He also appeared in the movie "Silkwood" (1983). He appeared in many movies, such as "Silkwood" and "Chances Are". Spence gained attention for the Karen Silkwood case. Mazzocchi was a friend and confidante of Karen Silkwood. Silkwood starring Meryl Streep as Karen Silkwood. Her family sued Kerr-McGee for the plutonium contamination of Silkwood. PBS Frontline produced the program, "Nuclear Reaction," which included aspects of the Silkwood story. In 1983, Ephron coscripted the film "Silkwood" with Alice Arlen. The 1983 film "Silkwood" is an account of this story. In 1983, she appeared in the full-length feature "Silkwood". Questions arose over how Silkwood became contaminated over this three-day period. The Silkwood estate eventually settled for $1.3 million. After the Silkwood case, Spence tried a number of high-profile cases. This is too bad, because on other levels "Silkwood" is a strong and imaginative film. The 1977 song "We Almost Lost Detroit" by musician Gil Scott-Heron mentions Silkwood.