Rating: 
Summary: As seen through the eyes of a nuclear chemist:
Review: I saw this movie while I was doing chemistry research with nuclear waste at one of several national laboratories here in the US. I cannot tell you which one it was- I *can* say that it wasn't LANL (Los Alamos National Laboratory), although the contamination there is appalling (look it up on the web!).It was absolutely haunting to watch "Silkwood" and then go to work the next morning. There is so much the government doesn't tell the general public about the disastrous conditions in the labs, where we worked, that literally date to the days of the Manhattan Project. If the press only knew just a *few* of these things, the shockwaves would shake the US. I saw plenty of "accidents" (more like disasters) involving spills of concentrated solutions of plutonium compounds ... and was contaminated, once, myself. The movie just gave me chills. No, in real life, they don't scrub you down with harsh brushes if you're contaminated (plutonium and other fission products are VERY dangerous if they enter through a break in the skin, into the bloodstream), but there was definitely enough in this film to give me chills at work. I'm still a chemist, but won't work with plutonium again. And, hopefully, this review will remain anonymous.... Through this review, and stories I've told my friends, I've done my share of "whistle-blowing", and it's not a safe thing to do. See this movie, and you'll think twice about how you feel about the "blue collar" workers involved in the mass production of nuclear warheads in the US.
Rating: 
Summary: Working Class Heroine
Review: Long before I ever saw this film, I used to scratch my head at what I thought was the strange casting. A film centered on a spunky blue collar heroine that winds up casting Cher in a secondary role and NOT as the title character!!! Where's the justice in that? If you look at pictures of the actual Karen Silkwood, she even looks like Cher. Or at least a heck of a lot more like Cher than Meryl Streep. Still, Meryl eventually won me over. Heck, she always does. I don't think I've ever seen any actress inhabit her roles more than she. She sinks her proverbial teeth into the role of a sassy but reluctant whistle blower and ultimately becomes so convincing that by the time her character actually breaks down and uses a multi-syllable phrase like "moral imperative," you have to marvel at how much her union work and whistle blowing activities have increased her vocabulary. She's that convincing: this is Karen talking, not Yale educated Meryl. I have a thing for socially conscious movies from the 70s and early 80s, especially ones with spunky but uneducated working class heroines, whose gradual awakening to the social injustices they previously preferred to ignore. Movies like this one NORMA RAE, as well THE CHINA SYNDROME were made in an emerging socially and politically aware climate, which is why the heroines of same must almost invariably undergo a political awakening (sometimes combined with a sexual one, although that's less the case here). The politics of SILKWOOD are garden variety liberal doctrines made pictorial. It's well worth seeing of course, for its brave subject matter and sterling performances. I would agree with those who maintain that Cher and Kurt Russell have rarely been better. And Streep is a marvel, although that can scarcely be news. If the film has any significant flaw, it's that it often has something of a sketchy quality--which is not all that uncommon with film bio's. Below you'll find that others have argued that very point. Can any two-hour film bio actually capture its subject's essence? SILKWOOD suggests that it is possible to provide glimpses of that essence. And that may be enough.
Rating:
Summary: Working Class Heroine
Review: Long before I ever saw this film, I used to scratch my head at what I thought was the strange casting. A film centered on a spunky blue collar heroine that winds up casting Cher in a secondary role and NOT as the title character!!! Where's the justice in that? If you look at pictures of the actual Karen Silkwood, she even looks like Cher. Or at least a heck of a lot more like Cher than Meryl Streep. Still, Meryl eventually won me over. Heck, she always does. I don't think I've ever seen any actress inhabit her roles more than she. She sinks her proverbial teeth into the role of a sassy but reluctant whistle blower and ultimately becomes so convincing that by the time her character actually breaks down and uses a multi-syllable phrase like "moral imperative," you have to marvel at how much her union work and whistle blowing activities have increased her vocabulary. She's that convincing: this is Karen talking, not Yale educated Meryl. I have a thing for socially conscious movies from the 70s and early 80s, especially ones with spunky but uneducated working class heroines, whose gradual awakening to the social injustices they previously preferred to ignore. Movies like this one NORMA RAE, as well THE CHINA SYNDROME were made in an emerging socially and politically aware climate, which is why the heroines of same must almost invariably undergo a political awakening (sometimes combined with a sexual one, although that's less the case here). The politics of SILKWOOD are garden variety liberal doctrines made pictorial. It's well worth seeing of course, for its brave subject matter and sterling performances. I would agree with those who maintain that Cher and Kurt Russell have rarely been better. And Streep is a marvel, although that can scarcely be news. If the film has any significant flaw, it's that it often has something of a sketchy quality--which is not all that uncommon with film bio's. Below you'll find that others have argued that very point. Can any two-hour film bio actually capture its subject's essence? SILKWOOD suggests that it is possible to provide glimpses of that essence. And that may be enough.
Rating:
Summary: Meryl Streep is Electrifying!
Review: Meryl Streep earned her third Best Actress Oscar nomination in a row with her powerful and sobering portrayal of the real-life Karen Silkwood. The filmmakers took liberties in retelling the story, but Streep, Kurt Russell and Cher are simply fantastic. If you love well made drama with real performances from stars as well as supporting characters this is a must see. And if you love Streep, there is no choice, you must own this! She'll blow you away!
Rating:
Summary: Scary....scarier because there are still no answers
Review: Meryl Streep shines as nuclear plant worker Karen Silkwood, who courageously exposed abuses in the industry after suffering exposure to plutonium herself. Her mysterious death - was it an accident, or murder? - remains unsolved today, but her legacy lives on. Activists today still give their names as "Karen Silkwood" when arrested. A moving bio of Silkwood herself and a chilling commentary on corporate greed. Highly recommend. The supporting performances by Russell and Cher are phenomenal.
Rating:
Summary: Radioactive Thriller!
Review: Meyrl Streep's performance as Karen Silkwood was excellent. She is just a worker at a neucular power plant who is exposed to plutonium and goes to the press to report unsafe working conditions. Cher and Kurt Russell play Silkwood's room-mate and boyfriend who also work at the plant and are exposed to the radiation and plutonium leak. They are told that they will develop cancer and other life-long heath problems. I couldn't imagine working in a neucular power plant. The extreme dangers on top of the risk of being contaminated would be too scary! Plus, if you were contaminated they sprayed you down with scalding hot water and vigerously scrubbed you until your skin was beet red! All against your own will! You were forced. Nope, I couldn't imagine it.
Rating:
Summary: You can't go wrong with Meryl Streep and Mike Nichols.
Review: Mike Nichols is one of the best directors in Hollywood history ("The Graduate", "Working Girl"), and Meryl Streep is the greatest there ever was and there ever will be ("Sophie's Choice", "One True Thing", "Kramer vs. Kramer".) I don't think anyone needs convincing to view this film. The film is based on a true story, and the subject matter it deals with is very important. Karen Silkwood's bravery and courage gives you hope, even though you know the film will end tragically(if you know who Karen Silkwood was). The film is horrifying to the viewer, if the viewer allows him/herself to relate to the situation and the characters. Cher is great as Silkwood's gay roomate. Streep can make you cry and make you laugh, but what a lot of people don't know is that she can also sing. She sings "Amazing Grace" so well. Mike Nichols has a way of engaging his viewers, that is so mysterious and great.
Rating:
Summary: You can't go wrong with Meryl Streep and Mike Nichols.
Review: Mike Nichols is one of the best directors in Hollywood history ("The Graduate", "Working Girl"), and Meryl Streep is the greatest there ever was and there ever will be ("Sophie's Choice", "One True Thing", "Kramer vs. Kramer".) I don't think anyone needs convincing to view this film. The film is based on a true story, and the subject matter it deals with is very important. Karen Silkwood's bravery and courage gives you hope, even though you know the film will end tragically(if you know who Karen Silkwood was). The film is horrifying to the viewer, if the viewer allows him/herself to relate to the situation and the characters. Cher is great as Silkwood's gay roomate. Streep can make you cry and make you laugh, but what a lot of people don't know is that she can also sing. She sings "Amazing Grace" so well. Mike Nichols has a way of engaging his viewers, that is so mysterious and great.
Rating:
Summary: One woman's life turns to nuclear war with her factory.
Review: My aunt recommended this Oscar-nominee (five nominations-Best Director, Best Actress (Streep), Best Supporting Actress (Cher) and Best Screenplay included) to me after seeing my interest in the nuclear scene after watching "The Day After." Streep rocks as Karen Silkwood, the woman who fought to make manifest to the world the bizarre and deadly goings-on at the nuclear plutonium plant where she worked after seeing that co-workers tampered with evidence that can kill innocent people. We get a graphic, first-hand account of what happens when exposed to nuclear elements, the vicious scrubbing in the showers, and the touchy attitudes of those who work in such places. This film scared my aunt to death, who since then tends to shy away from any movie dealing with nuclear stuff. This film also shows that one can be a martyr for what's right in the world from any standpoint, and Karen Silkwood was a martyr for what she believed was right in trying to spare the lives of others.
Rating:
Summary: Silkwood
Review: Silkwood is a gem from 1982 starring a fresh Meryl Streep and Cher. Kurt Russell also puts in a brilliant performance.
Silkwood is about Karen Silkwood who decides to publicise the danger that co-workers are exposed to at a plant she works. This is brought on by contamination she has suffered while working there. Overall, a very sad film.
The only annoyance is Streep's constant (repeat, constant) smoking during the film. That may have been Karen Silkwood's nature, but it seems pointless to the film.
The DVD is very much worth owning. Worth owning for a snapshot of how good films were in the early 80's.
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