Don't watch this film unless you wanna cry. Sexy Troy Garity of Barbershop gives a powerful, stellar performance as a young soldier in the airborne infantry whom falls in love with a beautiful transsexual. The film treats their love affair as simple and normal as they face the complex emotions that the world throws at them. It's truly beautiful and a sight to behold. Because the film is based on a true story it makes it all the more painful to watch. The performances are inspiring, the screenplay is thoughtful and poignant. The only flaw the film retains is a quick ending. There is such a investement in these charachters I wish they would've took more time to show the effects of hate. It's films like these that change things. People's minds, people's hearts, people's views. It's such ashame that it was confined to television this film should be widely celebrated for it's diversity, courage and beauty. Much like it's main charachters it will never be forgotten.
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rcavellero28 January 2004
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jotix1002 April 2005The absurd "Don't ask, don't tell" policy in our armed forces is a big hypocrisy. LIke in all walks of life, homosexuality exists and it's incredible the government has decided to continue with this line of thought to this date. Death doesn't differentiate between gay or straight. As patriotic is the soldier, male or female, that serves his country and dies for it, no matter what their sexual preferences are.
It's commendable that director Frank Pierson has decided to bring this story to the screen, based on actual events that occurred not too long ago. The film shows a lot of courage in the part of the people behind this project because of the material. Remembering vaguely this incident that had national media coverage, one is not prepared for the reality one is presented in it.
"Soldier Girl" is a document about hatred and ignorance. These macho soldiers have to make a stand belittling and ridiculing people that are different; they believe it's a deviant behavior to be gay. Their arrogance is such that they will resort to violence in order to make their point. They even go to the same places where gays gather peacefully to have fun, by themselves, and where one would think, no straight person has any business going to. The intrusion into other people's lives is what makes this story so heart wrenching.
This is a film to watch because of the magnificent portrayal of the evil Justin Fisher, by Shawn Hatosy. This young actor doesn't seem to stop amazing in whatever character he decides to play. Mr. Hatosy has the knack for transforming himself completely into the character one sees on the screen. Having recently seen him in "Borstal Boy", as Fisher, he even surpasses what he accomplished in that other movie. His Fisher is a character study into a man that is a closet case, himself, while presenting a tough and manly front to the world. Yet, one gets the impression he wants Winchell to be his sexual partner.
The talented Troy Garity is excellent as the slow, but tremendously kind, Barry Winchell. Mr. Garity appears to be a babe in the woods; he wins us over because his sincerity and honesty. When he falls for the transsexual Calpernia Addams at the Visons night spot, we wonder if he really is that naive, or that deep down Barry feels a love at first sight with her.
As Calpernia, Lee Pace is perfectly believable as the person who suddenly finds the right soul mate when Barry begins seeing her. This actor does a wonderful job in getting inside his character. Philip Eddolls makes a perfect Calvin, the young recruit that will act on the hatred that Fisher keeps daring him to do in a sly way. Andre Braugher is the kind Sgt. Diaz, who is totally brainwashed by the army policy of not getting involved, but ultimately helping the bullies under his command maim and kill for no reason at all.
"Soldier Girl" is a film that will stay with the viewer for a long, long time. It's hard to forget what bigotry and ignorance can do to people. -
In 1999, the soldier Barry Winchell (Troy Garity) joins the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army in Kentucky and shares a room with Justin Fisher (Shawn Hatosy) in the barrack. Fisher brings Winchell to the Visions Club, in Nashville, considered club of deviants by his superiors, and Winchell befriends the travesty Calpernia Addams (Lee Pace) that performs in the club. Soon they start seeing each other and fall in love with each other.
When Sergeant Carlos Diaz (Andre Braugher) nominates Winchell as the Soldier of the Month, the jealous Fisher spreads rumors on the base telling that Winchell is a fag. Further, he manipulates the homophobic new comer Calvin Glover (Philip Eddolls) against Winchell. On July, Fourth, the coward Glover has a violent outburst against Winchell while he is sleeping with tragic consequences.
"Soldier's Girl" is a heartbreaking story of love, intolerance, cruelty, manipulation and cowardliness based on the true story of the soldier Barry Winchell. The movie is impressively well made for a television movie, with a perfect direction of Frank Pierson.
However the performances are the best in this movie, highlighting the acting of Lee Pace with an outstanding performance. My vote is seven.
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DameFlux3 August 2004This is a film that will challenge your definition of gender and redefine the meaning of love. The true life story of Calpernia Addams and her successful yet tragic relationship with the soldier who fell in love with her, Barry Winchell. First , this is one of the best films I have ever seen. Originally made for HBO it could easily have made the big screen. Frank Pierson directs with a gentle hand and delivers poetry to vehicle that could have been awkward in anothers hands. Ron Nyswaner's script is sharp and deep so Pierson is well backed.
The cast is killer . Troy Garity delivers a surprisingly subtle portrayal of the soldier Barry Winchell. Barry is not an intellectual but far more emotionally intelligent than those around him. He falls in love with an exotic transsexual dancer Calpernia Addams for all the reasons a man usually does for any woman. She is smart , beautiful and underneath the dancers facade a true woman who yearns for someone to care for.
Lee Pace who plays Calpernia faced a huge challenge in that he really is a man but he is so powerful an actor that it takes only moments to convince you the heart of this character is truly a woman's. A classically trained actor Pace finds a way to give Calpernia both the accurate movement of a woman yet the fragile heart of a romantic in danger . I hope that Paces future is not stunted by this role because after delivering this kind of performance it will be really hard to top it. Pace manifests Calpernia so well it defies his physical reality . That feat is beyond most Hollywood actors period.
Added to the mix is the macho soldier named Justin Fisher who befriends Barry only to become the cause of his demise. . A hardcore soldier who drugs himself to keep up with the demands of being the best of the best Fisher is himself both a homophobe , jealous competitor for Barry's attention and dangerously loose cannon . Played by Shawn Hatosy the performance is pretty stunning. I swear I have known guys like this in my life. Shawn delivers Fisher with incredible rawness and realism. A macho redneck with disturbing secrets. You will hate Fisher and yet pity how pathetic he is as a human being he is . Brilliant work. Very rare. Hatosy gives a perfect delivery.
Last is the new arrival Calvin Glover , a wet behind the ears soldier that Fisher easily dupes into carrying out his vengeance against Barry. Played by Philip Eddolls the team of Fisher and Glover fits perfectly . Fisher the power to dominate and Glover his easily manipulated puppet. Too stupid to even grasp the seriousness of his crime Glover is someone you will recognize . Eddolls doesn't hold back anything in trying to give us Glovers small man complex.
If you are homophobic at all you will probably not like this movie but if you believe that love transcends the physical genders we are given you will be moved. Despite finding this DVD in the "gay " section of Amazon.com this is truly love story between a man and a woman. Well worth watching. A+ -
rgad9 February 2004I loved the film and I'm still remembering various scenes from it. As a victim of a gay hate bashing many years ago when I was 22 which almost killed me, it affected me deeply.
The military code of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is stupid. As was the segretation of blacks and whites in the military until around 1943. As was the forbidding of interracial marriages in this country in a number of states until 1967. As was the internment of Asian American citizens during World War II. As is the antipathy against civil marriage for same-sex couples now. Where is "love" in all this? Why is it not even being mentioned? Love for one's country and for each other. Barry and Calpernia loved each other. What's wrong with that? When two people love each other and decide to share their lives together, that's a commitment between two people. Not a commitment with the government or any religion. They can only acknowledge the commitment in the way each does. Love doesn't recognize restrictions; it's universal.
Bigotry kills. This movie demonstrates that. Also, back to reality, I've read the commander (or whatever they're called) of Fort Campbell who never said a word about the anti-gay attitude of Fort Campbell at this time was recently promoted. Now what does that say about our government and the military?
I gave the movie a 10. I only wish I could give more people the same score. -
inluvwithjolie6720 December 2004I remember a couple of months ago hearing the story of Barry Winchell on A&E. I was so hurt and disgusted by the fact that something like this could happen and the person that did this awful thing was not put to death. So later when I heard about Soldier's Girl, I decided to rent it and check it out. I put it in and was entranced by this amazing love story. I was moved to tears, which is a difficult thing for me to do. The story was so loving and yet so tragic. Like Calpernia says in the beginning of the movie, "I'm going to tell you a story, like all great stories, it is a love story. And like all great love stories, it's tragic." The movie broke my heart and I was ashamed to know that my country let this happen and go unpunished in my opinion. Facing the homophobia of society is tough for any person, I know this first hand. Barry Winchell was a resilient person to be able to take what he took from others, and not let them stop him from falling in love. Best movie I've seen based on a true story in awhile. I would recommend seeing it to anyone.
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rgad9 February 2004I loved the film and I'm still remembering various scenes from it. As a victim of a gay hate bashing many years ago when I was 22 which almost killed me, it affected me deeply.
The military code of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is stupid. As was the segregation of blacks and whites in the military until around 1943. As was the forbidding of interracial marriages in this country in a number of states until 1967. As was the internment of Asian American citizens during World War II. As is the antipathy against civil marriage for same-sex couples now. Where is "love" in all this? Why is it not even being mentioned? Love for one's country and for each other. Barry and Calpernia loved each other. What's wrong with that? When two people love each other and decide to share their lives together, that's a commitment between two people. Not a commitment with the government or any religion. They can only acknowledge the commitment in the way each does. Love doesn't recognize restrictions; it's universal.
Bigotry kills. This movie demonstrates that. Also, back to reality, I've read the commander (or whatever they're called) of Fort Campbell who never said a word about the anti-gay attitude of Fort Campbell at this time was recently promoted. Now what does that say about our government and the military?
I gave the movie a 10. I only wish I could give more people the same score. -
gslind29 January 2004Based on a 1999 true story, Soldier's Girl is a poignant and ultimately heartbreaking love story of two people from different worlds. It's an old story, one that never changes and has played out for centuries of mankind. The only thing that changes are the differences. The intolerance, cruelty and prices paid always remain the same.
Studly Barry Winchell (deftly played by Troy Garity - son of Jane Fonda and Tom Hayden) is the new, young recruit on a macho Army base just outside of Nashville, Tennessee. One night, as a joke, the boys from the barracks pay a visit to a local drag club where Winchell's fascination (and ours) begins with the memerizingly beautiful, transexual performer, Calpurnia.
Calpurnia Adams, stunningly portrayed by Lee Pace, has mixed emotions at first about letting this brutally handsome straight boy into her world and into her heart. Finding himself attracted to someone like Calpurnia is new territory for Winchell as well. The tenderness and particularly the bonds of trust that slowly develops between the two is realistic. It could have been very easy to cross all the wrong boundaries with this type of movie, but it was executed with a carefully crafted and believable realism and in good taste.
The two embark on a clandestine love affair that ultimately and predictably ends in tragedy.
Soldier's Girl might cause you to question your views on gays in the military, love, and the infinitely broad spectrum of human sexuality.
Originally produced for Showtime, now available on DVD, Soldier's Girl was nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards for both leads. -
whenyoureyeburns18 March 2021Lee Pace's acting here is wonderful, reminiscent of Jared Leto's Oscar-winning performance years later. On the negative side, while this is an older film now, the violence on display is truly disturbing and, though based on true events, almost feels like it's not cut from the same cloth as the rest of the film and almost overshadows the great performance(s) in the rest of the film.
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tuc3504319 March 2012This film is about a soldier falling in love with a transgendered female performer at a club. He met her in the club and got addicted to her at the first sight. They then kept a secret relationship between each other. However, homosexual people are banned in the army. The main character, Barry, refused to admit that he had a transgendered partner and struggled very hard. Meanwhile, his roommate Fisher, had a special feeling toward him. His trans phobic feeling is hidden in his heart, at the same time he is jealous of the couple being in such a good relationship. He manipulated Glover, who also had a bit of psychological problem, to show his strength by hitting Barry. At the end, Barry got hit seriously by Glover and died.
This film strongly criticizes the American law of banning homosexuality in the army. At the time of when this movie was made, homosexuality was still banned, until recently President Obama abolished the regulation. Personally, I think the original intention of this law is to avoid any relationship among the soldiers in the army, as all of them are male. However, it turns out to be discrimination in some way. Homosexual people can be as strong as the other soldiers and should be treated the same. -
The fact that it is a true story made me both sad and excited. It should have been a film with a little more detail and maybe a little longer. I was not bored while watching. I watched it with interest and at the end of the movie I learned that the movie is based on a true story. It deals with the confusion of sexual identity and orientation, the gender stereotypes of that period, the lives of trans women, and trans performance artistry. It was a detailed but not boring movie. I love watching old movies on this theme. So like the movies "Transamerica" and "Todo sobre mi madre". In the meantime, I was happy to know that Calpernia Addams is still alive. I hope she is always happy.
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hcsjds23 January 2004I thought Soldier's Girl was phenomenal. The movie did an amazing job of portraying this terrible but true incident. The acting and makeup/prosthetics were incredible! As others have said, this movie shows the ridiculousness of the U. S. military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. My heart goes out to PFC Barry Winchell and his family.
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Gil_Rinion19 March 2012Soldier's Girl is a very touching story and it is made even more emotional because it is based on a true story. The acting in the film was very well done and it was very believable. It is a very well done love story rarely seen in Hollywood.
The dramatic elements in the film are handled very well and you sometimes wonder how people can act the way they do. in fact the dramatic tension when Barry is being beaten is incredibly strong. I am usually not affect by violence but because of the situations and the reasons behind this attack coupled with the fact that the story is true cause me to be greatly moved.
I would recommend this film to you if you like dramatic movies. this movie is definitely not for the faint of heart and is not a good uplifting movie. It is however incredibly good at getting its point across. -
Just saw this on the net.....had never heard of it. As the ending grew close, I had a horrible feeling it was going to be tragic, so I hit pause, rushed to Wikipedia to look up the plot, and just as feared, the ending was as I predicted. Only sadistic people could derive any entertainment value out of these types of movies with hideously brutal endings. A drama could win every award in the books, but still not have any entertainment value, as is the case with this movie. I am 58 and gay. I DO NOT want to see tragic, sadistic endings to gay themed movies EVER. The military life depicted in this movie was also sad and reduced human beings to pathetic creatures that allowed themselves to be subjected to degrading verbal and physical abuse. This entire movie presented a sad commentary on human beings. Not fit for entertainment....except in documentary form.
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socoluva2514 December 2004The facts surrounding this story are for the most part accurate. Although Calvin Glover was 19 not 17 and Calpernia Addams did not live in a mobile home it still stuck pretty close to the actual events. This movie was more than just another story about a soldier who was beat to death. It was a tribute and a reminder of how barbaric some humans can be. The whole film screams "Reality Check"! I have seen this movie quite a few times and every time I still find myself getting emotional. Garity and Lee deliver an all out performance. Truly brazen and stunning. There is no happy ending just tears and tissues. There is no justification for what happened to Barry Winchell and nothing can ever bring him back. But his memory will always survive in the minds of whoever watches this film.
The outcome: Calvin Glover sits in a cell wasting our money as he was given life in prison.
Unfortunately Justin Fisher "The instigator" is up for parole soon and may be allowed to rejoin society after only 4.5 years in prison.
In the end many lives were devastated and a good man and soldier was lost. There is no justifying that. -
bkoganbing24 April 2008The cause of equality and justice got another martyr in 2003 with the beating death of Barry Winchell, a young private from Kansas who was assaulted, with a baseball bat by another young private while Winchell was sleeping. in his company. The case galvanized a thorough review of the Armed Services 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' policy implemented by the same president who put in the policy in the first place, Bill Clinton. Right now recruiting needs for an unpopular war may have more to do with reversing that policy than young Barry Winchell, a kid who only wanted to serve his country.
It was only in the previous two century that human sexuality itself began to be researched and understood from a non-religious point of view. And it was only in the last half of the last century that those who deviated from the binary norm of male/female heterosexism began to demand their just due in society.
Barry Winchell is played beautifully here by Troy Gerity and probably in another part of the army could have served his time as quietly and well as his lover Calpurnia Adams, a pre-operative transgender entertainer who in fact was a veteran from the army medical corps. Gays and Lesbians have been doing military service since the Battle of Thermopylae and before that. But in the west had to do it on the Q.T. We were considered bad for morale.
In fact I've known gay veterans from every war this country has engaged in since World War II. Barry Winchell unfortunately chose to be part of the 101st Airbourne Division, a battle tested regiment, but with all the macho tradition that goes with it.
Some Pentagon brass would have been mortified had they seen people who wear the famous Screaming Eagle patch on their uniforms getting serviced by men in drag at a gay club in Nashville. Or in the army parlance, a place frequented by sexual deviants. When Shawn Hatosy brought Barry Winchell to that club and he met Calpurnia who would be the love of his short life, he was also having some serious sexual issues himself in a society that told him what he felt was the worst thing in the world.
Gerity, Hatosy who was the agent provocateur in Winchell's death and Lee Pace who played Calpurnia all deliver fine realistic performances. But the performance that touched me most was that of Phillip Eddolls who played the recruit who did the deed, responding to Hatosy's prodding. This poor individual is a product of some carefully taught fear that to be thought of as gay in society was the worst thing that could happen to you. In society in general, let alone the 101st Airborne Division. Even after he does the deed he can't comprehend what has happened. Eddolls will move you deeply.
The Winchell case reminded me very much of the famous racial bias case where a black kid named Yusuf Hawkins was stabbed to death in Bensonhurst in Brooklyn back in the Eighties. Yusuf lived in the area, a very Italian area that to this day is not friendly to other races, not even to other white ethnics for that matter. He was stabbed to death by a young kid named Joey Fama who was part of a gang of about fifteen young men who were yelling and screaming racial epithets. Like Eddolls character, Fama responded to the prodding and actually did the deed, but the others in the mob held their share of guilt.
This is a wonderful film about another GLBT martyr, a list that grows longer and sadder each year. It includes people like James Zappalorti, Julio Rivera, Henry Marquez people whose surviving families I got to know after their deaths from my former job with New York State Crime Victims Board.
But this review is dedicated to another man who served his country in the Army like Barry Winchell. Paul Pastorella was a clerk typist in the army posted to the Presidio in San Francisco. Paul met the love of his life, a dancer named Kim Sherwood while stationed there and they were a devoted couple. Paul was also a bias attack victim that I first met in Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn when he was stabbed after he left the army. Both Paul and Kim are dead now, but their lives on earth were totally spent in devotion to each other.
To Paul, To Kim, To Barry, RIP. -
CelticGoddess6 June 2003This is one of the best films I've seen in a LONG time. As much as I loved "Boys Don't Cry," this film surpasses it. The astonishing performances of Lee Pace and Troy Garity immediately drew me into the love story. It surpassed any thought of sexuality and was all about attraction of the soul. The director did not shrink from the sex or the violence - both are presented honestly; the murder, rather graphically. Nothing is sensationalized.
If you love great film and acting, do NOT miss "Soldier's Girl." -
nicedude2314 March 2004I don't think this movie could have been done any better given that it was on a ShowTime TV budget.
This movie takes a big political issue, about someone being attacked by comrades in the US military for allegedly being gay, and turns it into a love story. The politics are left out of the movie and the viewer is left at the end to judge for themselves.
There is some very excellent acting and you connect with the characters on many levels. It shows how a straight, but possibly gay, young man can fall in love with a former man. You connect with this onorthodox relationship.
The military life is also very well portrayed. Throughout the movie the machismo of the movie maybe overplayed; but it shows how this boy also has conflicted feelings with the military. He truly loves being in it and strives to be the best soldier and believes in the sacrifices that serving men make. Yet, he hates how he is being harassed how he has to live with a disturbed roommate.
The drag club scenes were awesome (on par or better than Pricilla Queen of the Desert), so if you are going to rent it just for gay appeal go for it! This movie has much broader appeal.
I trust that everyone reading this (because I know you have watched the movie) tells other people to watch it too! I rented it at Hollywood videa, in the burbs, so it is widely distributed.
A quick reminder to go out and Rock the Vote in elections. -
freejoyhart12 March 2021I had the weirdest experience watching this film. I stumbled on it quite by accident, had never heard of Lee Pace or even Troy Graity (I'm embarrassed to say being the movie buff I am). And the only reason I watched it was because I had see The Keeping Hours on Netflix with Lee Pace, fell in love with him, and googled all of his movies to watch them all. Soldier's Girl came up first. As I started to watch the film I was looking for the actor (Lee Pace) I thought he might be one of the soldiers along with Graity's role, Barry Mitchell. But I couldn't find him. It wasn't until about 1/3 into the film that I figured out that Calpernia was Lee Pace. I'm not kidding!!! My jaw dropped. The actor I had watched in the film The Keeping Hours the evening before was nothing like this actor. OMG!!!! I was in shock. Of course by now, I am totally engrossed in this film, Soldier's Girl, and can't take my eyes off Calpernia. (Lee Pace? That's Lee Pace . . . you're f >>>ing kidding me??) I was totally engrossed in this film. Time stood still. And the ending? There are NO words. I knew nothing about this case. I didn't know about this true story. And yet, here I had stumbled into this weird paradigm, down the rabbit hole I went. It is not too much to say that the whole experience has totally changed me. It's almost as if the reality that I had perceived on Tuesday was completely different on Wednesday. I'm not being dramatic. I'm telling you the truth. Thank God for the art form of movies. They are so real and touch us in such deep ways. And thanks to the incredible acting of Jane Fonda's Son, Troy Garity and Lee Pace. I am forever changed!!!
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I remember being infuriated by this story in 1999 - to describe this crime as senseless is a massive understatement, so when friends recommended A SOLDIER'S GIRL to me, I was eager to see how it would come across on film.
**SPOILERS AHEAD**
Overall I was impressed - this is a well-crafted movie, managing a great subtlety, featuring generally well-developed characters, and is - at heart - a great love story. I felt that the film could've been a bit longer - given the emotional toll, I can understand the need (or desire) to maintain a bit of economy, but I felt that certain characters and events should've been presented with a bit more detail, especially during the latter half of the film. The homophobia and generalized violence of the setting should've been presented in greater detail - this underlies my other criticisms, and would've removed the mystery from a few of the other characters. Winchell's fear was hinted at in many of his open-ended blow-ups with Fisher, and his confusion (which - though presented in beautiful fashion, is only really visible once) should've been depicted in greater detail - it would've done greater justice to his memory.
Meanwhile, greater exploration of Fisher's various chemical and psychological problems would've also added tremendously to the story. Aside from his violence and stupidity, Glover was an enigma - here he was just a device to move the plot into the final act, and - with any individual acting in the fashion which he does, there must be more to him than what appears at the surface.
However, Calpernia Addams was quite touchingly portrayed, and the love scenes between her and Winchell were presented in a moving fashion - on this basis (and also the detail seen in the more mundane moments of the two hanging out) that I consider this to be a great love story. Approaching the very end of the film, Lee Pace's performance really begins to transcend any expectations I might've had, and becomes something remarkable - I have a great respect for any film that can bring tears to my eyes (THE ICE STORM, Zhang Yimou's ROAD HOME and CINEMA PARADISO are the only others in recent memory), so I'd have to say I still rate this very highly.
But with such a devastating story, I still felt that Winchell deserved something greater still. -
jenandshelby22 April 2004You really feel like the world would be better if Barry was still alive and Calpurnia and he were still a couple. How happy they were! How disgusting of Fisher and Glover to feel worthy enough to rob Barry of his life. I have been to every web page I could find. Wanted photos, any thing I could find. The movie is forever etched in my mind! I wish I could have known them. I am a straight female, never had tendencies or desires to change my sex or be with anyone but a man, But I love this movie and it made me cry! The graphics were incredible. I was shocked. Brain matter on the wall and ceiling! Oh God, have NO mercy for these two murderers who took a wonderful man from our earth!!
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The utmost thing about this film that I admire is its portrayal of ADHD in Shawn Hatosy's character. Hatosy and writer Ron Nyswaner pinpointed many little-known characteristics of this under-considered, virtually ignored condition, such as the energy, the shocking and destructive proximity mine of a temper, and the constantly wishing and washing intentions of complete ambiguity to everyone including himself. There is even a fixation on realism in his character's incidental things, some even seeming like they may have been improvised, such as when he screams at Troy Garity and throws the plates against the wall and letting them shatter, then putting his hands indecisively and fearfully on his hips yet maintaining the infuriated grimace. This is a major plus for me, because I have never seen a character in a film who is said to have diagnosed ADHD with the exception of Dustin Hoffman's crime boss in Confidence, which is played with a nervous comic touch and a reference to his condition and hardly anything else indicative. I will always admire this film for displaying a dead-on true-to-life depiction of ADHD.
The other extreme high point of the film is Lee Pace's amazing chameleonlike performance as a transsexual. This is a straight male actor who constantly, in many moments throughout, makes us feel convinced that we are watching a pretty, completely effeminate woman. He draws a fine line of balance between his scenes of complete transformation into an coy and attractive woman and his scenes wherein he is a woman trapped in a man's body, which is also a challenge all the same. Pace and Hatosy make this film the realistic and frustratingly honest experience that it is. However, not everything is on par with these two milestone performances.
The ending is not consistent with the rest of the film, and the reason it's difficult to explain why is because it has the same ambiguity as Hatosy's character, but whether that was intentional or not, it doesn't work, because even ambiguity in film-making has to be made clear. The almost abstract way that the film leads to its intensely sad climax makes sense, and so does the denouement, but the denouement is treated like the film continually forgets to add something else important. However, the film is very low-budget, to the point where any major shot of Army activity is blatantly clear to be stock footage, because the picture, grain, and speed of the image are so obviously different from that of the rest of the film. So this makes me think that director Frank Pierson perhaps reached for techniques in pace and tone that with such limited production values were skewed.
What truly did get on my nerves a wee bit were the mannerisms and dialects of the actors in the Army, and that even includes Hatosy, and Troy Garity, whose performance as the lead is quite strong. Why wouldn't it be? It was passed on from his mother, Jane Fonda, uncle Peter, and grandpa Henry. However, they as well as a few smaller roles having this odd, stiff, insecure dialect, where they slack their jaws to one side, stiffen their gestures, and even don some sort of nasal voice.
However, Soldier's Girl is quite a strong movie overall, and I suppose it's a testament to the underestimated potential of a Showtime original movie. -
leliorisen18 June 2003(To those unfamiliar with the true story that the movie is based on, there are spoilers below, please be advised.)
I am very familiar with the murder of PFC Barry Winchell back in 1999. I send out a newsfeed to the glbt community on the Internet and was especially disturbed to be sending out coverage on this story as it unfolded.
As far as the movie goes, it is very unsettling and hard to watch, once you know the subject matter....in the same way that "Boys Don't Cry" was very hard for me, not to mention the Matthew Shepard movie incarnations. But it needs to be seen.
Words can't express the horror one can feel when you know that your sexuality alone is enough to make someone want to brutally kill you.
Watching this story left me feeling desolate and sad. I gave it a 9 out of 10, because of the amazing performances of the leads in recreating this tragic tale. But I had a problem with it.
Winchell's actual killer is hardly a part of this movie until near the end. There was very little attempt made to flesh out the hostile relationship. From this movie's point-of-view, the real killer was the roommate who instigated it. While that may be the case, it seemed cinematically unbalanced to present a case for him that almost seemed to elicit sympathy, without letting the viewer know more about the goings-on inside the actual killer's head.
Additionally, those that know the real story have learned that there was apparently a climate of homophobia and anti-gay harassment present at Fort Campbell. But, from the movie, you'd never get the sense that anti-gay harassment was all that much of an issue. Winchell was allegedly harassed repeatedly. This film does not really convey that.
Outside of an over-zealous officer, who chanted anti-gay cadence songs (it was widely publicized, by a gay soldier who left the base after the killing, that this went on at Fort Campbell AFTER the Winchell murder)and the 2 who went to jail, everyone else comes off as relatively tolerant of gays, as if "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" works.
America is virtually the only western nation (I believe the other is Turkey) that does not allow gays to serve in the military.
After watching the ultimate result of codified homophobia that this movie relates, hopefully people will start understanding that homophobia does, indeed, kill, and start demanding a change. -
corceiro12 February 2007Sometimes something good comes from TV producers... In the end, this is a very good movie, not a gigantic Hollywood production but a honest, very well built narrative with some fantastic surprises on the casting list. Made only with unknown (minor?) actors who will be major in the future! Lee Pace as Calpernia Addams is incredible and contributes a lot to the dramatic tension from beginning to end. He deserves better chances. The movie didn't stop at the "based on a true story" limit and grows little by little, step by step. If it wasn't for the nude scenes I could show it to my pupils as a lesson about tolerance, love and humanity.
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koningszoon4 January 2005Although this true story is a sad one about intolerance and hate....I still cannot believe how BAD this movie is!
The characters are from a comic book, no idea where they came from, what their believes or motives are.... We learn nothing about the other soldiers in this movie, almost nothing about the army in general and the men that lead this company.
I cannot believe HOW BAD and WORTHLESS this movie is. If you want to see complete CRAP: don't hesitate and rent this utter sh*t!
Waste of time and money in my opinion. Go and watch a decent movie with real characters and REAL people!!
Thanks!