The General’s Daughter

Cast: John Travolta

Studio: Paramount

Rating: 8/10

Every once in a while, over the course of time, it’s possible to forget why or how a person becomes a big celebrity. You see someone’s name before the title of a new film and think, “He’s in another movie?” Okay, I admit that I was feeling that way about John Travolta. Could anyone have imagined Vinnie Barbarino getting pudgy? But The General’s Daughter reminded me of why it is that he is one of the busiest actors around. He’s a skilled performer, and he’s great as smart-ass warrant officer Paul Brenner, investigating a murder at Fort MacCallum in Georgia. General Joe Campbell (played by very tall and angular James Cromwell) is a career man, overly dedicated to his boss, the military. When the body of his daughter is found in a bizarre, ritualistic murder scene, John Travolta and Madeleine Stowe (as Criminal Investigation Divison Officer Sarah Sunhill) are called in as Army insiders to quickly solve the murder. They hope to prevent it from leaking to the press and possibly ruining the General’s political ambitions.

Of course, through the course of the movie, the investigating officers discover that there is more to the story than meets the eye. To say that Captain Elisabeth Campbell (the title character, played by Leslie Stefanson) has skeletons in her closet is an epic understatement. The Campbell family isn’t exactly the Brady bunch. As the horror of what happened to Elisabeth Campbell becomes clearer to Officers Brenner and Sunhill, the military brass close ranks and the cover-up goes into overdrive. The General’s assisting officer, Colonel Fowler (the great Clarence Williams III), tells Brenner, “There are three ways of doing things: the right way, the wrong way, and the Army way.” Getting at the truth is difficult when you’re presented with lies and threats.

Captain Campbell worked for the Army’s Psychological Operations Division. It’s appropriate because her job involved messing with people’s minds, and that’s exactly what the movie does. Her commanding officer is Colonel Moore (James Woods, who is excellent here), one of many characters who provide only enough information to keep the investigating officers, as well as the audience, unsure of who to suspect or what to believe. If you like being kept in the dark, you will like The General’s Daughter.

Still, the film is not without flaws. There is a completely gratuitous action sequence at the beginning. It seems like the filmmakers thought, “Hey! Summer movie! We forgot a gun battle! Let’s put one, um, here!” Then the ending is nearly ruined by a totally unnecessary, tacked on wrap-up before the closing credits. It leaves no room for imagination whatsoever and is an insult to the audience’s intelligence. Why do so many movies have to tie up every single loose end? Give the public some credit for being able to figure things out independently.

The script is tightly and competently written by William Goldman (All The President’s Men, Marathon Man) and Christopher Bertolini. There is a lot of nice, snappy dialogue, especially between John Travolta and James Woods. Madeleine Stowe has some great moments as well. The story, adapted from the novel by Nelson DeMille, moves at a frenetic pace. It’s a thought provoking, often brutal look at women in the military and the unfortunate but common harassment sometimes suffered at the hands of frightened men. It shines a harsh light on familial loyalty and betrayal. As a summer blockbuster murder mystery, The General’s Daughter stands out.

+ David Kern