CHICAGO – There is no better time to take in a stage play that is based in U.S. history, depicting the battle between fact and religion. The old theater chestnut – first mounted in 1955 – is “Inherit the Wind,” now at the Goodman Theatre, completing it’s short run through October 20th. For tickets and more information, click INHERIT.
‘Food, Inc.’: An Undercooked Documentary With Simply Too Much on Its Plate
CHICAGO – The side effect of a well-executed horror film is lack of sleep. The side effect of a well-executed documentary on corruption of our food supply is lack of appetite. Personally? I left “Food, Inc.,” went straight to lunch and had a big ole’ fried-chicken salad.
Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
This statement about my salad is not said out of any sort of support for a meat-eating versus non-meat-eating lifestyle. One’s beliefs about these things are a right and are to be respected.
The statement about my salad is made merely to point out that this documentary from Robert Kenner (director of “Two Days in October”), Eric Schlosser (author of “Fast Food Nation”) and Michael Pollan (author of “Omnivore’s Dilemma”) about the “behind the scenes” of the American food supply fails to make immediate change.
Read Elizabeth Oppriecht’s full review of “Food, Inc.” in our reviews section. |
It’s certainly not that some of the information and images presented in “Food, Inc.” aren’t disturbing. They are.
From cows crippled by maltreatment, pigs knee deep in their own feces and chickens toppled by genetic altering to a mother’s grief over a son lost to E. coli contamination, the film delivers in small doses what is expected in such an undertaking.
However, amid those dashes of disturbing images lies an undercooked documentary with simply too much on its plate.
Businessmen in “Food, Inc.,” which is a Magnolia Pictures release.
Photo credit: Magnolia Pictures
re: ‘Food, Inc.’: An Undercooked Documentary
The film contains material that has already been brought out by others, for examples, (1) the problem of genetically modified seeds crossing into properties that do not want them and (2) the appalling conditions in which farm animals are kept. Some material is stressed too much, for example, the whole issue surrounding the tragic death of a kid from a very virulent form of e-coli and the attempts to establish regulations that might prevent such deaths. Individual cases are worth mentioning, but systemic and widespread issues are more compelling. The death of one is no doubt a tragedy but the impairment of thousands is of greater social consequence. But life is still precious. So take good care of it.