Review of Fast Food Nation (2006) by Stuart K — 10 Aug 2010

From Richard Linklater, a piece of "fictional truth", inspired by the book by Eric Schlosser, who co-wrote this script with Linklater, showing audiences what goes into our fast food burgers. The truth ain't pretty, and the film can be quite grisly to watch in places.

But, it has a good cast and is very thought provoking. It's focused on fast food chain Mickey's, and executive Don Henderson (Greg Kinnear) is sent off to investigate claims that there's literal shit in the meat.

He's sent off to a meat processing plant in Cody, Colorado, where he discovers the truth, but only half of it, there's also illegal immigrants sent over from Mexico to work in the plant, and an employee of a Mickey's restaurant Amber (Ashley Johnson) who gets involved with a group of activists against Mickey's.

What Traffic did for drugs, this does for fast food, Linklater makes an anthology story, with a great cast including Kris Kristofferson, Avril Lavigne, Patricia Arquette, Paul Dano, Luis Guzmán, Ethan Hawke and Bruce Willis.

It's about people's lives affected by fast food, it makes for compelling, and in some cases, unwatchable viewing. This is a film that will make people think twice before tucking in to a seeming nice, juicy burger from McDonalds or Burger King.

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