Gods and Generals

2003 Drama

Director Ron Maxwell and producer Ted Turner return to the glory and tragedy of the Civil War in this historical drama, a prequel to Gettysburg, which examines the early days of the conflict through the experiences of three men. Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (Jeff Daniels) left behind a quiet life and a career as a college professor to become one of the Union's greatest military minds. Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson (Stephen Lang) was, like Chamberlain, a man of great religious faith who served in the defense of the Confederacy. And Gen. Robert E. Lee (Robert Duvall), who led the Confederate army, was a man who was forced to choose between his loyalty to the United States and his love of the Southern states where he was born and raised. As Chamberlain, Jackson, and Lee are followed through the declaration of war and the battles at Manassas, Antietam, Frederickburg, and Chancellorsville, the film also introduces us to the many supporting players in the epic tale of the war between the States, among them the women these men left behind, among them Fanny Chamberlain (Mira Sorvino) and Anna Jackson (Kali Rocha). Based on a novel by Jeff Shaara, Gods and Generals also features a new song written and performed by Bob Dylan. more..

Director: Ronald F. Maxwell

Starring: Jeff Daniels, Stephen Lang,Robert Duvall, Mira Sorvino, Kevin Conway

Reviews

  • Has the unfortunate effect of overtipping the dramatic scales in favor of the Southern generals and turning almost everybody into waxen idols who spout flowery rhetoric.

    Michael Wilmington - The Chicago Tribune

    26 April 2013

  • As dry as a high school history book, solemn as a funeral service, humorless as a Politburo meeting, bloated as a waterlogged corpse and unbalanced as a bout between a debutante and a sumo wrestler.

    Lawrence Toppman - Charlotte Observer

    26 April 2013

  • You don't envy the three soldiers who get shot for desertion, but you do identify with their desire to flee.

    Mike Clark - USA Today

    26 April 2013

  • Bloodless and false.

    Owen Gleiberman - Entertainment Weekly

    26 April 2013

  • What the filmmakers fail to recognize is that history on the page is quite different from what it needs to be onscreen, namely alive and visceral.

    Peter Travers - Rolling Stone

    26 April 2013

Awards

  • Best Sound Editing in a Feature - Music - Feature Film

    Motion Picture Sound Editors (2004)

     
  • Acting

    MovieGuide Awards (2004)

  • Best Original Song

    Satellite Awards (2004)