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.

Director:

Ron Maxwell (as Ronald F. Maxwell)

Writers:

Jeff Shaara (book) (as Jeffrey M. Shaara), Ron Maxwell (screenplay) (as Ronald F. Maxwell)

Stars:

Stephen Lang, Robert Duvall, Jeff Daniels

1 win & 3 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	...	Gen. James Kemper (as Royce Applegate)
Bruce Boxleitner	...	Gen. James Longstreet
Bo Brinkman	...	Major Walter Taylor
Mac Butler	...	Gen. Joseph Hooker
Robert Byrd	...	Confederate General (as Robert C. Byrd)
Shane Callahan	...	Bowdoin Student
Billy Campbell	...	Gen. George Pickett
David Carpenter	...	Rev. Beverly Tucker Lacy
John Castle	...	Old Penn
Jim Choate	...	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.

---

Plot Keywords:

george washington character | gen robert e lee character | john wilkes booth character | confederate army | stonewall jackson | 

---

Taglines:

An unforgettable story of the Civil War, from the Director of "GETTYSBURG"

---

Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | War

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sustained battle sequences

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 February 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dioses y generales

Filming Locations:

Maryland, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$56,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,675,246, 23 February 2003, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$12,870,569, 27 April 2003

Company Credits

Production Co:

Turner Pictures (I), Antietam Filmworks, Esparza / Katz Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

219 min 280 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Portions of the movie were filmed on-location at the Virginia Military Institute and Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. Modern fixtures, such as the window air conditioners at Washington and Lee buildings, were digitally edited out.

---

Goofs

When Jeb Stuart visits Jackson in his camp he introduces himself as a Lieutenant Colonel but he wears the shoulder boards of a full colonel which is a full rank higher (a lieutenant colonel wears a silver leaf while a full colonel displays an eagle). Later in the scene Jackson refers to him as "General Stuart".

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Title Card: A human life, I think, should be well rooted in some spot of a native land, where it may get the love of tender kinship for the face of the earth, for the labors men go forth to, for the sounds and accents that haunt it, for whatever will give that early home a familiar unmistakable difference amidst the future widening of knowledge. The best introduction to astronomy is to think of the nightly heavens as a little lot of stars belonging to one's own homestead. - George Eliot

---

Crazy Credits

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

---

Alternate Versions

The Director's Cut of the film includes additional action scenes from the Battle of Antietam. The battle scenes are shown from the perspectives of Jackson and Chamberlain, and mostly focus on the fighting in Miller's Cornfield which was a major deciding point of the battle.

---

Connections

Featured in The Andrew Klavan Show: Amnesty Don??? (2017)

---

Soundtracks

Upon the Heights of Alma
Performed by Camp Chase Fife & Drums, Tom Kuhn, Leader

User Reviews

Ted Turner's Halloween Party 2001

All I should have to tell you about this film is that Ted Turner plays George Patton's grandfather. If that doesn't raise some flags I don't know what would. The problems this film has are myriad. For one, all the foot soldiers are old men who are so obviously re-enacters that the action scenes have no weight. I don't recall seeing one fit, young man among the foot soldiers. When a group of people who are obviously senior citizens are "Charging" (more like hobbling) into the breach well...let's just say it doesn't float. Because of a lackluster, sappy, script and horrible editing, this film wastes an absolutely top notch performance by Stephen Lang as Stonewall Jackson. As a historian I was constantly baffled by how little military strategy is a part of the film. Major engagements are quickly glossed over with little explanation. How you could make a movie about the greatest tactician of the War and not examine his strategies in depth is a mystery to me. This is just a Ted Turner vanity project that should have been made for TV. If you ask me, you're better off watching documentaries about the civil war.