Gods and Generals (2003)

Director:

Ronald F. Maxwell

Writers (WGA):

Jeff Shaara (book)
Ronald F. Maxwell (screenplay)

Release Date:

21 February 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | History | War

Tagline:

The nations heart was touched by....

Plot:

Gods and Generals follows the rise and fall of legendary war hero "Stonewall Jackson". The prequel to the 1993 hit Gettysburg. |

Plot Keywords:

Stonewall Jackson | General | Confederacy | Amputation | Slavery

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Jeff Daniels	...	Lt. Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
Mark Aldrich	...	Adjutant
Stephen Lang	...	Lt. Gen. Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson
George Allen	...	Confederate Officer
Robert Duvall	...	Gen. Robert E. Lee
Keith Allison	...	Capt. James J. White
Mira Sorvino	...	Fanny Chamberlain
Royce D. Applegate	...	Brig. Gen. James Kemper (as Royce Applegate)
Kevin Conway	...	Sgt. Buster Kilrain
C. Thomas Howell	...	Sgt. Thomas Chamberlain
Matt Letscher	...	Col. Adelbert Ames
Mac Butler	...	Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker
Frankie Faison	...	Jim Lewis
Robert Byrd	...	Confederate General (as Robert C. Byrd)
Jeremy London	...	Capt. Alexander 'Sandie' Pendleton

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sustained battle sequences.

Runtime:

219 min | Sweden:209 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #39490) | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Denmark:11 | Germany:12 | UK:12A | Canada:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Antietam Battlefield, Sharpsburg, Maryland, USA

Company:

Turner Pictures (I)

Trivia:

Although Robert E. Lee was a highly regarded officer in the American army, his dislike of slavery and rather lukewarm approach to the issue of secession combined with some early reverses while in command of the Virginia militia caused him to not be considered for field command in the Confederate army. He was instead made an advisor to Jefferson Davis. He was named to command the Confederate army outside of Richmond in 1862 when Gen. Joseph Johnston was wounded, because Davis disliked Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard and did not want him in command.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: When Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain looks through his binoculars before the Battle of Fredericksburg, he would have been standing on the north side of the Rappahannock River looking at the city towards the south. But the Point of View shot through the binoculars shows what would have been seen looking north from Maryes Heights.

Quotes:

Gen. 'Stonewall' Jackson: [last words] Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Film Geek (2005)

Soundtrack:

Angels Watch Over Me

A first-rate historical movie

The film "Gods and Generals" is essentially a biographical film about General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson of the CSA. Those who have no idea, or interest, as to who this man was should probably stick to such heavyweight box-office competition such as "Agent Cody Banks," "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," or "Daredevil" instead. "Gods and Generals" is well-made, old-fashioned film that gives an absorbing view of the U.S. Civil War and one of its leading figures. The portrait of Jackson is accurate from the big issues (his profound religious faith) down to the trivial (his fondness for lemonade). Characters both Northern and Southern are portrayed even-handedly, and the historical and social aspects of the film are authentic. Characters quote poetry from memory and sometimes speak in almost biblical cadences, in the same way that Lincoln's speeches were deeply influenced by the language of the King James Bible. It is a beautiful film to look at, with great feeling for the often-wild landscape of the era; in this respect, it gains immeasurably from being seen on a full-scale theatrical screen. Two criticisms of the movie have been made repeatedly: (1) it's "too long"; and (2) it doesn't accurately portray the horrors of war. On the first score -- too long for what? It is the right length for its subject matter. It's the right length to give an earnest and thoughtful account of a great general's life and a turning point in American history, even world history. (Many believe the Civil War might have gone differently had Jackson survived.) It IS too long if you have Attention Deficit Disorder or have been raised upon television sitcoms and the constant jump-cuts & meritricious visual razzle-dazzle of TV commercials and music videos. On the second score -- no one will ever walk away from this film eager to see war in real life. Men line up with their rifles (in a mode of combat no longer practiced), blast away at each other nearly face-to-face, and drop en masse like bags of bloody meat. In one memorable scene, Col. Chamberlain [Jeff Daniels] sleeps on the nighttime battlefield using his fellow soldiers' corpses as bedding; come daylight, he uses those same corpses to absorb flying enemy bullets once the battle resumes anew. Apparently what some critics actually desire are cool special effects, with exploding bodies and mangled limbs flying across the screen. "Gods and Generals" is a movie of great integrity and power -- one made by adults for adults.