Gods and Generals (2003)

The rise and fall of legendary war hero Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson as he leads the Confederacy to great success against the Union from 1861 to 1863. Prequel to the 1993 classic "Gettysburg".

Director:

Ronald F. Maxwell

Writers:

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

Stars:

Donzaleigh Abernathy, Jeff Daniels, Robert Duvall

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Donzaleigh Abernathy	...	Martha
Mark Aldrich	...	Adjutant
George Allen	...	Confederate Officer
Keith Allison	...	Capt. James J. White
Royce D. Applegate	...	Brig. Gen. James Kemper (as Royce Applegate)
Bruce Boxleitner	...	Lt. Gen. James Longstreet
Bo Brinkman	...	Maj. Walter Taylor
Mac Butler	...	Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker
Robert Byrd	...	Confederate General (as Robert C. Byrd)
Shane Callahan	...	Bowdoin Student
Billy Campbell	...	Maj. Gen. George Pickett
David Carpenter	...	Rev. Beverly Tucker Lacy
John Castle	...	Old Penn
Jim Choate	...	Brig. Gen. Bernard Bee
Martin Clark	...	Dr. George Junkin

Storyline

The rise and fall of legendary war hero Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson as he leads the Confederacy to great success against the Union from 1861 to 1863. Prequel to the 1993 classic "Gettysburg".

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Plot Keywords:

hero | stonewall jackson | war hero | prequel | confederacy | 

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Taglines:

The nations heart was touched by....

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Genres:

Drama | History | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sustained battle sequences

Details

Official Sites:

Sonnet Digital Media Corporation Warner Bros. [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 February 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dioses y generales

Filming Locations:

USA

Box Office

Budget:

$56,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$4,675,246 (USA) (21 February 2003)

Gross:

$12,870,569 (USA) (25 April 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Turner Pictures (I), Antietam Filmworks

Technical Specs

Runtime:

219 min 280 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jeff Shaara, the author of the book "Gods and Generals," (on which the movie is loosely based) appears in an uncredited cameo during the USO-type minstrel show, in the same scene where Ted Turner appears. Shaara appears very briefly as a mustachioed officer in the audience, with no lines.

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Goofs

Watch Hancock's hairdo change during his visit to the Beale House after the Battle of Fredericksburg.

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Quotes

General Bernard Bee: Look! There is Jackson standing like a Stonewall! Let us determine to die here today and we will conquer, Rally behind the Virginians!

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Crazy Credits

The movie was dedicated to the memory of John F. Maxwell and Royce D. Applegate.

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Connections

References Gettysburg (1993)

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Soundtracks

"Angels Watch Over Me"
Traditional

User Reviews

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.