Silkwood

Development of a film adaptation of Karen Silkwood's life spanned approximately nine years before the film began production.[4] Executive producers Buzz Hirsch and Larry Cano, while both graduate students at the University of California, Los Angeles, became fascinated by Silkwood's story and sought to bring it to the screen.[5] Within a year of graduating, Hirsch and Cano began developing the project.[6] Warner Bros. initially expressed interest in producing the film with Jane Fonda portraying Silkwood, but the project dissipated after the Silkwood estate filed a lawsuit against Kerr-McGee, Silkwood's former employer.[4] Kerr-McGee subsequently subpoenaed Hirsch to appear at a deposition in Oklahoma City, requesting that he produce all of the audition tapes, script notes, and other research materials for the studio's planned film adaptation.[4] Federal Judge Luther Eubanks ruled in Kerr-McGee's favor, requiring that Hirsch disclose all research materials acquired for the film.[4]

In June 1977, a 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, Colorado, agreed to hear Hirsch's appeal of Eubanks' ruling, with the Writers Guild of America West voting to lend legal assistance to Hirsch in the process, declaring they would file an amicus curiae, "arguing that Hirsch has a First Amendment right to shield his film materials from subpoena."[4] In September that year, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed Eubanks' ruling, ordering additional proceedings in Oklahoma City.[4]

In the fall of 1980, ABC Motion Pictures began revamping Hirsch's original project with Nora Ephron and Alice Arlen writing the screenplay.[4] Producer Frank Yablans, though not credited on the film, was involved in the project's development and was approached by director Mike Nichols, who was hired to direct.[4]

Meryl Streep was cast as Karen Silkwood in October 1981.[4] Nichols cast Cher in the role of Silkwood's lesbian roommate, Dolly Pelliker, after seeing her in the Broadway production of Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean,[7] feeling she possessed the necessary "vitality, humor and surprising depth."[8]

The film was shot on location in Albuquerque and Los Alamos in New Mexico, and Dallas, Howe, Texas City, and Tom Bean in Texas from September 7 to November 26, 1982.[4] Arthur Hirsch and Larry Cano were the producers of the film and received Executive Producer credits. They began working on the movie while graduate film students at UCLA. Their involvement in the making of Silkwood set a precedent in the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the protection under the First Amendment of confidential sources for film-makers, as is done for journalists.

Silkwood grossed $1,218,322 during its opening weekend, ranking #12 at the box office.[2] The film opened widely on January 27, 1984, during which, in its seventh week of release, it had expanded to 816 screens and reached #1.[2] It eventually earned a total of $35,615,609 in the U.S. and Canada.[2]

Silkwood received largely favorable reviews from critics.[10] Vincent Canby of The New York Times called the film "a precisely visualized, highly emotional melodrama that's going to raise a lot of hackles" and "a very moving work." He added, "There are, however, problems, not unlike those faced by Costa-Gavras in his State of Siege and Missing, and they are major. Mr. Nichols and his writers ... have attempted to impose a shape on a real-life story that, even as they present it, has no easily verifiable shape. We are drawn into the story of Karen Silkwood by the absolute accuracy and unexpected sweetness of its Middle American details and then, near the end, abandoned by a film whose images say one thing and whose final credit card another. The muddle of fact, fiction and speculation almost, though not quite, denies the artistry of all that's gone before." He concluded, "I realize that films shouldn't be judged in bits and pieces, but it's difficult not to see Silkwood in that way. For most of its running time it is so convincing—and so sure of itself—that it seems a particular waste when it goes dangerously wrong. It's like watching a skydiver execute all sorts of graceful, breath-taking turns, as he appears to ignore gravity and fly on his own, only to have him smash to earth when the chute doesn't open."[11]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times rated the film four stars and commented, "It's a little amazing that established movie stars like Streep, Russell and Cher could disappear so completely into the everyday lives of these characters."[12]

David Sterritt of The Christian Science Monitor called the film "a fine example of Hollywood's love-hate attitude toward timely and controversial subject matter." He continued, "The movie sides with Silkwood as a character, playing up her spunk and courage while casting wry, sidelong glances at her failings. When it comes to the issues connected with her, though, the filmmakers slip and slide around, providing an escape hatch ... for every position and opinion they offer. This makes the movie less polemical than it might have been, and a lot more wishy-washy ... This is too bad, because on other levels Silkwood is a strong and imaginative film. Meryl Streep gives the year's most astounding performance by an actress, adding vigor and complexity to almost every scene with her endlessly inventive portrayal of the eccentric heroine. The supporting players skillfully follow her lead."[13]

Critic Peter Travers gave the film an unfavorable review, deeming Streep as miscast and the film overall as "preachy," concluding: "The notion that Eastern Establishment types like Nichols-Ephron-Streep can tell us what it's like to be a worker in Oklahoma is nothing if not patronizing."[14] Angela Bonavoglia of Cinéaste similarly noted that the film features some "painfully patronizing moments", but conceded that it no less "manages an effective portrayal of working class life, especially its monotony and vulnerability."[15]

The film holds a 76% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 37 reviews, with an average rating of 7.70/10. The consensus reads: "Silkwood seethes with real-life rage -- but backs it up with compelling characters and trenchant observations."[10] It also holds a score of 64 out of 100 on Metacritic.[16]

Anchor Bay Entertainment released the film on VHS and a region 1 DVD in 1998 and 1999, respectively.[23] The Anchor Bay DVD contained a dual-sided disc featuring both anamorphic widescreen and fullscreen formats.[24] A second region 1 DVD was released by MGM Home Entertainment on October 7, 2003.[25]

The film was broadcast in high definition (1080i) on Sky+ HD.[26] Silkwood was released on DVD and Blu-ray from Kino Lorber on July 25, 2017,[27] under license from Walt Disney Studios, who acquired the ABC Film Studios catalogue in 1995.[28] The sales for the Kino Lorber Blu-ray totaled $121,094.[29] As of 2020, the film is unavailable for streaming or digital rental.[28]