The General's Daughter (film)



The titular character is Captain Elisabeth Campbell (Leslie Stefanson), a specialist in psychological operations. She is the daughter of Lieutenant General Joseph Campbell (James Cromwell), an ambitious man with political aspirations. Father and daughter serve in a Georgia Army Base. Early in the film, Campbell's nude body is found staked down with tent poles, strangled, and presumably raped. Warrant officers Paul Brenner (Travolta) and Sara Sunhill (Stowe) are called in to investigate.

The investigators soon find out that they have multiple suspects. Campbell was having affairs with most officers on base. The rape, and the identity of the rapist no longer seems clear. She was into BDSM and maintained her own sexual dungeon. But looking into their murder victim's background, they discover another mystery.

Elisabeth used to be a honor student at West Point and considered a prodigy. Then in her sophomore year, her grades slipped. She had barely graduated and seemed to be a much different person after graduation. The big reveal of the film was the reason for it.

Our investigators not only have to capture a single murderer.

The film was a moderate box office hit but a critical failure. Its political views are rather ambiguous, as the plot was less about politics and more about duty and integrity, and what happens when they are not upheld.

Not to be confused with the trope of the same name.

The film provides examples of:

 * All for Nothing: [[spoiler:One of the General's reasons for the cover up is that they likely would never be able to bring his daughter's assailants to justice, but the detectives are able to bust them all in a few days despite the trail being years old.

However, the reasons why Brenner and Sunhill were able to identify the culprits so quickly were all a result of the time lapse. Campbell's former academy psychologist only revealed the name of one of the culprits after he was distraught by being informed of Campbell's death, and the methods used to get that guy to confess and identify the other perpetrators relied on forensic technology having sufficiently developed in the intervening years to make the threat credible. It's open to speculation how successful the investigation would have been if it were carried out immediately after the fact, and if the military would be willing to break medical ethics in regard to the severity of the crime.]] "My father was a drunk, a gambler, and a womanizer. I worshipped him."
 * But then again, the point was
 * Artistic License Military: Brenner tells someone that, "you have no right to remain silent," when Article 31 of the UCMJ allows precisely that.
 * Bondage Is Bad: Campbell's sexual practices are quickly used to establish that she had become mentally unhinged before her death. Brenner can't even stand to look at the tapes she shot, stating that it couldn't be the same women he met a few days ago.
 * Call Back: "When this whole thing began I told you that we would find the son of a bitch, Sir. I didn't expect ."
 * Calling the Old Man Out:
 * The entire reason for Campbell's undermining of her father's position by
 * Subverted by Brenner in an offhand comment when questioned if he liked his own father.

"Brennar: What's worse than rape?
 * Daddys Girl: Subverted. We're initially led to believe that Campbell was an archetypal father's daughter military brat who emulated his choosing a career in the army, but as Brenner and Sunhill discover, they viciously hated each other and evolved into mortal enemies because of
 * Deceased Fall Guy Gambit:
 * Erotic Asphyxiation: Elisabeth got up to all kinds of kinky stuff, this included.
 * Lying to The Perp: When questioning a suspect
 * Love Makes You Evil:.
 * Motive Rant: The killer doesn't give his until he's asked. A more eager and unsolicited Motive Rant is made by, in an effort to justify the actions of the person he mistakenly believes to be the killer --.
 * : Turns out to be the key element;

Moore:When you find that out, you'll know everything."


 * Rape As Drama: The mystery is mostly an excuse. Most of the film focuses on the rape.
 * Rape Leads to Insanity: Subverted. It turns out that.
 * Straight Gay: Col. Moore and his attorney.
 * Taking You With Me: The killer deliberately steps on a landmine in an attempt to blow up Brenner and Sunhill along with himself..
 * There Are No Therapists: Averted.
 * There Are No Therapists: Averted.