Soldier's Girl is a 2003 biographical drama film written by Ron Nyswaner and directed by Frank Pierson. It is based on a story of the relationship between Barry Winchell and Calpernia Addams and the events that led up to Barry's murder by a fellow soldier, starring Troy Garity as Winchell and Lee Pace as Addams. The film premiered on Showtime on May 31, 2003.[1]
| Soldier's Girl | |
|---|---|
 Print advertisement | |
| Written by | Ron Nyswaner |
| Directed by | Frank Pierson |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Jan A.P. Kaczmarek |
| Country of origin |
|
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producers |
|
| Cinematography | Paul Sarossy |
| Editor | Katina Zinner |
| Running time | 112 minutes |
| Production company | Bachrach/Gottlieb Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | Showtime |
| Release | May 31, 2003 |
Soldier's Girl was listed among the ten best Television Programs of the Year (2003) by the American Film Institute.[2]
Plot
editBarry is a private with the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army, stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, while Calpernia works as a showgirl at a transgender revue in Nashville, Tennessee. Barry's roommate Justin Fisher brings Barry to the club where Calpernia performs. When Barry and Calpernia start dating, Fisher, out of jealousy, participates in spreading rumors about Barry's alleged affair, which appeared to be a violation of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy that forbids discussion of sexual orientation of military personnel. Barry faces increasing harassment and pressure, which explodes into violence over a Fourth of July weekend after Barry easily beats Calvin Glover in a fight. While Calpernia performs in a pageant in Nashville, Barry is beaten to death in his sleep by Glover with a baseball bat given to him by Fisher. The film ends with a discussion of the aftermath.
Cast
edit- Troy Garity as Barry Winchell
- Lee Pace as Calpernia Addams
- Andre Braugher as Carlos Diaz
- Shawn Hatosy as Justin Fisher
- Philip Eddolls as Calvin Glover
- Merwin Mondesir as Henry Millens
- Daniel Petronijevic as Collin Baker
Production
editSoldier's Girl was filmed in Toronto and Barrie in Ontario, Canada.[3]
Reception
editCritical response
editOn Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 88% based on reviews from 8 critics.[4]
John Leonard of New York magazine wrote: "All three principal performances are superb."[1]
Carin Gorrell in Psychology Today calls Soldier's Girl a "gut-wrenching and provacative work" adding that Troy Garity's "performance is so strong that it's nearly impossible to react without sympathy"[5]
In Variety David Rooney wrote: "Both Garity and newcomer Pace give complex, controlled performances, full-bodied and richly empathetic, making the union between this unlikely couple seem entirely plausible and natural".[6]
Accolades
edit
See also
editFurther reading
edit- Addams, Calpernia. "Soldier's Girl: The Reality". Calpernia.com. Archived from the original on 2012-02-04. Retrieved 2005-07-04.
- Rowe, Michael (June 2003). Cummings, Katherine (ed.). "An Interview with Jane Fonda on Gender". Polare (52). The Gender Centre. Archived from the original on 2016-03-20.
References
edit- ^ a b Leonard, John (May 21, 2003). "In Brief". New York.
- ^ "AFI Awards 2003". American Film Institute.
- ^ Per film credits on DVD.
- ^ "Soldier's Girl (2003)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
- ^ Gorrell, Carin (2003). "Soldier's Girl (film)". Psychology Today. 36 (3).
- ^ Rooney, David (25 February 2003). "Soldier's Girl (film)". Variety. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ^ "Soldier's Girl". Television Academy. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
- ^ "Gotham Independent Film Awards 2003". gotham.ifp.org. Archived from the original on February 21, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ^ "GLAAD announces media award nominees". UPI. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
- ^ "Winners & Nominees 2004". www.goldenglobes.com. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
- ^ "19th Independent Spirit Awards Coverage (2004)". DigitalHit.com. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
- ^ "Soldier's Girl". The Peabody Awards. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
- ^ "2004 TCA Awards nominees". Television Critics Association. June 3, 2004. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
