Food, Inc. – DVD Review

Film, Reviews

foodinv

In the 1950s, everything was so much easier. Parents didn’t feel so much pressure to have their kids in multiple extracurricular activities, so families had more time to spend together around the dinner table. To keep up with society standards and to make ends meet, most families now have to have both parents in full-time jobs. Whereas in the ’50s more women were able to stay home and care for their children, and they had the time to provide a healthy home cooked meal each evening. As a culture, we knew that our fast food eating habits would have consequences, and films like Super Size Me, Fast Food Nation and the latest, Food, Inc. bring these ugly truths to the surface.

In previous generations, many Americans worked in the business of feeding the country. There were many many farmers across the country, and Americans were able to buy fresh food at the supermarket for low cost. If you go to the supermarket today, you will find several items in the meat and produce departments with labels depicting a stereotypical pastoral farm. But that is far from the truth.

The chicken that we purchase doesn’t come from one of many farms, but from one of four major corporations who own and regulate every possible aspect of the life of the chicken from the egg to death. Since Americans have decided that white meat is healthier, these corporations have figured out a way to engineer the chickens to have larger breasts. The life span of these chickens is roughly six weeks, and they are growing so much bigger and so much faster than they should that the rest of their bodies can’t keep up. Thanks to a farmer named Carole, we get to see the inside of one of these chicken houses. The resulting images are meant to shock you into making a change.

Corn has always been a staple crop of America, and since we have so much of it, corporations have found ways of altering it to make countless compounds. These compounds can be found in just about everything from Coca-Cola to batteries to glue to toothpaste. Corn is even being fed to the cows that we eat. If a cow were free to roam the earth, his food of choice would be grass. But since the consumers demand more meat, cows are being fed corn to fatten them up faster. Like the chickens, these cows are growing too big too fast. The resulting images of cows unable to hold up their own body weight, lumbering through their own feces, are meant to shock you into making a change.

Remember when things like diabetes and E. Coli outbreaks used to be a thing of rarity? Now they are the norm. Childhood obesity and early onset diabetes have reached epidemic proportions. Interviews with a low income Hispanic family in Southern California show the sad reality that they can afford to feed their family more food for a lower cost at McDonald’s than they can at a grocery store. As a result, the father in this family suffers from diabetes and may lose his eyesight. Another segment highlights a woman whose young son passed away after contracting the E. Coli virus.

As if farmers didn’t have it bad enough with big corporations taking over their industry, they also have to worry about a big corporation called Monsanto, who will sue them for planting seeds they have patented.

The message of the film is that supply dictates demand. As consumers, we have all the power to decide what we put into our bodies. The film shows Wal-Mart deciding to carry yogurt from Stonyfield Farms, an organic product that was demanded by their customers. If we as consumers can bring Wal-Mart to make changes, than we can change the rest of the industry. Buy organic when you can, shop at local grocery stores, buy produce that’s in season. These are not new ideas, especially for those who have seen recent films like Fast Food Nation or Super Size Me, but Food, Inc. is a sobering reminder that we all need to think twice about what we put into our bodies. After all, we are what we eat.

Presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio and with Dolby Digital sound, the picture and audio quality are more than adequate for a documentary release.

Deleted Scenes – There are 8 total deleted and extended scenes. One of the more interesting ones show workers from Smithfield, a plant that makes pork products, attending a shareholders meeting to demand better working conditions. There is also more on organic farming. Some interesting stuff that could easily have made it into the film. 37:45 total run time.

Celebrity Public Service Announcements – PSA’s from celebrities such as Martin Sheen, Kelly Preston and Alyssa Milano. 7:15

NBC News Nightline “You Are What You Eat”: Food With Integrity – This segment ran on Nightline on June 16, 2009 and highlights Chipotle and their business model to use healthy food in their restaurants. Shows the founder of Chipotle on the farm where they get their pork, Polyface Farms, which boasts keeping the pigness in their pigs. After watching this, I’ll be more likely to eat at Chipotle in the future. 7:22

“The Amazing Food Detective” and “Snacktown Smackdown” Stay Active and Eat Healthy – I think this is a commercial for online educational video games, but I’m not sure. This was very uninformative, but was presented by Kaiser Permanente… 3:06

Resources – list of related websites

Food, Inc. The Book – A summary of the book and info on where to buy it.

Theatrical Trailer

Also From Magnolia Home EntertainmentThe Answer Man, Moonlight Serenade, Is Anybody There?, HDNet

While watching this movie, I couldn’t help but succumb to eye-rolling at some of the scenes that are included solely for shock value. But a week after watching Food, Inc. I have to admit, I’ve been thinking about what I eat a lot more. Fast Food Nation and Super Size Me had similar immediate effects, but I soon went back to my old routine. Perhaps repetition is key and hearing the same thing over and over again finally took its toll on me. But there are several changes that I will be making based on things in this film. Reviews have called Food, Inc. an important film and I had chalked those statements up to exaggeration. But Food, Inc. really is an important film, even if you’ve heard some of this information before.


Magnolia Home Entertainment presents Food, Inc.. Directed by: Robert Kenner. Starring: Eric Schlosser, Michael Pollan. Running time: 91 minutes. Rating: PG. Released on DVD: November 3, 2009. Available at Amazon.com

Jenny is proud to be the First Lady of Inside Pulse Movies. She gives female and mommy perspective, and has two kids who help with rating family movies. (If they don't like 'em, what's the point?) She prefers horror movies to chick flicks, and she can easily hang with the guys as long as there are several frou-frou girlie drinks to be had.