Tulsa ap after more than two decades of public silence about their famous mother, karen silkwood s children decided to discuss her life and mysterious death in a car accident 24 years ago. In the film, the power plants agents come up behind hectors vehicle and ram him, repeatedly, from behind until a device on their front bumper engages his rear bumper and lets them lift the rear end of his vehicle off the road, thereby pushing his car over a cliff. The company would close five years later and an awardwinning movie about karen silkwoods battle with kerrmcgee and subsequent murder would be made in 1983 starring meryl streep and cher. According to the book who killed karen silkwood, the assassination scene in the movie the china syndrome, in which the character hectors car is run off the road, is based on a theorized version of silkwoods death. In return, she was pressured daily, intentionally poisoned with radiation and eventually killed. The death of karen silkwood, cornelsen verlag, 2001. She met her death while gathering evidence against the chemical companies. But the circumstances surrounding her death have kept people. Was karen silkwoods death really an accident, or was she. An oklahoma woman, considered one of the original corporate whistleblowers, died under mysterious circumstances.
The precise circumstances of karen s death are unknown. Karen silkwood whistleblower who exposed unsafe practices at the nuclear plant where she worked, there is speculation that the car crash that killed her was caused by someone forcing her off the road, subject of the movie silkwood. The screenplay by nora ephron and alice arlen was inspired by the life of. Karen silkwood streep lives a freespirited existence with two friends, drew stephens kurt russell, death proof and dolly pelliker cher, moonstruck, who work with her at an oklahoma nuclear facility. Karen silkwood was either a martyr among whistleblowers and nuclear safety activists, or, if you believe her employers account, a lunatic who smeared plutonium on the bologna in her fridge.
Forty years later, her family searches for answers after her mysterious death in 1974. Based on a true story, silkwood begins and ends with karen silkwood meryl streep driving along a lonely road in 1974, heading to a meeting with a new york times. Karen works at a fuel manufacturing plant which makes nuclear rods for use in reactors. She found a job at the nuclear factory, the pay was much better than a secretarys pay and it seemed an interesting job. Later, karen s car is found crashed by the side of the road. The nuclearsafety activist whose mysterious death inspired a movie. It is also not known whether she had any documents with her. Karen silkwood s death, in november 1974, received a lot of attention from the american public. The lonely stretch of highway 74 outside of crescent, oklahoma isnt anything remarkable. Silkwood r 2h 11min biography, drama, history 27 january 1984 usa 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.
The title character of karen silkwood is played by meryl streep. Karen silkwood american laboratory technician and activist. Forty years later, karen silkwood s death remains a mystery. Silkwood is a 1983 american biographical drama film directed by mike nichols starring meryl streep, cher and kurt russell. The screenplay by nora ephron and alice arlen was inspired by the life of karen silkwood. Thered be the noble, young nuclear worker, the evil conglomerate, and, looming above, the deathshead of a mushroom cloud. There she was to deliver a manila folder full of alleged health and safety violations at the plant to a friend, drew stephens, a new york times reporter and national union representative. On november, 1974, karen silkwood, an employee of a nuclear facility, left to meet. The circumstances of her death brought attention to bear on. Karen silkwood, american laboratory technician and activist who attempted to expose the safety violations and negligence at kerrmcgees cimarron river nuclear facility and died in a car crash before she was able to present her evidence. Karen silkwood whistleblower who exposed unsafe practices at the nuclear plant where she worked, there is speculation that the car crash that killed her was caused by someone forcing her off the road, subject of the movie silkwood karen gay silkwood american chemical technician and labor union activist known. The death of karen silkwood is a book about a woman who was looking for a job.
The story of karen silkwood, a metallurgy worker at a plutonium processing plant who was purposefully contaminated, psychologically tortured and possibly murdered to prevent her from exposing. Based on a true story, silkwood begins and ends with karen silkwood meryl streep driving along a lonely road in 1974, heading to a meeting with a new york times reporter to deliver evidence of. On a warm and gentle day in texas, the first anniversary of the car. It really spun my head, ellis told people when asked about the film. Silkwood didnt find hope, but she did get scared, and angry, and put her job and those of her colleagues at stake to uncover dangerous practices before dying a mysterious death. Michael meadows, 29, of tulsa said he and his sisters dawn lipsey, 28, of tulsa and kristi meadows, 32, of cleburne, texas made a pact years ago not to discuss their mother in the media unless all agreed. That could have been a good movie, but predictable. A mother whose child was killed in a dingo attack in the australian outback fights to prove. Kurt russell in silkwood 1983 cher and meryl streep in silkwood 1983. In the film, the power plants agents come up behind hectors vehicle and ram him, repeatedly, from behind until a device on their.
It is a well written film, and masterfully acted by streep and her castmates. While there she had witnessed employee safety concerns as well as some alleged fraud. She was born in texas and grew up to be strong willed and intelligent. Taking many of the facts of the life of karen silkwood, the young laboratory worker and union activist who, in 1974, died in an automobile crash that some believe to. Karen silkwood was a chemical technician at the kerrmcgee nuclear power plant outside crescent, ok, from 1973 to her death in november 1974. The courtroom reaction the oklahoma city trial was the epicenter of the nationwide battle between no nukes and pronukes. Silkwood was a nuclear whistleblower and a labor union activist who died in a car collision while investigating alleged wrongdoing at the kerrmcgee plutonium plant where she worked. It was the fortieth anniversary of her death, and michael was close to tears as he confessed that he was afraid of dying without ever knowing who killed his mother and why. Karen was a lab technician and union activist at the kerrmcgee cimarron facility in oklahoma. Was she a silenced whistle blower or a car accident victim. This drama is based on the true story of karen silkwood meryl streep, who works at a nuclear facility, along with her boyfriend, drew stephens kurt russell, and their roommate, dolly pelliker cher. Her family filed a civil suit against kerrmcgee following karens death for inadequate health and safety at the plant which led to her plutonium exposure.
Nine years after his girlfriends death, stephens still believes the car wreck that killed karen silkwood may have been caused. On november, 2014, a reporter at kwtvnews 9 in oklahoma city interviewed karen silkwoods son michael. Karen silkwoods death, in november 1974, received a lot of attention from the american public. He recalls that silkwoods allegations of safety violations and her union spying didnt make her the most popular employee at kerrmcgees cimarron plutonium plant back in 1974. The precise circumstances of karens death are unknown.
On november, 1974, karen silkwood, an employee of a nuclear facility, left. Dec 14, 1983 taking many of the facts of the life of karen silkwood, the young laboratory worker and union activist who, in 1974, died in an automobile crash that some believe to have been murder, mike nichols. Her father believed that karen was a whole lot smarter than they showed in the movie, while ellis objected to chers depiction of dolly, even though it wasnt based expressly on her. The mystery surrounding karen silkwoods death still haunts oklahoma to this day. Karen silkwood, an employee of the kerrmcgee plutonium processing plant, was. The lawyer and activist kitty tucker discussed the carcrash death of the nuclear power whistleblower karen silkwood at a news conference in 1984, after the. In 1974, karen silkwood meryl streep and coworkers drew stephens kurt russell and dolly pelliker cher arrive for work at the kerr mcgee cimarron nuclear facility near cimarron city, oklahoma. Kurt russell in silkwood 1983 cher and meryl streep in silkwood 1983 meryl streep. Thered be the noble, young nuclear worker, the evil conglomerate, and, looming above, the death shead of a mushroom cloud. Silkwood 1983 mike nichols synopsis, characteristics. Born february 19, 1946, in longview, texas, karen silkwood was employed by a nuclear facility in crescent, oklahoma. Her story sparked a hollywood movie back in the 1980s, but to this day, her children still wait for answers about what truly happened to their mother, karen silkwood. Find out where silkwood is streaming, if silkwood is on netflix, and get news and updates, on decider.
Even though you already now how the movie ends just by reading the taglines, there is still a strong element of suspense in this film, about karen silkwood who suspects that the lives of hereself and her coworkers are in danger. Silkwood is a 1983 american biographical drama film directed by mike nichols and starring meryl streep, cher and kurt russell. Karen works in dry processing, which involves processing plutonium and uranium oxide into nuclear fuel pellets. But 44 years ago, what happened here would ignite a national debate, inspire an oscar nominated movie. Karen silkwood, an employee of the kerrmcgee plutonium processing plant, was killed in a car crash on her way to deliver important documents to a newspaper reporter in 1974. Meryl streeps character, karen silkwood, is an employee at fuel site that manufactures plutonium rods for nuclear power plants. The death of karen silkwood stage 2 oxford bookworms library stage 2 19 the death of karen silkwood activities a nswers before reading before reading activities page 44 activity 1 before reading 1 yes 2 yes 3 yes 4 no 5 yes 6 perhaps 7 no activity 2 before reading encourage students to speculate and to make. Kitty tucker, 75, who raised awareness of the silkwood. On november, 1974, 28yearold karen silkwood is killed in a car accident near crescent, oklahoma, north of oklahoma city.
On november, 1974, 28yearold karen silkwood is killed in a car. Silkwood based on the real life story of karen silkwood great cast with meryl streep, kurt russell and cher. Since then, her story has achieved worldwide fame as the subject of many books. The fall of 1975 came and went on the bleak oklahoma prairie. Nov 05, 2018 author of the killing of karen silkwood. When the karen silkwood story was first being talked about as a movie project, i pictured it as an angry political expose, maybe the china syndrome, part 2. Feb 05, 2017 ive had that same driving scene as karen silkwood. Karen silkwood died on november, 1974 in a fatal onecar crash. Feb 15, 2020 karen silkwood, american laboratory technician and activist who attempted to expose the safety violations and negligence at kerrmcgees cimarron river nuclear facility and died in a car crash before she was able to present her evidence. On the night of november, 1974, karen silkwood, a technician at the kerrmcgee cimarron river nuclear facility in crescent, oklahoma, was driving her white honda to oklahoma city. When karen becomes concerned about safety practices at the plant, she begins raising awareness of violations that could put workers at risk. Based on the true story of karen silkwood, who died in an auto accident in 1974 just as she was beginning to bring national attention to the kerrmcgee plant, this abc motion pictures presentation. Several books were written about her case, songs were dedicated to. Nov, 2014 the nuclearsafety activist whose mysterious death inspired a movie.
The famous silkwood case centered on karen silkwood, an employee of the kerrmcgee nuclear corporation who died in 1975. A mother whose child was killed in a dingo attack in the australian outback. Since then, her story has achieved worldwide fame as the subject of many books, magazine and newspaper articles, and even a major. Karen silkwood was a nuclear power plant technician and union activist who exposed violations by her employers. Hirsch started working on the picture when they were graduate film students at ucla. Following her death, an autopsy revealed that karen silkwood had plutonium contamination in several organs. Questions still remain in suspicious death of karen silkwood. A chemical technician and union activist, silkwood died when her car was run off the road while on her way to meet with a new york times reporter. K aren silkwood, 28 years old, a laboratory analyst at one of ten plutonium plants in the country, died on a lonely stretch of highway 74 in the earlyevening darkness on november th, 1974, when.
According to the book who killed karen silkwood, the assassination scene in the movie the china syndrome, in which the character. In real life, her death gave rise to a 1979 lawsuit, silkwood v. According to the book who killed karen silkwood, the assassination scene in the movie the china syndrome, in which the character hectors car is run off the road, is based on a theorized version of silkwood s death. Karen silkwood came to the limelight after a car accident that many believe might have been murder. The death of karen silkwood stage 2 english center. Several books were written about her case, songs were dedicated to her and the movie silkwood was made. Silkwood is a movie based on the real life events which occurred in a town in oklahoma. Feb 11, 2019 karen was a lab technician and union activist at the kerrmcgee cimarron facility in oklahoma. Karen silkwoods parents and former roommate sherri ellis were unhappy with the film. Later, karens car is found crashed by the side of the road. Her family filed a civil suit against kerrmcgee following karen s death for inadequate health and safety at the plant which led to her plutonium exposure. Was karen silkwood s death really an accident, or was she killed for the incriminating information she was about to reveal. Silkwood was a union activist concerned about health and safety issues at the plant, and her death at age twentyeight was considered by many to be highly suspicious.
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