The success of Silkwood can hardly come as a surprise considering the talent behind the 1983 film. After all, you have Mike Nichols directing, Nora Ephron writing, and Meryl Streep starring. It certainly wasnt going to fail. Silkwood is inspired by the experiences of Karen Silkwood, a former activist and nuclear power whistleblower who died under mysterious circumstances while investigating unsafe working conditions at the plutonium power plant at which she was employed. We know how Hollywood loves based on a true story dramas, especially ones where someone dies tragically and Meryl Streep plays a key role. Silkwood was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Mike Nichols third nomination for Best Director. It also represented a bit of a departure for Nichols, who until this point had mostly done work adapted from the stage, and had no experience with anything quite as serious and politically explosive.