rant whine 'splain espouse: A cross between "Fast Food Nation" and "Bowling for Columbine"

Sunday, May 23, 2004

A cross between "Fast Food Nation" and "Bowling for Columbine"

Zonk and Ynnej and I went to CineArts at Palo Alto Square on Friday night to see "Super Size Me," which was simply fantastic. This indie film won the director of the film (who is also the star and the guinea pig) the Best Drirector award at Sundance this year, and it's clear why. It's a very promising first feature film.

Director Morgan Spurlock was sitting on the couch at his childhood home in West Virginia on Thanksgiving 2002, stuffed with turkey and all the fixings, when the concept behind "Super Size Me" came to him. He saw a TV news report about two girls suing McDonald's for making them fat, when he thought, "What if it's true?"

If someone went on a McDonald's-only diet for 30 days, would they see a measurable difference in their health?

He enlisted the help of not one but three doctors, including a nutritionist, to measure the progress. In just a week, the results were surprising to everyone -- doctors and patient (/guinea pig) alike. The experiment unravels in documentary style: the ensuing weeks are interspersed with fun, funny, and interesting facts, figures, and statistics about "America's favorite food" and the mega-industry that feeds us so much of it.

I stopped counting the number of audience-wide gasps and waves of laughter went through the theater. I was to swept up in it myself. I kept noticing that I had to close my mouth because my jaw was slack with disbelief at what I was watching.

Like "Bowling for Columbine," this movie goes on my Required Viewing List. See this movie. And yes, it was even worth the theater price (which I rarely deign to pay).