it just come off a oscar bait and particularly for star meryl streep . she play a worker at a facility that make plutonium rod for nuclear plant . she be unhappy with the way she be treat there and and be concern for her own safety and that of her co worker . she become deeply involve in the union and which irk her superior . the film have a fantastic cast and include kurt russell and fred ward and craig t. nelson and cher . along with the obligatory streep nomination ( she lose to shirley maclaine in term of endearment ) and cher also receive her first nomination . i would chock that up more to a classic case of dress down and and one knock out scene where she admit her true feeling for karen silkwood . i hate to say this about the man who give u who afraid of virginia woolf . and but mike nichols tend to be one of the dull director in hollywood . woolf be pretty much the only film of his that hold up today and and he make a ton of stinker in his career ( first and foremost be what planet be you from . blech . ) . while it not great either and i would much rather watch norma rae again than this .