What rating would you give to this movie and what do you think of it?

I give it a solid 7/10

The film is worth sticking with if you can brace yourself for the sordid aspects. How so? Because "The General's Daughter" powerfully shows that sexual abuse must be addressed and not shoved under the rug. Inner wounds must be properly bound and healed, not dismissed with a casual shrug.

The unaddressed sexual abuse of the General's daughter leads to a promiscuous and deviant lifestyle, resulting in -- of course -- misery and (ultimately) destruction.

Travolta's character briefly knew her before the murder. What compels him to solve it and enact justice & vengeance on the direct and indirect perpetrators (aside from the fact that it's his job) is that he clearly saw a genuine gleam of beauty and life in her. A critic understandably objected that, if she was as horribly abused as depicted in the story, she wouldn't be so vibrant and perky. But, nevertheless, this vibrancy and inner beauty is authentic. Travolta knows it because he experienced it. It's a glimpse of who she really was or could be, a glimmer of her potential as a woman and a human being. True, most of it may merely be a public veneer, an act she hides behind, but the flimsy root is REAL. Unfortunately it's overshadowed by her raw torment within, inner pain so great that it compels her to ridiculously radical actions.

When Travolta finally figures out what and who destroyed the inner beauty and potential of this young woman his righteous anger is potent and palpable.

I heard the story was loosely based on real-life events, but can't verify it.

The picture was filmed on location in coastal Georgia, around Savannah. There's also a breathtaking shot of West Point, NY, where a small portion of the story takes place.

"The General's Daughter" is more than just a meaningless detective mystery/thriller. It's thought-provoking and delivers a powerful message. Some won't get it. Some are unable to get it. Others don't want to get it because they can't get past the sleazy elements.

For the rest of us it's a worthwhile, heavy and potent piece of filmmaking. Travolta is at his charismatic best and Madeleine Stowe is spellbinding. I'd give it a higher rating, but the implausible Hollywoodisms stack-up toward the end and the revelation of the murderer and aftermath is weak.

I haven't seen it since its release, but like Basic--another Travolta movie that came out around the same time period--I remember going to see it and being disappointed. Travolta was still considered an A-lister at this time and still had some of the shine he got from Pulp Fiction. I expected more and felt like I got a pretty run-of-the-mill thriller.

Maybe the film is worth another watch--and perhaps Basic is too, for that matter--but from my recollection a 6/10 sounds about right. That is, not a bad movie, but not a particularly good one either.

I would also rate it a 6/10. I thought it was alright for the most part.