Nominated for six Emmys, 1995’s Serving in Silence
is based on the true story of the highest-ranking military to ever be
discharged from the armed services for being gay. Anchored by strong,
mesmerizing performances from two under-regarded actresses who’ve found
most of their recent success in television, it’s a triumphant if
somewhat didactic look at an issue that still divides us today, even as
it really should be a non-issue when compared to much more important
topics.

Serving in Silence is set in the late 1980s. After
faithfully serving in the Army for over 20 years, no-nonsense, divorced
mother of four Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer (Glenn Close)
unexpectedly falls in love with bohemian artist Diane (Judy Davis),
thus bringing to an end a career that included a Bronze Star-winning
tour of duty in Vietnam. During an interview for a higher security
clearance, Cammermeyer reveals to the investigator that she is a
lesbian and, when she refuses to recant, the Army initiates discharge
proceedings against her. With the support of her family, her new lover
and the Lambda Legal Defense, Cammermeyer courageously decides to fight
for her right to serve her country.

The movie is first and foremost about the struggle for equity by
gays, certainly, but arriving as it does against the backdrop of
continued fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, where women are serving —
and dying — in ever-increasing numbers, Serving in Silence
packs a rather unique double-whammy of thoughtful provocativeness.
Close delivers a superb performance, rising to indignation when
necessary but also showcasing the inherent hurt in being turned out
from an organization for which she had given so much effort.

DVD special features for the film, which is housed in a regular
Amray case and presented in 1.33:1 full screen with Dolby digital 2.0
audio, include a spate of bonus previews for other titles and a trio of
behind-the-scenes featurettes. The first is a nine-minute making-of bit
replete with EPK-style interviews with Close, Davis, the real-life
Cammermeyer, director Jeff Bleckner and executive producer Barbara
Streisand. Fifteen minutes of footage from the movie’s January 1995
Century City premiere ensues, with comments from some of the above
personalities, as well as co-executive producer Craig Zudan. Wrapping
up things is 16 minutes of footage from the 1996 GLAAD Media Awards,
which bestowed honors on the project. To purchase the movie via Amazon, click here. B- (Movie) B- (Disc)