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Silkwood (1983) is Meryl Streep's greatest film and performance

I completely believed her as Karen Silkwood. I never thought I was watching Meryl Streep.

Silkwood features her most natural performance. She captures the different layers of Karen. Her chemistry with Kurt Russell and Cher (both excellent) is amazing.

I think because it came out a year after Sophie's Choice it sometimes gets overlooked. And it's not a showy performance like many of Streep's other performances.

I rank this higher than her performance in Sophie's Choice.

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by Anonymousreply 36August 24, 2019 10:47 PM

I'd take away her Oscar for Iron Lady and give it to her for Silkwood.

by Anonymousreply 1June 19, 2019 6:25 AM

I thought it was incredible when I saw it in the theater and felt she should have won back to back Oscars for it and Sophie.

by Anonymousreply 2June 19, 2019 6:45 AM

Somebody oughta run HER car off a road.

by Anonymousreply 3June 19, 2019 6:54 AM

Agree op. Also, a lament for films about labor unions and the importance of them to the working class.

by Anonymousreply 4June 19, 2019 6:59 AM

Interesting that many of Streep's films are average to good but not many great ones - Deer Hunter, Kramer vs. Kramer, Sophie's Choice, Silkwood, Out of Africa, Death Becomes Her.

by Anonymousreply 5June 22, 2019 6:25 AM

R1 Over my dead body.

by Anonymousreply 6June 22, 2019 6:35 AM

Yes, I was great in it, wasn’t l? If you think my performance in that movie was great, wait until you see me in the upcoming Little Women.....I’ve already started drafting my Oscar speech.

by Anonymousreply 7June 22, 2019 6:39 AM

Agreed, love this movie.

by Anonymousreply 8June 22, 2019 9:42 AM

For some reason I always remembered that as somebody drove away and out of her life (her kids?), she left her hand on the car as long as she could as it pulled away. It could have seemed contrived but it didn't, it felt genuine and you knew what Karen was feeling just then.

by Anonymousreply 9June 22, 2019 10:50 AM

Meryl is a great actress.

by Anonymousreply 10June 22, 2019 10:55 AM

M playing white trash isn’t really acting.

by Anonymousreply 11June 22, 2019 11:45 AM

Amen, OP. I think it's up there with Bridges of Madison County as one where she can't be cerebral. It's raw. The way she carries her body and embodies this character is one of her best. Her scenes with Cher and Kurt Russell hit notes she has rarely hit in anything else.

And I think the movie as a whole is extremely underrated. I liked the Big Chill and the Dresser, but I would've used those two slots for the Oscars that year for Silkwood and Fanny and Alexander.

by Anonymousreply 12June 22, 2019 1:15 PM

I'm a Meryl hater and even I think this is just a phenomenal performance. It's true that you actually see the character for once, and not her 'acting'. The story itself is very easy to win you over though (as are similar films like Norma Rae and Erin Brockovich), and especially the mysterious ending. I watch it whenever it's on TV. I appreciate that Karen isn't likeable OR unlikeable. Just a woman struggling to make ends meet, who is hunting for the truth. Even the scenes at home with Kurt and Cher feel very natural.

As for greatest film, I still think Julia, Death Becomes Her, The Deer Hunter, Manhattan, and Adaptation are up there but this one is amongst the group.

by Anonymousreply 13June 22, 2019 1:38 PM

For-mal-dee-hyde.

by Anonymousreply 14June 22, 2019 2:25 PM

Oh, fine. For this one performance, I'll simply say "click, click."

by Anonymousreply 15June 22, 2019 7:22 PM

If not Silkwood it would have to be Adaptation for me. She was played pathetic just perfectly.

by Anonymousreply 16June 22, 2019 9:57 PM

Happy 70th Birthday 🎂, M!

by Anonymousreply 17June 22, 2019 10:01 PM

Haven't seen that shit. Thank god. That ham. Enough. So she was genuine in something, like, 40 years ago. Good for her. Enabler. Fake. Cunt. Dafug.

by Anonymousreply 18June 22, 2019 10:02 PM

^^ Go away, Rose McGowan.

by Anonymousreply 19June 22, 2019 10:03 PM

I think she is amazing and she is killing it in Big Little Lies. She was quite beautiful in her youth too in a different way

by Anonymousreply 20June 22, 2019 10:09 PM

R20 you are not allowed. Even on DL. That is indecent. She was a major fuggo. Perhaps the ugliest leading Lady ever. Puh-lease. Frau, pull yourself together !

by Anonymousreply 21June 22, 2019 10:12 PM

Credit to Mike Nichols, too. A great director.

by Anonymousreply 22June 23, 2019 2:31 AM

That's me, Dolly Trashbags.

Ho!

by Anonymousreply 23August 21, 2019 1:40 AM

Click, click, click

by Anonymousreply 24August 21, 2019 1:50 AM

Great movie but the ending was terrible.

by Anonymousreply 25August 21, 2019 1:58 AM

Hush a bye, don't you cry. Go to sleepy little Baby.

When you wake, you will have.

All the Pretty LIttle Horses.

by Anonymousreply 26August 21, 2019 2:03 AM

[quote]Agreed, love this movie.

Is it really a movie anyone "loves"?

I saw it when it came out - hope I never see it again, however excellent I thought it was at the time.

& I Ioved Cher as the dykey friend.

by Anonymousreply 27August 21, 2019 2:03 AM

Didn’t she show her titties in this?

by Anonymousreply 28August 21, 2019 2:05 AM

[quote]Didn’t she show her titties in this?

I SO don't remember.

by Anonymousreply 29August 21, 2019 2:07 AM

It feels like a 70s film, and I mean that as a compliment.

by Anonymousreply 30August 21, 2019 2:11 AM

She flashed one titty but Sudie Bond gave her all for art's sake

by Anonymousreply 31August 21, 2019 2:13 AM

It's no Norma Rae.

by Anonymousreply 32August 21, 2019 2:13 AM

It was set in 1974.

by Anonymousreply 33August 21, 2019 2:14 AM

Dolly and Drew are now all gone as well.

by Anonymousreply 34August 24, 2019 1:51 AM

Goodbye Dolly

by Anonymousreply 35August 24, 2019 6:18 AM

The diner scene was shot in Texas City, Texas and I was there! They also shot the beach scene in Terms of Endearment in Texas City that same year.

We were the NEW HOLLYWOOD for a very brief period of time in 1983 .

by Anonymousreply 36August 24, 2019 10:47 PM
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