release at the height of america nuclear disaster paranoia and silkwood be one of those blue collar one against the many film that revolve around simple folk fight corporate power and abuse a best they know how . meryl streep play karen silkwood and who unlikely and reluctantly become a spokeswoman against lax safety restriction in place at the nuclear plant at which her and just about everybody else in her tiny town work . since it base on a true story and the movie end the way silkwood life end and and it ain not upbeat . but i find the whole movie to be morbidly fascinating and especially the detail about how the plant treat those they suspect of radioactive contamination . meryl streep and cher and who play silkwood best friend and be phenomenal and and even kurt russell flex his act chop admirably . mike nichols might not seem like the obvious choice to direct a gritty and ugly movie like this and but he able to make it feel authentic . a disturbing but reward experience . grade represent a .