Although more of a film that showcases Meryl Streep, “Silkwood” was the new beginning for Cher the actress. Meryl Streep, Kurt Russell and Cher give an awesome performance in this 1983 film and definitely a worth inclusion to the “Cher: The Film Collection” DVD Box set.
© 2010 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.
DVD TITLE: Silkwood (as part of the “Cher: The Film Collection)
YEAR OF FILM RELEASE: 1983
DURATION: 131 Minutes
DVD INFORMATION: Color, Widescreen (1:85:1), Audio: English Mono, Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
COMPANY: MGM/20th Century Fox
RATED: R
RELEASE DATE: November 2, 2010
Directed by Michael Nichols
Written by Nora Ephron, Alice Arlen
Producer: Michael Hausman, Mike Nichols
Executive Producer: Larry Cano, Buzz Hirsch
Associate Producer: Tom Stovall, Joel Tuber
Music by Georges Delerue
Cinematography by Miroslav Ondricek
Edited by Sam O’Steen
Casting by Mary Goldberg
Production Design by Patrizia von Brandenstein
Art Direction by Richard D. James
Set Decoration by Derek R. Hill, Dennis W. Peeples
Costume Design by Ann Roth
Starring:
Meryl Streep as Karen Silkwood
Kurt Russell as Drew Stephens
Cher as Dolly Pelliker
Craig T. Nelson as Winston
Fred Ward as Morgan
Diana Scarwid as Angela
Ron Silver as Paul Stone
Charles Hallahan as Earl Lapin
Josef Sommer as Max Richter
A free-spirited worker at nuclear power plant risks everything to expose the truth in this provocative drama that was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Actress (Meryl Streep) and Best Supporting Actress (Cher).
We have seen a good number of films in which employees or citizens have went up against major corporations and to change policies. From “The Insider” to “Erin Brokovich”, one such film that was based on a tragic story was the 1983 film “Silkwood” directed by Mike Nichols (“The Graduate”, “Charlie Wilson’s War”, “Closer”) and the first feature film screenplay by Nora Ephron (“When Harry Met Sally”, “Sleepless in Seattle”, “Julie & Julia”) and Alice Arlen (“Then She Found Me”, “The Weight of Water”).
The screenplay is based on the true story of chemical technician Karen Silkwood, who was an American labor union activist working at a plant that makes plutonium pellets for nuclear reactors. Because of the lack of safety concerns and the company not taking nuclear contamination seriously, Silkwood worries about her health and how its endangering her co-workers, so she tries to work with her union against her own company. But when she reportedly had major evidence that she was going to give to a New York Times journalist, tragedy took place on November 13, 1974. Was it an accident or was it murder?
“Silkwood” received positive reviews and eventually made over $35 million in the box office and would further establish the careers of Meryl Streep, Kurt Russell and Cher. And for Cher, it would be her first film in 14years and a film that would earn Meryl Streep a Best Actress Academy Award nomination and Cher a Best Supporting Actress nomination. And because of her performance, the film is a welcome addition to the “Cher: The Film Collection” DVD box set.
The screenplay based on Karen Gay Silkwood is based on Silkwood’s activism. Karen Silkwood (played by Meryl Streep, “Kramer vs. Kramer”, “Doubt, “Julie & Julia”, “Mamma Mia!”) is an employee of Kerr-McGee Cimarron Fuel Fabrication site. She works long hours making plutonium fuel rods for nuclear reactors and because of lax safe efforts (the bosses falsify reports and cut corners), the employees are in constant threat of exposure to radiation. Unfortunately, when one is exposed to radiation, the company passes it off as nothing extreme but like a sunburn.
Meanwhile, Karen’s personal life is difficult as she wants to establish a relationship with her children but her former common law husband won’t allow it and it doesn’t help that she has to work long overtime hours at the factory. Karen also shares a home with her boyfriend Drew Stephens (played by Kurt Russell, “Big Trouble in Little China”, “Tombstone”, “Backdraft) and her lesbian roommate Dolly Pelliker (played by Cher, “Moonstruck”, “Mermaids”, “The Witches of Eastwick”).
Karen starts to notice things happening at her work, from seeing a truck being worked on, to being blamed for a recent contamination and then seeing one of her co-workers being scrubbed after contamination and just seeing her skin all red. Karen gets a feeling that things are not right and sure enough after doing some cleaning at the plant, she gets contaminated and needs to be scrubbed and like others who have been contaminated, they tell her it’s no big deal.
Concerned by the practices at her job, she talks to her union representatives and because of that, she gets deeper involved as she tries to lobby for more safeguards in the workplace. But as she works hard in trying to work with the union and lobbying in Washington, D.C. the union seems to enjoy the press that they are getting from Karen Silkwood. But the fact is that if they are going to make anything happen, they need Karen to find documentation.
So, Karen Silkwood starts to do her own investigating to document the falsification of records. But while putting everything on the line, will her co-workers, her boyfriend and her roommate Dolly support her? Or will she lose everything in the process?
VIDEO & AUDIO:
“Silkwood” is presented in Widescreen (1:85:1) and in English mono. PQ was fine for a DVD release. The film does looks good on DVD but has that look of digital noise reduction implemented. But again, it’s fine for DVD.
Subtitles are in English, French and Spanish.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“Silkwood” comes with the following special feature:
- Theatrical Trailer – (2:17) The original theatrical trailer for “Silkwood”.
Back in the 1980’s, “Silkwood” was a film that heightened American fears towards those working or living near nuclear power plants or anything to do with plutonium and nuclear-related manufacturing.
Just a few years prior to the film’s theatrical debut in 1983, back in 1979, people had a taste of fear towards these plants with the disaster film “The China Syndrome” folllowed by the “Three Mile Island Accident” just two weeks after “The China Syndrome” which literally put America in quite a scare.
People had a distrust towards nuclear power plants and activists definitely had more firepower to show that these companies were probably not caring about the safety of the people who live within the vicinity let alone its employees. And one of the hero’s that people still look up to in standing up against these companies was Karen Silkwood.
So, back in 1983, the film “Silkwood” was good timing as all that we heard at that time on the news, television, movies was the nuclear arms race between America and Russia, what would happen if America was invaded or attacked by a nuclear bomb by Russia, what if there was a nuclear disaster like “The China Syndrome” (which took place three years later in Russia in Chernobyl)Â and as more and more people felt a more distrust towards anything nuclear, this film was a good reminder that people should be weary about these plants and most of all, that there should be testing done on these companies to ensure the safety of their employees and the people living in surrounding areas.
For the real Karen Silkwood, although at the time back in the ’70s when people rarely went against their companies and unions, or perhaps the union that she was involved in, was not as strong back then, in some ways, its a shame to watch how much she had to endure and to see so many people who worked at the factory, were lied to and probably had a good amount plutonium in them from inhalation. But while everyone in middle America were trying to make a living, she was not exactly in the best financial shape, but she was an activist who fought for betterment of her colleagues and for safer practices at her working environment.
Hailed as a hero now, back then, you can only wonder how problematic the factory, let alone the US government who depended on these nuclear facilities have felt about her. And I wouldn’t be surprised if many her friends and colleagues felt that she was getting herself in trouble. But she did perservere and although her story ended tragically, her activism and possibly thanks to this film definitely had precedence in her estate wining the lawsuit against the company she worked for.
As important as “Silkwood” was, watching the film now, it is definitely a product of the early 80’s. Where today’s films intend to make a statement and possibly engage in the polemics of past American controversies, “Silkwood” tries to find a fine balance of the fear of these big corporations but also trying to find a medium with Hollywood melodrama and showing Karen Silkwood as a woman who had her own personal challenges.
Meryl Streep was absolutely magnificent in the role but watching it today in 2010, we can only think how this film could have had much more impact possibly if it was made several years later, after more revelations were found through the autopsy of Silkwood, what we learned in the court hearings and what took place during the lawsuit between her estate and the corporation that she worked for.  I have no doubt that possibly the film would have been much more satisfying as we see how her work had inspired others. Not to say that I didn’t enjoy “Silkwood” because I did but the ending played things too safely for my tastes but once again, this film was a product of the early ’80s, so it literally was a film of its time.
With so much of my discussion on Karen Silkwood and the performance of Meryl Streep, because this a film that part of “Cher: The Film Collection””, many may wonder…what about Cher?
Now as for Cher’s involvement (as this film is part of the “Cher: The Film Collection” DVD Box Set), although Cher does play a minor role which netted her an Academy Award nomination for “Best Supporting Actress”, by no means is this her best film. If anything, this film is literally all Meryl Streep with the benefit of having both Kurt Russell and Cher in supporting roles. But the inclusion of this film in the DVD box set is important for the fact that Cher made her theatrical debut since her 1969 flop “Chastity” and no longer was this a woman having to sport the makeup and the look of the late ’60s, nor was she tied to Sonny Bono.
When you watch this film, this is not Cher the singer, this is the more mature, serious Cher. This is the beginning of Cher, the actress playing a character in middle America and part of that working class and by watching her, you easily forget “Sonny & Cher”, you forget the two kitschy films that she had made earlier and most of all, distancing from that stereotypical “groovy” role that she exhibited in film and television back then.  This was the beginning of many films that would showcase Cher the actress and what better company than to make your return to movies by working alongside Meryl Streep and Kurt Russell.
Overall, “Silkwood” is a good film for its time but not as deep as one would expect in today’s moviemaking. But still, a film featuring solid performance by Streep, Russell and Cher and a worthy inclusion for the “Cher: The Film Collection” DVD box set.
