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Feature |
Barbra as Executive
Producer |
Jan 2007 |
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(Jan 1,
2007) - Barbra's production company, Barwood produced a series
of important made-for-TV films. Barbra does not appear in any of these true stories, but
her message in each of them is poignant, and more significantly,
socially relevant. Here
are five of the more notable films from the Barwood catalogue. |
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"Serving In
Silence"
 The
most noteworthy of all the Barwood productions to date was the
1995 television drama, "Serving In Silence." The film tells the
real life story of Vietnam veteran and bronze star recipient
Margerethe Cammermeyer, a colonel in the US Army who was
discharged from service after revealing her sexual orientation.
The film featured Glenn Close and Judy Davis and was the most
talked about television event of the season. Barbra, Cis Corman
and Glenn Close made various appearances at Hollywood and New
York preview screenings to promote the bio-pic, and the show was
a ratings blockbuster for NBC. The show was nominated for six
Emmys, with awards going to both Close and Davis.
The government's
policy on gays in the military came under enormous fire and
scrutiny after the film aired and brought the issue of sexual
preference and military service to national consciousness. After
a court challenge of the military's policy regarding her
discharge, Cammermeyer was eventually reinstated to her Army
post and retired with full military privileges in 1997. Her
landmark case set the stage for a new, though modest measure of
diversity and tolerance within the military.
You can read all about Margerethe Cammermeyer's experiences at
her
website.
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"The Long
Island Incident"
 In
1998, a lone gunman went berserk on a New York City commuter
train, randomly killing six people and wounding numerous others
in a rampage that made headlines around the country.
The film tells the story of Carolyn McCarthy, the widow of one
of the murder victims and mother of a son who was wounded during
the same incident. As a result of her family's tragedy, McCarthy
takes up the cause of gun control and is persuaded to run for a
national congressional seat from her local district on Long
Island. The film stars Laurie Metcalf as Carolyn McCarthy.
Today,
Congresswoman McCarthy is in her 5th term as a representative of
the 4th congressional district in New York. Though many
initially criticized McCarthy as a one-issue candidate, her
subsequent accomplishments in the House of Representatives have
been as diverse at they have been exemplary. She is
currently a member of the House Education and Workforce
and Financial Services committees. Among her introduced
legislation was the authorization of the Secretary of Homeland
Security to address preparedness shortcomings at the municipal
and county levels. She has also sponsored legislation to provide
student loan forgiveness to survivors of the 911 attacks. In
2005, McCarthy introduced new legislation that would reauthorize
the ban on assault weapons.
Visit
Congresswoman McCarthy's website
for more information.
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"Rescuers -
Stories of Courage"
 In
1997, Barwood released the first in a trilogy of inspiring
Holocaust-era stories entitled "Stories of Courage" for Showtime
Original Pictures. Each film tells two true stories of non-Jews
who risked their lives to help protect and save victims from Nazi
persecution.
"Two Women"
The first film in the series,
1997's "Two Women," recounts two stories
of women performing life threatening but extraordinary services
during the war. The first story is about a Polish woman who
hides an orphaned Jewish child - in plain sight. The second
story concerns a French resistance fighter who acts as a
smuggler for the Allies. The all-star cast includes Elizabeth
Perkins, Sela Ward, Anne Jackson and Fritz Weaver in truly
inspiring stories of human compassion. Famed Streisand director
Peter Bogdanovich ("What's Up, Doc?") was behind the camera.
"Two
Couples"
The second
installment in the trilogy was the 1998 release of "Two
Couples." The film's first story recounts how a farmer and his
wife harbor escaped Jews in the Netherlands. The second story in
the film concerns a couple who heroically hide several Jewish
children at their Christian boarding school.
"Two
Families"
The third
installment was released in 1999. In "Two Families," a
gentile woman
becomes falls in love with a Jewish man, who is subsequently forced
by the Nazis to resettle, alone, in the Jewish ghetto. The
second story features Daryl Hannah and Tim Matheson as owners of
a traveling circus. They help Jews escape the Holocaust by
allowing them to travel as performers. |
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