Soldier's Girl
| 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 is a 2003 biographical drama television 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 was listed among the ten best Television Programs of the Year (2003) by the American Film Institute.[2]
Plot
[edit]Barry 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
[edit]Soldier's Girl was filmed in Toronto and Barrie in Ontario, Canada.[3]
Reception
[edit]Critical response
[edit]On 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
[edit]Further 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.
External links
[edit]
- 2003 television films
- 2003 films
- 2003 biographical drama films
- 2003 crime drama films
- 2003 independent films
- 2003 LGBTQ-related films
- 2003 romantic drama films
- 2000s American films
- 2000s Canadian films
- 2000s English-language films
- American biographical drama films
- American crime drama films
- American drama television films
- American independent films
- American LGBTQ-related television films
- American romantic drama films
- Biographical films about LGBTQ people
- Canadian biographical drama films
- Canadian crime drama films
- Canadian drama television films
- Canadian independent films
- Canadian LGBTQ-related television films
- Canadian romantic drama films
- Crime drama films based on actual events
- Crime television films
- English-language biographical drama films
- English-language Canadian films
- English-language crime drama films
- English-language independent films
- English-language romantic drama films
- Films about anti-LGBTQ sentiment
- Films about trans women
- Films about the United States Army
- Films directed by Frank Pierson
- Films scored by Jan A. P. Kaczmarek
- Films set in the 1990s
- Films set in Kentucky
- Films shot in Toronto
- Films with screenplays by Ron Nyswaner
- LGBTQ and military-related mass media
- LGBTQ-related crime drama films
- LGBTQ-related romantic drama films
- Peabody Award–winning broadcasts
- Romance television films
- Romantic drama films based on actual events
- Showtime (TV network) films