A worker at a plutonium processing plant is purposefully contaminated, psychologically tortured and possibly murdered to prevent her from exposing worker safety violations at the plant.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Awards:
- Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 14 nominations.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Meryl Streep | ... |
Karen Silkwood
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| Kurt Russell | ... |
Drew Stephens
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| Cher | ... |
Dolly Pelliker
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| Craig T. Nelson | ... |
Winston
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| Diana Scarwid | ... |
Angela
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| Fred Ward | ... |
Morgan
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| Ron Silver | ... |
Paul Stone
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| Charles Hallahan | ... |
Earl Lapin
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| Josef Sommer | ... |
Max Richter
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| Sudie Bond | ... |
Thelma Rice
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Henderson Forsythe | ... |
Quincy Bissell
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| E. Katherine Kerr | ... |
Gilda Schultz
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| Bruce McGill | ... |
Mace Hurley
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| David Strathairn | ... |
Wesley
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| J.C. Quinn | ... |
Curtis Schultz
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| Kent Broadhurst | ... |
Carl
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| Richard Hamilton | ... |
Georgie
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| Les Lannom | ... |
Jimmy
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| M. Emmet Walsh | ... |
Walt Yarborough
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| Graham Jarvis | ... |
Doctor at Union Meeting
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| James Rebhorn | ... |
Los Alamos Doctor
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| Ray Baker | ... |
Pete Dawson
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Michael Bond | ... |
2nd Los Alamos Doctor
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| Bill Cobbs | ... |
Man in Lunchroom
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Norman Colvin | ... |
Zachary
(as Norm Colvin)
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Haskell Craver | ... |
Ham
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Kathie Dean | ... |
Stewardess
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| Gary Grubbs | ... |
Randy Fox
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Susan McDaniel | ... |
Karen's Child
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Tana Hensley | ... |
Karen's Child
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Anthony Fernandez | ... |
Karen's Child
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Betty Harper | ... |
May Bissell
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| Tess Harper | ... |
Linda Dawson
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| Anthony Heald | ... |
2nd Doctor at Union Meeting
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Nancy Hopton | ... |
Nurse
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Betty King | ... |
Nurse
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Dan Lindsey | ... |
Man at Fence
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John Martin | ... |
Man with Flashlight
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| Will Patton | ... |
Joe
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Vern Porter | ... |
Bill Charlton
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Christopher Saylors | ... |
Buddy
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Don Slatton | ... |
Man in Moonsuit
(as Don Slaton)
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| Tom Stovall | ... |
3rd Los Alamos Doctor
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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John Addington | ... |
Airline passenger (uncredited)
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| Jim Beaver | ... |
Plant Manager (uncredited)
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| Pamela Clay | ... |
Woman in Bar (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Mike Nichols | ||
Written by
| Nora Ephron | ... | (written by) & |
| Alice Arlen | ... | (written by) |
Produced by
| Larry Cano | ... | executive producer |
| Michael Hausman | ... | producer |
| Buzz Hirsch | ... | executive producer |
| Mike Nichols | ... | producer |
| Tom Stovall | ... | associate producer |
| Joel Tuber | ... | associate producer |
Music by
| Georges Delerue | ||
Cinematography by
| Miroslav Ondrícek | ... | director of photography (as Miroslav Ondricek) |
Editing by
| Sam O'Steen | ||
Editorial Department
| Jeff Freeman | ... | assistant editor |
| Leslie Gaulin | ... | assistant editor |
| David McCann | ... | post-production supervisor |
| John Murray | ... | assistant editor |
| David Siegel | ... | assistant editor |
| Norman Buckley | ... | assistant editor (uncredited) |
Casting By
| Mary Goldberg | ||
Production Design by
| Patrizia von Brandenstein | ... | (as Patrizia Von Brandenstein) |
Art Direction by
| Richard D. James | ... | (as Richard James) |
Set Decoration by
| Derek R. Hill | ||
| Dennis W. Peeples | ||
Costume Design by
| Ann Roth | ||
Makeup Department
| Silvia Abascal | ... | hair stylist |
| J. Roy Helland | ... | makeup artist |
| Bob Mills | ... | makeup artist |
| Marina Pedraza | ... | hair stylist |
Production Management
| Richard Brick | ... | unit production manager |
| Herb Jellinek | ... | executive in charge of production |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Michael Hausman | ... | first assistant director |
| Joel Tuber | ... | second assistant director |
Art Department
| Joe Acord | ... | constructionn coordinator |
| Bradly E. Breitbarth | ... | assistant property master |
| John Dapper | ... | assistant art director |
| Mark Fabert | ... | gang boss |
| Russell Goble | ... | property master |
| Michael D. Murray | ... | set designer |
| Tom Bartholomew | ... | key set painter (uncredited) |
| Glenn Dunn | ... | propmaker (uncredited) |
| Floyd Gentry | ... | set painter/on-camera artist (uncredited) |
Sound Department
| Clint Althouse | ... | boom operator |
| Stan Bochner | ... | sound editor |
| Tom Fleischman | ... | re-recording mixer |
| Randal A. Goya | ... | foley mixer |
| Larry Jost | ... | production sound mixer |
| Stuart Lieberman | ... | assistant sound editor |
| Dan Lieberstein | ... | sound editor |
| Philip Rogers | ... | sound recordist |
| Fred Rosenberg | ... | assistant sound editor |
| Dick Vorisek | ... | re-recording mixer |
| Bob Olari | ... | sound recordist (uncredited) |
| Donald C. Rogers | ... | technical director of sound (uncredited) |
Stunts
| Randy Fife | ... | stunts |
| Gary Paul | ... | stunt coordinator |
| Dick Warlock | ... | stunt double: Kurt Russell (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Greg Coelho | ... | lighting technician |
| Robert Connors | ... | best boy |
| Tom Gilligan | ... | best boy grip |
| Bob Hall | ... | second assistant camera |
| Robert C. Horne | ... | first assistant camera (as Robert Horne) |
| Billy Kerwick | ... | key rigging grip |
| Mary Ellen Mark | ... | special photography |
| Tom Priestley Jr. | ... | camera operator |
| Richard Quinlan | ... | gaffer |
| Ed Quinn | ... | key grip |
| Don Reddy | ... | camera operator: second unit |
| Brian H. Reynolds | ... | grip |
| Kerry Rike | ... | grip |
| Zade Rosenthal | ... | still photographer |
| Bob Zelin | ... | video assist |
Casting Department
| Joan Sauers | ... | casting assistant |
Location Management
| Lee R. Mayes | ... | location manager |
Music Department
| Georges Delerue | ... | conductor |
| Jack Fitzstephens | ... | music editor |
| Howard Shore | ... | music coordinator |
Script and Continuity Department
| Marshall Schlom | ... | script supervisor |
Transportation Department
| James E. Foote | ... | transportation coordinator |
| Jack Mounger | ... | wardrobe driver |
| Andy Straub | ... | transportation captain |
Additional Crew
| John Anderson | ... | technical advisor |
| Lynn Covey | ... | production assistant |
| Stuart Fink | ... | publicist |
| Karen A. Hall | ... | production office coordinator |
| Cathy Hausman | ... | production assistant |
| Karen Koch | ... | production office coordinator |
| Susan MacNair | ... | assistant: Mr Nichols |
| John F. Massie | ... | production assistant |
| Mark Schotte | ... | production assistant |
| Tom Styron | ... | assistant: Mr Nichols |
| Mike Childress | ... | stage manager (uncredited) |
Production Companies
- ABC Motion Pictures (presents)
- ABC Motion Pictures (presents)
Distributors
- Twentieth Century Fox (1983) (United States) (theatrical)
- Rank Film Distributors (1984) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Roadshow Home Video (1983) (Australia) (video)
- Aries Cinematográfica Argentina (1984) (Argentina) (theatrical)
- Concorde Film (1984) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Europa Film (1984) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Fram Film (1984) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Roadshow Films (1984) (Australia) (theatrical)
- Scotia International Filmverleih (1984) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- Herald Ace (1985) (Japan) (theatrical)
- American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1987) (United States) (tv) (broadcast premiere)
- Pioneer (1995) (United Kingdom) (video) (laserdisc)
- Summa Video (United States) (video)
- Image Entertainment (1996) (United States) (video) (laserdisc)
- Anchor Bay Entertainment (1998) (United States) (VHS) (Widescreen) (clamshell)
- Anchor Bay Entertainment (1999) (United States) (DVD)
- EuroVideo (2002) (Germany) (DVD)
- Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
- MGM Home Entertainment (2003) (United States) (DVD)
- National Film Development Corporation (1985) (India) (theatrical)
- Algemene Vereniging Radio Omroep (AVRO) (1988) (Netherlands) (tv)
- JVC Entertainment (2002) (Japan) (DVD)
- Kadokawa Entertainment (2004) (Japan) (DVD)
- Kino Lorber (2017) (United States) (DVD)
- Kino Lorber (2017) (United States) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- NHK Sôgô (1994) (Japan) (tv) (dubbed version)
- Rai Movie (2016) (Italy) (tv)
- Transvídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
- Victor Entertainment (2001) (Japan) (DVD)
- Videomax (Mexico) (VHS)
- marketing-film (West Germany) (VHS)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) (acknowledgement)
- R/Greenberg Associates (opticals)
- The Optical House (titles)
- Varèse Sarabande (soundtrack published by)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Fairly accurate recounting of the story of Karen Silkwood, the Oklahoma nuclear-guy I'll plant worker who blew the whistle on dangerous practices at the Kerr-McGee plant and who died under circumstances which are still under debate. Karen Silkwood lives a free-spirited existence with two friends, Drew Stephens and Dolly Pelliker, who work with her at an Oklahoma nuclear facility. It's only when she discovers she has been exposed to radiation that Karen's conscience awakens, and soon she is digging for evidence of wrongdoing. But her sudden zeal for safer working conditions may come at a high price as she alienates friends...and possibly even puts her own life in peril. Written by MGM/UA Home Video |
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| Taglines | The controversial true story that inflamed a nation. See more » |
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| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Additional Details
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Box Office
| Budget | $10,000,000 (estimated) |
| Opening Weekend United States | $1,218,322, 18 Dec 1983 |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | The scene where Karen sets off the radiation alarms actually happened. Her level of contamination was forty times the safe limit. See more » |
| Goofs | After Karen's first contamination, she and Drew are at home, and Drew is laid out on the bed playing his banjo, and black (X) marks can be seen on the quilt. These are not actor position marks, but (repeating) parts of the quilt pattern. Drew's body lining up on the marks is just chance. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Edited into The Clock (2010). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Silkwood Main Titles See more » |
| Quotes |
Karen Silkwood:
You think I contaminated myself, you think I did that? Mace Hurley: I think you'd do just about anything to shut down this plant. See more » |