SummaryWhen the daughter of a well-known and well-respected base commander is raped and murdered, the undercover military investigator (Travolta) assigned to the case discovers a shocking labyrinth of murderous sexual obsession and deceit.
Directed By:Simon West
Written By:Nelson DeMille, Christopher Bertolini, William Goldman
The General's Daughter
Metascore
Mixed or Average
47
User score
Generally Favorable
7.0
My Score
Drag or tap to give a rating
Hover and click to give a rating
Not available in your country?
ExpressVPN
Get 3 Extra months free
$6.67/mth
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
47
17% Positive
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
63% Mixed
15 Reviews
15 Reviews
21% Negative
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
80
The cinematic equivalent of a disposable airplane read, a hokey, kinky military thriller that's twisty and compelling enough to hook viewers in the mood for a trashy good time.
60
A prosaic, sexually perverse thriller masquerading as a critical look at military injustice.
User score
Generally Favorable
7.0
50% Positive
20 Ratings
20 Ratings
48% Mixed
19 Ratings
19 Ratings
3% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
Jul 26, 2016
10
Watching Travolta play his character to the perfection that he does, only served to remind me why I didn't sign up - holding my tongue and biting my lip isn't me; and how he speaks his mind at the end of the movie to the General - LOVE IT ! Is the movie any good? Oh sure it is - its a great 'who-dunnit'.... '**** for such an excellent movie, I can't understand why this isn't repeated across our screens instead of the tired 'same old' rubbish. Casting was well thought out with almost every aspect of this area not having any stone left unturned, their reward for their efforts is that actors 'click' and it shows too ....by incorporating a very strong storyline, adding some excellent actors, very good camera-work and fine direction...a movie worth 90 minutes of anyone's time is here. Very enjoyable.....love Travolta extolling the virtues of ''....I particularly like the bath beads...'' Definitely Highly Recommended and gets a 10/5 from me, lol
Mar 30, 2020
8
Not a bad film but it would of been rubbish without the performances of two of the best actors in the world, James Woods and John Travolta are the bosses in this movie and their meetings and confrontations create the suspense in The General's Daughter.. As the film says it's about a general's daughter and it's just that lol. Some female in the army or something gets murdered, possibly **** and left naked on display, pegged down to die and John Travolta and Madeleine Stowe investigate. John Travolta's character is tough, smart and he takes no crap and Travolta is one of the best at playing these roles because he's nuts and a great actor so nobody else pulls this kind of character off as good as Travolta because he's so gifted at playing scenes where he's had enough and does things his way or loses his temper. He interrogates James Woods and arrests him, later he's released from jail then Travolta tracks him down to his home only to find a cat at the window and bloodmarks on the window then Travolta bursts in with his gun and finds James Woods on the sofa with a bullet in his head due to suicide, blood everywhere. Great film that's saved by excellent performances especially by Woods and Travolta and I personally think this is one of the best Travolta films along with Domestic Disturbance...Contains scenes of nudity, possible **** scenes, violence, bad language...... The General's Daughter was made in 1999 by director Simon West.
50
The acting is fine. The ensemble is strong. The story moves along. Yet a coating of sleaze clings to the film, like bread dipped in batter.
50
Watching John Travolta ease into a role is always a pleasure, but this film version of Nelson DeMille's 1992 best-selling mystery novel is a lurid mess.
50
It should be said that Travolta delivers a wonderful performance that's lost in a mediocre -- and, at times, rather misogynistic and homophobic -- film.
38
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.
25
So bloated, self-righteous and exploitative, it's hard to imagine anyone staying to the end, much less demanding a sequel.
Jun 21, 2026
7
Top tier production quality and casting elevate the otherwise just above average writing. The soundtrack is notably good with some very good cinematography and editing that hold up well in 2026. Sadly within the very saturated whodunnit thriller mystery genre there are a great many better examples of this type of movie with a spread of different flavours to choose from. This one is military flavoured and often reminded me of a few good men (sans the court room sequences).
Oct 20, 2018
7
Is it about military injustice? No, the makers of the film probably haven't encountered that. But the moment we see that the general doesn't only belong to military, but also to the elite, and there are often a "secound separate system of (in)justice" for almost all groups of elite where loyalty to the group can be more important than law, justice or the truth, filmmakers certainly had experiences there. They are part of Hollywood elite. They seen a lot of covered up events, lots and lots of cries for help, and even more tragedies. You can accuse them of being hypocrites for showing this trend in military circles, or you can praise them for showing us this trend. And I am sure while many people know that in military you often have to hold your tongue, bit your lip, most people forget that on "any ladder you can climb to the elite" you have the very same problem. Pro sports? If you don't hold your tongue the team and a lot of people will suffer.
Hollywood and other forms of entertainment? Abuse is often seen normal, and if you speak up you might find yourself without job.
I could also speak about the church where they hide dirty-dirty secrets to protect a shared image. And I could say that is a place where you can make a career even if you are born very poor. And where you see this trend abuse will follow. And where abuse becomes the accepted norm it often involves sex and perversion.
Production Company:
- Paramount Pictures
- Neufeld Rehme Productions
- MFP Munich Film Partners GmbH & Company I. Produktions KG
- Hollywood Licensing Group
- Mace Neufeld Productions
Release Date:Jun 18, 1999
Duration:1 h 56 m
Rating:R
Tagline:Go behind the lies.
Awards
Blockbuster Entertainment Awards
• 3 Nominations
Santa Fe Film Critics Circle Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
