Synopsis
This fictionalized story, based on the family life of writer James Jones, is an emotional slice-of-life story. Jones is portrayed here portrayed as Bill Willis, a former war hero turned author who combats alcoholism and is starting to experience health problems. Living in France with his wife, daughter, and an adopted son, the family travels an unconventional road which casts them as outsiders to others. Preaching a sexual freedom, his daughter's sexual discovery begins at an early age and betrays her when the family moves to Hanover in America. Her overt sexuality clashes with the values of her teenage American peers and gives her a problematic reputation. Meanwhile, her brooding brother copes with his own interior pain regarding his past, only comfortable communicating within the domestic space.
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Cast
- Kris KristoffersonBill Willis
- Leelee SobieskiCharlotte Anne 'Channe' Willis, Age 14
- Jane BirkinMrs. Fortescue
- Barbara HersheyMarcella Willis
- Dominique BlancCandida
- Virginie LedoyenBilly's Mother
- Jesse BradfordBilly Willis, Age 14
- Isaach De BankoléMamadou
- Anne-Cécile CrapieMademoiselle Picot
- Anthony DecadiSchoolyard Tease
Recommendations
- 100
Christian Science Monitor
Soldier's Daughter thrives less on Hollywood-style drama than on nuances of personality, details of everyday life, and emotions so commonplace that conventional movies rarely take the time to acknowledge them, much less explore them with loving care. - 88
Chicago Sun-Times
The film's appeal is in the details. This is one of [Merchant-Ivory's] best films. - 88
ReelViews
Not only was I touched by the characters and engrossed by their story during the 120 minutes they were on screen, but I could have easily spent another hour or two with them. - 80
Los Angeles Times
Somehow, against considerable obstacles, it has captured something true about families and friendship, creating a texture of believable emotions on screen. - 80
Village Voice
While the acting ensemble is crucial, it's not the only asset here. - 75
San Francisco Chronicle
By now, fans of the studied loveliness of Merchant Ivory films savor that they aren't pat, slick or especially action-packed. A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries is a fine example -- themes percolate and evolve into poignancy. - 50
Austin Chronicle
The story's accumulation of scattered impressions is exactly what bedevils the film's overall impact. The story lacks focus, sustained development, and direction. - 50
San Francisco Examiner
Freed from the demands of adapting an established and complex literary piece, the filmmakers seem to have relaxed - and so can their audience.
