January Movie Review

Food, Inc.


A Robert Kenner film


Rating: 10
Watchability (bear with me on the term): 10
Impact: 10
Recommend It? Yes!
Watch it again: Yes!

What to expect: Food, Inc. lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing how our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers, and our own environment. Food, Inc. reveals surprising and often shocking truths about what we eat, how it's produced, and who we have become as a nation. ~ Excerpt from back cover of movie case

 My Thoughts on it: Watching Food, Inc. was a big happening for me. For about a year and a half now, I've listened to folks endlessly telling me that I HAD to watch this movie. People were saying things like, "You'll never want to eat food again!" "I almost threw up watching it!" and "You'll want to go off-grid after watching this, and grow every bit of your own food." Amid all these comments on the film, I kept on wondering in the back of my mind how it could possibly be more graphic than things I had already seen, concerning the food industry. And I've seen some pretty graphic stuff.
So upon being told that I needed to watch this, my mind was expecting a horror movie. Something so graphic and grotesque that it would send me reeling. And that, in short, is one reason why I hadn't watched it until now.

I actually watched this on Christmas Eve... Probably not the best day to do it, but we weren't celebrating Christmas Eve until the 25th this year, and I had the movie already! So I popped it in the laptop and watched it...

If I had to sum the entire movie up in one word, I would call it: Excellent.

 It was an excellent, spectacular film, and nothing what I expected. This wasn't a horror story, it was an informational documentary. I had no desire to throw up at any time while watching it, nor did I run to the kitchen when it ended, and start madly throwing all industrial foods out the window. Watching Food, Inc. was basically a recap for me. In it were things I already knew, had already seen, and was rather desensitized to. I could see though, how it could be a jolting film if you are unaccustomed to how our food system works behind the scenes. 

 I think Food, Inc. did an exceptionally good job at showing both sides of the coin as well. Another thing I had expected was it to be the whole, "Buy organic, locally grown foods, and if you don't then you're a terrible person" sort of spiel. I am 100% for organically grown, local foods, but I'm not so naive as to think that such a thing is possible for everyone at this time. But back to the movie... I liked it how they showed interviews with people who were for CAFO's (Confined Animal Feeding Operations), as well as those who were against it. Those who were for fast food restaurants, and those who are against it. The film was well balanced, and leaves the watcher to really make the end decision about things. 

 Thinking back, if there was one part of the movie that really stuck out to me, it was the part about illegal immigrants who are working in the industrial food factories. I had always known what it was like for them, and what they went through, but to actually see it was a different ball game. That hit home. 

 I definitely recommend watching this movie. This is not a horror story intended to make you feel guilty about your eating choices. It's an educational, extremely informative, accurate documentary that was filmed so that you might better understand how our nation works, how our food industry works, and how everything is ultimately intertwined by what we eat.

You can find out more about Food, Inc. by clicking HERE
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