Silkwood | | Cast : | Meryl Streep, Kurt Russell, Cher, Craig T. Nelson | | Director : | Mike Nichols | | Studio : | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen | | Released Date : | December 14, 1983 | | DVD Released Date : | October 07, 2003 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), French (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | August 04, 2005 | | Summary | AN AWESOME REAL STORY PORTRAYAL AND... | Content
 | ...all of the actors and actresses did a SUPER fine job!!!! This was the first movie I ever saw with Cher as an actress and I really was impressed with her acting, as I was with all the others. This is a movie that yes will bring tears BUT also makes you really think and hits the heart chords and nerves. What happened to those people in the real story is portrayed in this movie EXCELLENTLY! This is a MUST HAVE! |
| Rating | | | Date | June 20, 2005 | | Summary | Silkwood matters in our heart | Content
| How can anyone not like this early 80's gem with the star-struck Streep, a young hotshot Russell and the one & only unique Cher? ABC brought out the best acting of these original, talented actors who're not afraid to show their emotions in close-up and works especially under the lens of realist Mike Nichols.
It is also a noteworthy fact that the real life character of Karen Silkwood and her then boyfriend Drew Stephens (who served as a consultant during shooting of this film) have met up with Cher at backstage during one of her road shows in the 70's. The coincidence of Cher's later golden opportunity of receiving the part in this film from director Nichols is just so déjà vu in whole.
Despite the said event, do not miss SILKWOOD by any chance for its heartfelt story of one person's undying courage to demand justice and the special bond between friends and lovers that matter! |
| Rating | | | Date | June 13, 2005 | | Summary | Corporate Profits versus Worker Safety | Content
| +++++
(Note that this review is for the movie released by "Metro Goldwyn-Mayer" in Oct. 2003)
The theatrical trailer for this movie begins as follows:
"On Nov. 13, 1974, Karen Silkwood, an employee at an Oklahoma nuclear facility, was on her way to meet with a reporter from `The New York Times.' She never got there."
Thus, what this movie does is attempt to piece together the life of Karen Gay Silkwood (born: 1946) up to the time of the tragedy that took her life in Nov. 1974.
This movie is essentially the true story about Karen Silkwood's (Meryl Streep) struggle against a huge nuclear corporation.
In the movie, Silkwood lives a free-spirited life with two friends, Drew (Kurt Russell) and Dolly (Cher), who work with her at a nuclear facility that handles plutonium. It's only when she discovers that she's been exposed to nuclear radiation that she begins investigating for evidence of wrongdoing at her company. Her sudden zest for safer working conditions comes at a high price as she alienates not only her friends who want to keep their jobs at the facility (despite the risk to themselves) but the facility itself whose profits may be interrupted by her nosiness.
This movie does an excellent job of portraying Silkwood's life and the circumstances that led up to the 1974 tragedy. As well, artistically everything about the movie is well done garnering this movie five Academy Award nominations at the time. These were Best Actress (Streep), Best Supporting Actress (Cher), Best Director (Mike Nichols), Best Original Screenplay, and Best Editing. (I'm not sure why Kurt Russell was not nominated. He gives a standout performance.)
Streep's singing of "Amazing Grace" at the end of the movie as kind of a "song-over" (that's like a voice-over) is very effective and touched my emotions.
The only problem I had with this movie is that it assumed that viewers knew about things nuclear. For example, Silkwood discovers that an employee (played very effectively by Craig T. Nelson of "Coach" fame) is altering the X-ray photographs of fuel rods. What's a fuel rod? Why is it essential that they have no imperfections? Later we're told that these fuel rods will be used in "breeder reactors." What's a breeder reactor and why is it so special? (I know about things nuclear thus making the story very suspenseful and chilling to me but to expect all viewers to know about such things, I think, was unfair). Note that it's not essential to understand all things nuclear but knowing such stuff will enhance your enjoyment of the movie.
Finally, the DVD has only one real extra. This is the original theatrical trailer to this movie.
In conclusion, this is a fascinating movie that tells us the story of an unlikely heroine!!
(1983; 2 hr 10 min; widescreen; 24 scenes; closed-captioned)
+++++
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| Rating | | | Date | January 06, 2005 | | Summary | Scary....scarier because there are still no answers | Content
| 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 | | | Date | November 23, 2004 | | Summary | Silkwood | Content
| 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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