throughout, and details of the rape are discussed explicitly. Characters are also shown smoking, both cigarettes and cigars. The film is based on the novel by Nelson DeMille and directed by Simon West best known for cult classic Con Air and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.
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What's the Story?
THE GENERAL'S DAUGHTER follows Chief Warrant Officer Paul Brenner (John Travolta) as he investigates the murder of the daughter of the high-ranking Lieutenant General Joe Campbell (James Cromwell). Brenner is joined by fellow officer Sarah Sunhill (Madeleine Stowe) and together the pair start to unravel a number of cover-ups within the army base.
Is It Any Good?
A hodgepodge of genres and a gratuitous, recurring, and haunting rape scene make this late 1990s crime mystery memorable for all the wrong reasons. 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.
When not trying to shove us into some unearned glum messages, the movie has some sparks of personality thanks to the wisecrack charm of Travolta and steeliness of Cromwell. Other than that, it's just a bit monstrous.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the graphic nature of The General's Daughter's violence. Was it necessary to show that level of sexual violence? Would the movie have had as much impact without it?
What was the movie trying to say about women in the military? Did you think it was trying to defend them and did this work?
What conclusions did the movie make about the motives behind particular types of sexual behavior? Do you think this was justified?
Talk about the strong language in the movie. Did it seem necessary or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?
Movie Details
- In theaters: June 18, 1999
- On DVD or streaming: December 14, 1999
- Cast: John Travolta, James Cromwell, James Woods
- Director: Simon West
- Studio: Paramount Pictures
- Genre: Thriller
- Topics: Book Characters
- Run time: 116 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: graphic images relating to sexual violence including a strong rape scene, some perverse sexuality, nudity and language
- Last updated: January 2, 2023
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