Today marks the 26th anniversary in the death of Private First Class Barry Winchell, one of the subjects of 2003’s biographical drama Soldier’s Girl. The film followed the true story of Winchell falling in love with transgender nightclub performer Calpernia “Callie” Addams, with Troy Garity playing Winchell and a pre-MCU Lee Pace as Calpernia.
Though this was before Hollywood got on the train about having trans actors play trans roles, Pace received praise for his role. The film was beautifully tragic, as with most love stories, as Winchell was senselessly murdered by two fellow soldiers in 1999 after being outed as having a romantic relationship with a transwoman. It also was the first mainstream project to depict a pretty accurate representation of a woman living her trans experience, specifically in the South (the film is set in Nashville, TN).
The film originally aired on the cable network Showtime and, while critically acclaimed, didn’t receive much attention from audiences or the awards circuit at the time (though it did win a Peabody Award). However, that was long before social media came along to change the world, for better or worse. Clips from the film have recently surfaced on TikTok, the social media and short-form online video platform that took the world by storm during the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing the film to the attention of a new generation of LGBTQ+ crowd. One that is, despite the current presidential administration’s efforts, much more accepting of trans individuals than the society at large in 2003. While there’s always the occasional bad apple, the majority of the comments have been supportive, celebrating the film and the performances of Garity and Pace.
Soldier’s Girl is currently available to stream in it’s entirety on Amazon Prime, Tubi, and the Roku Channel. The real-life Calpernia Addams went on to become a working actress, musician, and transgender rights advocate. Addams recently paid tribute to Winchell on her Instagram page.
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