Soldier's Girl
Soldier's Girl is a 2003 Canadian-American drama film produced by Showtime. 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. It was written by Ron Nyswaner and directed by Frank R. Pierson, with Troy Garity starring as Barry and Lee Pace starring as Calpernia.
| Soldier's Girl | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Frank Pierson |
| Written by | Ron Nyswaner |
| Starring | Troy Garity Lee Pace |
| Music by | Jan A.P. Kaczmarek |
| Cinematography | Paul Sarossy |
| Edited by | Katina Zinner |
Release date |
|
Running time | 112 minutes |
| Country | United States, Canada |
| Language | English |
Soldier's Girl was among the ten best Television Programs of the Year (2003) by the American Film Institute.[1]
Plot
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 (Shawn Hatosy) 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 which 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 by Fisher. The film ends with a discussion of the aftermath.
Cast
- 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
- Dan Petronijevic as Collin Baker (as Daniel Petronijevic)
Reception
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 88% based on reviews from 8 critics.[3]
John Leonard of New York Magazine wrote: "All three principal performances are superb."[4]
Accolades
| Year | Category | Award Nomination | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Emmy | Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special (Frank Pierson) | Nominated |
| Outstanding Makeup for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Prosthetic) (Raymond Mackintosh and Russell Cate) | Nominated | ||
| Gotham Awards | Breakthrough Actor (Lee Pace) | Won | |
| 2004 | GLAAD | Outstanding Television Movie or Mini-Series | Nominated |
| Golden Globe | Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture made for Television | Nominated | |
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Troy Garity) | Nominated | ||
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (Lee Pace) | Nominated | ||
| Independent Spirit Awards | Best Male Lead (Lee Pace) | Nominated | |
| Best Supporting Male (Troy Garity) | Nominated | ||
| Peabody Award | Won | ||
| Satellite Awards | Best Motion Picture Made for Television | Nominated | |
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Troy Garity) | Nominated | ||
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Lee Pace) | Nominated | ||
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Shawn Hatosy) | Nominated | ||
| Television Critics Association Awards | Outstanding Movie, Miniseries or Special | Nominated |
See also
Further reading
- Addams, Calpernia. "Soldier's Girl: The Reality". Calpernia.com.
- Rowe, Michael (June 2003). Cummings, Katherine (ed.). "An Interview with Jane Fonda on Gender". Polare. The Gender Centre (52). Archived from the original on 2016-03-20.
References
- "AFI AWARDS 2003". American Film Institute.
- per film credits on DVD
- "Soldier's Girl (2003)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
- John Leonard. "Hansel Mieth: Vagabond - Photographer, Berga: Soldiers of Another War - New York TV Review - Nymag". New York Magazine.