Soldier's Girl
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 | |
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Directed by | Frank Pierson |
Written by | Ron Nyswaner |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Paul Sarossy |
Edited by | Katina Zinner |
Music by | Jan A.P. Kaczmarek |
Production company | Bachrach/Gottlieb Productions |
Distributed by | Showtime |
Release dates |
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Running time | 112 minutes |
Countries |
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Language | English |
Soldier's Girl was listed among the ten best Television Programs of the Year (2003) by the American Film Institute.[2]
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 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 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
- Daniel Petronijevic as Collin Baker
Reception
Critical response
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]
Accolades
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
- 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.