Radium Girls

Radium Girls, released in 2018, is a period drama directed by Lydia Dean Pilcher and Ginny Mohler, based on a true story. The movie stars Joey King, Abby Quinn, and Cara Seymour in lead roles. The movie is set in the early 1920s in Orange, New Jersey, and centers around the young female workers at the US Radium Corporation.

The movie begins with a glimpse of the working conditions in the dial-painting factory where the young women work. They paint watches with radium paint that makes the watch faces glow in the dark. The factory bosses encourage the women to use their lips to keep the brush tips pointed, which was a common practice at the time. The women are unaware of the dangers they are being exposed to, as they ingest small amounts of radium every time they put the brush in their mouths.

The protagonist of the movie is Bessie, played by Joey King, who is a bright young woman who works at the factory. She is the leader of the girls and encourages them to fight for their rights when they experience strange illnesses, including nosebleeds, tooth loss, and jaw pain. However, when one of the girls named Mollie, played by Abby Quinn, falls severely ill, Bessie starts a crusade against the US Radium Corporation.

Bessie becomes determined to prove that the corporation is aware of the dangers of radium and is hiding it from its workers. She teams up with a journalist named Fred, played by Colin Ford, and together they begin an investigation. With the help of a sympathetic doctor named Von Sochocky, played by Cara Seymour, Bessie unearths some surprising facts about the company's practices.

As Bessie and Mollie's health deteriorates, they become more desperate to bring justice to their fellow workers. They eventually file a lawsuit against the US Radium Corporation, and the exposure of the corporation's dirty secrets shocks the nation. The movie ends with a poignant scene where Bessie and Mollie's families receive some closure.

Radium Girls is a powerful film that sheds light on the struggles of working-class women in the early 20th century. It also exposes the risks associated with the use of radium and the corporate greed that put the workers in harm's way. The movie is an inspiring story of how a group of young women came together to fight against injustice and seek accountability for the harm they suffered.

The acting in the movie is top-notch, with Joey King and Abby Quinn delivering heartfelt performances as the two lead women. Cara Seymour's portrayal of Dr. Von Sochocky is also noteworthy, as she provides a touch of compassion and humanity amid a sea of corporate greed.

Overall, Radium Girls is a thought-provoking and moving movie that is well worth watching. It highlights the importance of workers' rights and the dangers of corporate negligence. The movie raises important questions about the ethical responsibilities of corporations and the role of workers in shaping their own destiny.