Soldier's Girl
Cable networks like Showtime are diving into risky material that  mainstream movie-makers shy away from--andSoldier's Girldemonstrates the payoff of such risks. Barry Winchell (Troy Garity,Barbershop), new to an infantry base in Tennessee, gets taken to a  nightclub for drag performers by an obnoxious fellow soldier, Fisher  (Shawn Hatosy,Outside Providence). There he meets Calpernia (Lee  Pace), a transgendered performer, and feels an immediate attraction. But  as Winchell's relationship with Calpernia develops, his relationship with  the repressed Fisher grows dangerous to his career in the military--and  possibly to his life. Based on a true story,Soldier's Girltackles  its delicate subject matter directly but respectfully, with compassion and  intelligence. Garity, Pace, and Hatosy all turn in compelling, complex  performances, steering clear of stereotypes. Director Frank Pierson  (screenwriter ofDog Day Afternoon) skillfully avoids easy answers  or obvious solutions and was deservedly nominated for an Emmy as a result.--Bret Fetzer