Morgan Spurlock is a brilliantly average guy whose message is conveyed
all the more powerfully by his very averageness. This is a guy I'd date
-- and have, in one form or another; he could be your brother or best
friend or best friend's brother. He undertakes the interesting
experiment of discovering how a month-long McDonald's diet will affect
his constitution. His findings, under the administration of a small
team of doctors, nutritionists, and health professionals, are
astounding -- stopping just short of terrifying, really. The very
direct and clearly unquestionable effects of his consumption are quick
and relentless.
A really disturbing sub-text of the film is how
this 'instant gratification' societal psyche we've engendered is
affecting our children: even in their schools, which we so often
blindly trust to 'teach the children well', the junk food culture
abounds. The 'lunchlady' fare of salisbury steak, reconstituted mashed
potatoes, and fruit cocktail that we braved daily as children ourselves
has not been subsidized, but replaced in many schools by fries, pizza,
chips and what's offered as a 'healthy alternative' to Cokes (by
specific example in this film), Country Time Lemonade and Gatorade. The
film also explores, in brief, the impact of this diet on our children's
performance in school. As a mother, I particularly ound this
exploration disturbing, if not entirely unsurprising.
Overall,
the film is just amazing. It imparts a very important and enlightening
message very effectively, yet manages to completely avoid preachiness.
Witty, bright, and very easily identifiable; this film shows us, with
indubitable and progressive evidence, what we do to ourselves in the
short- and long-term bycontinually subjecting our bodies and our
children to the marketing ploys of processed foods...fast food, in
particular. This is a DON'T MISS film for one and all. Tags:
food artist 
