Silkwood poster & wallpaper

Meryl Streep, Kurt Russell, Cher

Based on the harrowing account of whistle blower Karen Silkwood, this 1983 film directed by Mike Nichols (The Graduate, Postcards from the Edge) is as much a character study of a woman g...( read more  read more... )alvanized by injustice as a story of the dangers of nuclear power and the extremes of corporate greed. When Karen discovers unsafe conditions and reckless protocol at the plant where she works, her actions in uncovering the dangers that lie at the plant not only cause a rift between her and her lover (Kurt Russell) and her best friend (Cher), but they threaten her very life. Streep gives yet another bravura performance as a wild child in Oklahoma forced to confront the harsh realities of her life, and the supporting cast, from Cher to Russell to Diana Scarwid is first rate. This true story of the woman who disappeared under mysterious circumstances while trying to find the truth is a well-told, challenging, and emotionally complex tale. --Robert Lane

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80% liked it

8,020 ratings

Critics

73% liked it

22 critics

R, 2 hrs. 1 min.

Directed by: Mike Nichols

Release Date: December 14, 1983

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DVD Release Date: March 13, 2001

Stats: 345 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (345)

  • clooneyfan
    April 14, 2007
    clooneyfan
    One of Cher's earlier movies where she proved she could act!
  • graveling861
    March 29, 2009
    graveling861
    I like all of the actors in this but certain parts were a bit overdone.
  • jimbotender
    September 16, 2008
    jimbotender
    Politically incorrect Nichols directs a very controversial story,Karen Silkwood's unabashed fight against the manipulative nuclear plant.Pretty engaging considering the irrational behavior of corporations at the period,leading to her imminent murder.There was a time when Nichols ...( read more)films didn't suffer much from a cliched script (Charlie Wilson's War) nor from a pseudo-intellectuality (Closer).Streep and Cher keep the rhythm and despite the flaws,it remains a truthful drama.
  • ileo
    December 20, 2007
    ileo
    Great!
  • SageSlowdive
    August 16, 2009
    SageSlowdive
    Steep makes this movie, and it's very good.
  • kimmiesports2001
    July 19, 2009
    kimmiesports2001
    This was Meryl's defining film for me. She was great in it.
  • friskyflugette
    July 6, 2009
    friskyflugette
    Once again, Meryl Streep shows the class actress that she is in this film. An interesting story which gets more harrowing as it goes on and more intriguing. Supporting cast are also good.
  • katied92751
    March 23, 2009
    katied92751
    Inspiring and yet sad story of one woman that fought for change and it cost her her life.
  • Phonex
    March 8, 2009
    Phonex
    Silkwood's death

    Later that evening, Silkwood's body was found in her car, which had run off the road and struck a culvert. The car contained no documents. She was pronounced dead at the scene from a "classic, one-car sleeping-driver accident". The trooper at the scene remembe...( read more)rs that he found one or two tablets of the sedative methaqualone (Quaalude) in the car, and he remembers finding marijuana. The police report indicated that she fell asleep at the wheel. The coroner found 0.35 milligrams of methaqualone per 100 milliliters of blood at the time of her death - an amount almost twice the recommended dosage for inducing drowsiness.[4]

    However, some have theorized that Silkwood's car was rammed from behind by another vehicle and with the intent to cause an accident that would result in her death. Skid marks from Silkwood's car were present on the road, which have prompted some to suggest that she was desperately trying to get back onto the road after being pushed from behind.[2]:99-101, 114-115

    Investigators also noted damage on the rear of Silkwood's vehicle that, according to Silkwood's friends and family, was not present prior the accident. The crash was entirely a front-end collision, so there would be no explanation for the damage to the rear of her vehicle. A microscopic examination of the rear of Silkwood's car showed paint chips that could only have come from a rear-impact from another vehicle. Silkwood's family claimed that Silkwood did not have any accidents or fender-benders with the car that they knew of, and that the 1974 Honda Civic she was driving was not a used car when it was purchased. Further, there had been no insurance claims filed on the vehicle.[2]:114-115

    The car did not contain any documents, which relatives swore she took with her and had placed on the seat besides her, leading some to allege that they were stolen from her car immediately after the crash in order to silence her allegations concerning her workplace. According to Silkwood's family, she had received several threatening phone calls very shortly before her death. Such speculation about foul play has never been substantiated.[2]

    Silkwood's organs were analyzed as part of the Los Alamos Tissue Analysis Program by request of the Atomic Energy Commission and the State Medical Examiner. Much of the radiation was in her lungs, which tends to suggest that the plutonium was inhaled. When her tissues were further examined, the second highest deposits were found in her gastrointestinal organs.

    Public suspicions led to a federal investigation into plant security and safety, and a National Public Radio report concerning 44 to 66 pounds of misplaced plutonium. Silkwood's story emphasized the hazards of nuclear energy and raised questions about corporate accountability and responsibility. Kerr-McGee closed its nuclear fuel plants in 1975. The grounds of the Cimarron plant were still being decontaminated 25 years later.[4]
  • jonrmcmahon
    February 11, 2009
    jonrmcmahon
    Nichols creates some raw tension and darkly atmospheric suspense (if you don't all ready know the story), but it's Streep's entirely believable lead performance that serves as a catalyst for the material as well as her co-stars, and ultimately makes the picture worth the attentio...( read more)n. The media stuff is a drag.

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Critic Reviews

October 23, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Silkwood is the story of an ordinary woman, hard-working and passionate, funny and screwed-up, who made those people mad simply because she told the truth as she saw it and did what she thought was ri... full review

View more Silkwood reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

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Silkwood Trivia

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