Fast Food Nation and the Omnivore’s Dilemma, Movie Review Example

Eric Schossler’s book Fast Food Nationand Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma inspired the film Food Inc.Both take a serious look at American culture (indeed worldwide insofar as post industrial countries) and how fast food propagates cultural values (dinner at McDonald’s) and beef production. Documentarian Robert Kenner juxtaposes family farms and big agri-business farms in this fantastic film about the cycle of food and culture.

The film focuses one of its main points on how agri-businesses are running the show. This makes such industries a true definition of the word monopoly. It was a shock to see these businesses put dollar signs above people’s health (fast food hamburgers aren’t 100 percent beef; in fact, mostly they’re comprised of soy – that way, the hamburgers can be cost-effective by spreading the meat out). Not only is people’s health put on the back burner in the wake of capitalism, but small time family farmers are losing their land and profits because of their lack of production due to agri-businesses and worker safety is also being compromised. I thought that the film did a great job in showcasing this trifecta of abuse from agri-businesses.

The way the film highlighted these businesses was astonishing. The documentarian Kenner showed what was being compromised for longer shelf lives and the effect of such tampering on the health of the consumer (obesity rates, new strains of viruses such as E. coli, and other harmful bacteria). These facts were revelations and gave new meaning to the subtext of the film: that is, that agri-business doesn’t want the consumer to know the truth about their products and how they manage their businesses. Although such downtrodden subject matter can be viewed as oppressive, Kenner did a fine job of giving the audience a sense of hope throughout the film. Kenner did this by framing shots and interviews with people to set up how a typical audience member has the power of choice. Choice can lead people to opt for healthier eating habits, or to grow their own food if they have the space. Kenner interviews Joel Salatin, a local farmer who suggests that sustainable living is attainable at a family level, for all families. Salatin is framed well against the agri-businesses (the overstocked chicken houses, the cattle that are fed at below production for profitable numbers, etc.) in order for the documentarian to give the audience a sense of what they can do at the local level. At times it seems difficult to make a change that’s impactful enough to change the world, but Kenner does something smart in the film by interviewing Salatin. Salatin’s interview suggests that the scale by which agri-business functions isn’t a scale by which the average consumer needs to compete; rather, the average consumer just needs to do what Salatin does, that is, go to farmer’s market, buy in-season fruit, buy locally so that economy stays within the dynamic of a town or local farmer. This action curtails so many evils that the film was talking about. Indeed, the film offers inspiration through its local farmer interviews of the possibility of change, not only on a local level, but on a global level. The film suggests these changes should come in the form of new standards of what is organic, not buying meat from factory farms (such as the chicken houses).

In my opinion the film Food Inc. should be shown in every classroom in order for students from grade school through college to better understand the shifting elements in their own culture and how they are being lied to by agri-business and to teach students how to be mindful about their consumer choices. That is the message I took away from the film: being a conscientious consumer.