Soldier's Girl (2003) (TV)

Director:

Frank Pierson

Writer (WGA):

Ron Nyswaner (written by)

Release Date:

31 May 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

She was the only man he ever loved.

Plot:

The true story of a young soldier beaten to death for falling in love with a transgendered nightclub performer. |

Plot Keywords:

What Happened To Epilogue | Gay Interest | Hate Crime | Transgender | Discrimination

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 2 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Troy Garity	...	Barry Winchell
Lee Pace	...	Calpernia Addams / Scottie
Andre Braugher	...	Sergeant Carlos Diaz
Shawn Hatosy	...	Justin Fisher
Philip Eddolls	...	Calvin Glover
Merwin Mondesir	...	Henry Millens
Dan Petronijevic	...	Collin Baker (as Daniel Petronijevic)
Mike Realba	...	Edgar Martinez
Jeanie Calleja	...	Ashley Martinez
Barclay Hope	...	Sergeant Howard Paxton
Tulsi Balram	...	Ginger
Vince Corazza	...	Lester
Kathryn Zenna	...	Female guard
Kent Staines	...	Mistress of Ceremonies
Sofonda	...	Midnight Express

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual content, a scene of strong violence and language.

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Barrie, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Bachrach/Gottlieb Productions

Trivia:

The patch worn on the shoulder of every soldier in the film is not the patch of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). The only time the actual 101st patch is shown is during the stock footage of soldiers marching across the parade ground at Ft Campbell. The patch can be seen on the large banner.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Pvt. Barry Winchell reports to SSG Diaz he is told by Diaz that he will be assigned as the assistant gunner for the 40mm grenade launcher. This could be a reference to the Mk-19 40mm belt fed grenade launcher. However, we later see Pvt Winchell carrying an M-203 40mm grenade launcher. The M-203 is not a crew served weapon, it is operated by a single soldier and therefore doesn't need an assistant to operate it.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Mistress of Ceremonies: Ladies and gentlemen, and all of the rest of you... Welcome to the Miss Tennessee Entertainer of the Year Pageant.
[applause]
Mistress of Ceremonies: If you take a girl home tonight, and you find that her clitoris is just a touch too prominent and her ovaries are hanging really low, you might have ended up with one of our contestants.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Soldiers' Secrets (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

The Consequences of Falling

For it's faults, a very good film.

Without knowing the precise details of the actual events that this film is based on, it's difficult to say how faithful it stays to them. If it were fiction I'd have been inclined to critisise it for stereotyping a transgender woman as a nightclub performer, as it is, this part seems to be accurate.

Performances are generally strong, particularly Shawn Hatosy as the dangerously unhinged Justin Fisher. Lee Pace is very good as Calpernia Addams, but I don't see why the part couldn't have been played by a woman, trans or otherwise.

There are a couple of jarring scenes where Winchell and Addams are discussing her military background almost with an attitude of comraderie, and also some uncomfortable (for a non American) reflections on the US military. I also find offensive a notion that the film more than hints at several times (and which is made explicit in the DVD extras) that Winchell was somehow experimenting with his sexuality. If he loved Addams as a woman, this is a non-issue, but the film makers and actors (and Winchell's mother in the extras) don't seem to be able to understand that.

That aside, it's still a good film, and the subject matter is treated as well as we might expect for this point in time.