Movie Review: Food Inc.
"You'll never look at dinner the same way"
Pretty much!
Political documentaries are more often than not guilty of skewing the truth - cherry picking footage, and facts to drive a point home. I was hoping it wouldn't be too Michael-Moore-ish in its sensationalism and selective editing, and yet not vacuous and devoid of rationale, personality and pragmatism like "Super-Size Me" (yes, I am a harsh movie critic).
I have to say I got what I had hoped for...
Food Inc. is as enlightening as it is sobering.
For anyone familiar with the work of Michael Pollan or Eric Schlosser, the contents of the film are covered in their investigative written work. The informed and uninitiated alike, however will find this movie disturbing if not frightening.
Here are some highlights of the film:
- The last 50 years of agriculture has changed more than it has in the last 10,000 years.
- The American supermarket carries an average of 47,000 products, and has no "seasons".
- A very small amount of large corporations own virtually the entire food chain.
- McDonald's was the catalyst for how the food industry operates today. They introduced the model of uniformity and conformity - two "attributes" that have shaped the way ground beef is produced.
- Today's chickens are twice the weight, and get there in half the time they did in the 1950's.
- Corn is in just about everything. Farm Bills are geared towards "commodity crops" (corn, soybeans)
- Feeding cattle corn has introduced acid-resistant strains of e. coli. The beef industry uses ammonia to kill the bacteria.
- It is illegal in many states to criticize the meat industry.
- Many former executives of large food companies have subsequently held positions on the boards of the FDA and USDA.
- Monsanto has a patent on plant genes and relentlessly pursues legal action against independent farmers for "seed patent violations".
And, while I took a jab at Michael Moore earlier in the post, I do think Food Inc. could have had more of his style to jazz things up a bit. Although everybody in the food industry was tight-lipped and refused to comment, it would have been great to have footage of attempts - if only to see these big food execs squirm a little. That's my only complaint.
The bottom line: Vote with your dollars.
Has anyone else seen Food Inc? What did you think of it?
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I haven't seen the movie, but this review certainly makes me want to! Unfortunately, I'm not surprised by anything that was said above and doubt I will be shocked by the movie - just disappointed that it is true. I think a lot of people will shy away from seeing this movie because they don't want to know the truth about the food industry - and the meat industry in particular. And I'm sure some will even make critical comments about how this is bogus because they don't like the idea of being shamed about their food choices. I'm not sure why, but it seems like most Americans really adhere to the idea that ignorance is bliss.
ReplyMike-
Thanks for the review! I can't wait to see the movie.
You are so right: the only way we can truly voice our opinions is to "vote with our dollars."
Thanks again!
ReplyI read another review of this where it described a scene showing either a duck being force-fed or it was a grossly oversized duck, can't remember but the review warned that this movie is at times hard to watch. I stopped eating meat many years ago, and it sounds like this movie would probably just make me grateful that I did. I'm not some animal rights wacko, but I do believe if people actually saw where the meat comes from, the unsanitary conditions, and how these living beings are "processed", it might turn some others off of meat as well.
ReplyI have heard good things about this movie. Thx for the review.
ReplyI'd love to see this movie, especially after reading your review. I love films that make you stop and think!
ReplyI haven't seen it yet, but I want to put it on my Netflix queue for when my husband has to go out of town again...for whatever reason, I don't think he'd appreciate it as much as I would.
ReplyI am glad to see this review. I saw the movie and wish everyone would see it; I think it's that important. Also read Michael Pollan's book The Omnivore's Dilemma. If we don't change the practice of monoculture and the support of big agribusiness to the detriment of the small local farms, where food can be produced in a more healthy manner, I greatly fear for our health and the health of our children and grandchildren.
ReplySue
I don't see why everyone has a problem with Monsanto and other GM agriculture companies. The farmers aren't forced to use the more seeds. If the GM seeds do not perform better than normal seeds, people wouldn't buy them.
ReplyThats absolutely untrue and obviously spoken from someone who hasn't studied much into the subject. Do yourself a favor and watch "The World According to Monsanto" and you may think differently.
ReplySounds like yet another appeal to bigotry against corporations and the people who work for corporations.
Also, this type of thing leads people to the "we are all victims of our food" mentality. It's impossible to lead a happy, healthy life believing you're the victim of your food. You can't give up food, and you can't fight it. You have to make peace with it. It exists to help you.
The people in the food industry are servants of humanity. It's up to the rest of us to be adults (adult humans -- we choose our actions in ways other animals can't) and control ourselves.
ReplySo, which states make it illegal to criticise the meat industry, and how is it enforced?
ReplyIf it advocates organic farming I would still not like it because so called organic farming has it's own problems. Huge problems!
Why isn't mankind can just find a happy medium without avoiding extremes. I don't think the solution to the problems outlined by Food Inc should be Organic Farming because that's the other stupid extreme.
ReplyIf it advocates organic farming I would still not like it because so called organic farming has it's own problems. Huge problems!
Why isn't mankind can just find a happy medium without avoiding extremes. I don't think the solution to the problems outlined by Food Inc should be Organic Farming because that's the other stupid extreme.
ReplyI haven't seen the film, but I read the book; it was excellent. Very scary.
ReplyJust saw the movie and was appalled at the politics of Monsanto and others to keep our food suppliers in virtual slavery. And does it take a genius to realize the connection between Type 2 diabetes in kids and the lack of genuine food?
ReplyAs was said in the movie, we need to be Goliath, not David. The deceptive food industry is deliberate, not accidental.