Silkwood (DVD, 2003)

Meryl Streep portrays Karen Silkwood, who died in a car accident en route to a meeting with reporters from the New York Times. Karen supposedly had documents that proved the plutonium plant she was working at was not following the guidelines to ensure a safe working place. Kurt Russell plays Karen's boyfriend and Cher is their room mate. I have known for years that Cher was an awesome entertainer, but here she shows she is an actress! My dad bought me the VHS years ago. When I saw this DVD on Ebay, I had to bid on it! The picture quality is very sharp and clear, the sound awesome. The three main actors make you feel as though you are right there with them. A compelling, heartfelt film. A must see!

Some say Katherine Hepburn was the greatest American actress...I think Meryl Streep will go down in Hollywood legend with this status. Fact based film, Streep portrays Karen Silkwood, an employee at a nuclear power plant that reveals the dangerous working conditions and procedures occuring there. Streep is so versatile. Totally believable as usual. Cher is terrific as is Kurt Russell. Sad film but well acted and eye opening. HIghly recommended.

In 1983, Meryl Streep was just getting started as the brilliant, most loved actress that we know in 2011. But she certainly showed her versatility in this portrayal of Karen Silkwood--so different from Karen Blixen in "Out of Africa" in 1985 and Sophie in 1982's "Sophie's Choice."

Karen Silkwood is a real-life unsophisticated Oklahoman nuclear power plant worker, who like Sally Field in "Norma Rae," steps up to fight corporate America when abuses are apparent in the workplace. In this movie Karen has two housemates--her boyfriend Drew (Kurt Russell) and her lesbian friend Dolly (Cher), who is in love with Karen too. We are immersed in Streep's rural, uneducated characterization of this character, who chain smokes, flashes the men with her breasts, and eventually is infected with plutonium when she becomes a union steward.

It is left to our imaginations whether Karen's death in a car accident was sabotaged by her employers, but her subversive activities in the plant were certainly not liked. This movie also shows how even employees take dangerous jobs and dislike people like Karen too when they are afraid of losing those jobs.

Cher shines in a totally opposite role of the person we perceive her to be. Dolly is mannish, wears t-shirts and wrinkled slacks, and allows herself to be made up by her girlfriend-beautician. Her portrayal here was so believable that she earned a Best Supporting Actress nomination. I am sure that this role opened the door to her Oscar winning role in "Moonstruck."

Kurt Russell is great as well as Drew, who is pretty much as we know him in other movies--an Elvis wannabe who plays the guitar and lives a Southern rebel experience--fixing cars and drinking beer. But he performs this role well in this movie, and we want him to make it with Karen Silkwood. He shows great sensitivity in his love for Karen--especially when he could be infected too with the nuclear fallout.

There were 5 Oscar nominations for this movie. It was the first of many for Streep as Best Actress, Cher as Best Supporting Actress, Best Director (Mike Nichols), Best Original Screenplay (Nora Ephron and Alice Arlen), and Best Film Editing. It won none.

This movie is well worth your time.

this is an excellent drama that is based on the true life store of a woman who develops cancer due to improper working conditions and corperate sabatoge while working with radiation at a plant. The performances in this movie will leave you wondering why the Oscar Fairies didn't hand statuets to the writters and cast like they were candy -- a must see, a must own --- Simply a must!!!!

This is a movie I saw years ago... I just loved it.. Meryle Streep, Cher & Kurt Russell play such convincing parts... It's a true story About Karen Silkwood working at the nuclear power plant... and what a strong woman she was standing up for whats right.... and how she died for her cause...
It's a touching story... Wonderful!!