Movie Review: Fast Food Nation

I admit it, I didn't read the book Fast Food Nation. It was definitely on my list of books to read, I just never got around to it.

So when the movie came out, I figured I'd just watch it rather than read it.

I almost fell asleep the first half of the movie. The actors are certainly not going to win any awards. The dialogue is dry, and the script sounds as if they just ripped a page out of the book and read it. It's too bad that boredom sinks in, because the message of the movie is powerful. The meat industry is looked at from the perspective of a Burger King-like franchise that finds poop in the meat (ack!), and from a group of Mexicans who cross the border illegally looking for work. And the best work they can find---of course, is in the meat-packing industry.

There are many gross-out scenes of workers standing in assembly lines cutting up sections of cow carcass to be served as food. But the movie saves the best for last---the final scene is of cows being herded to their death (a gun to their head). Death doesn't happen quick. The de-skinning of the cows and the chopping off of their limbs is so heartbreaking and gruesome and vomit-inducing, I couldn't get the scene out of my head for days. And I felt equally bad for the workers who have to witness this every day, and are certainly traumatized.

I was a vegetarian for about 6 years, and haven't eaten red meat in a very long time. Due to health reasons, a couple of years ago I started eating chicken and eggs again. The extra protein definitely helped my health and my overall energy. I certainly don't plan on going back to red meat though. I know everyone has strong views on being veggie or non-veggie, and I don't judge people on their choices. But do check out the movie, or read the book, so that you're educating yourself and making choices based on information.