Food, Inc.

Director Robert Kenner’s documentary Food, Inc. is the latest attempt by the American food cognoscenti to get the rest of us to wake up and smell the E-coli-tainted greens: tens of thousands of people go to the hospital annually because of food-related illnesses, and one in three Americans born after the year 2000 will develop diabetes. Something needs to change. Kenner believes that the root of the problem is what we are putting into our bodies, and he makes a compelling case as to why this is probably true.

As the film examines the modern food supply system in the United States, it becomes apparent that authors Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation, and credited as a co-producer here) and Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food) have contributed mightily. In one of the opening scenes, Schlosser orders a mammoth cheeseburger at a diner, and as he eats it, we hear him discussing the ugly truth about the meat-processing industry. Even though the imagery is a bit heavy- handed (ok Eric, we get it:  you like burgers too, just like a normal person), it is effective.  Nothing alienates people faster than being lectured to, particularly about their own health, and by implicitly acknowledging that even an expert like Schlosser isn’t perfect when he’s eating, the filmmakers are treating the audience as an equal partner.

Although the film is essentially a repackaging of previously published books, Kenner imbues it with additional emotional heft through good- looking graphics, rarely seen images from slaughterhouse floors, and poignant interviews.  Reading statistics about the correlation between income levels and diabetes is one thing; to listen as a low-income family discusses whether to buy diabetes medication or fruits and vegetables (which would help alleviate the root cause of the father’s ailment, but which are more expensive than cheeseburgers) is another.  This is the crux of the film.  By showing how our food travels from field to plate, Kenner’s documentary makes the problem immediate and personal.  To the average person, “organic” is essentially another label on a package; to actually see the difference between a chicken that has been raised in an organic, humane way and a factory-farmed one is immensely impactful.

By exploring the economic underpinnings of the modern food industry, Food, Inc. addresses one of the biggest public health issues of our time and shines a light on capitalism run amok.  The message is conveyed with the steady confidence of someone who knows that, over time, the truth will eventually prevail; Kenner, Pollan, and Schlosser are eloquent spokesmen for a movement that becomes more important with every E-coli scare and depressing statistic about childhood obesity. Still, Kenner goes to great lengths not to be didactic, and he succeeds.  The closing credits, interspersed with suggestions about what to do on a personal level and played over Bruce Springsteen’s rendition of “This Land Is Your Land,” might be the most emotional moment of the film. The feelings created are those of hope and determination, and there is no doubt that everyone, from food writers to filmmakers to theatergoers, are in it together.

                                       Orson Robbins-Pianka