Fast Food Nation (2006)

Powerful

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

"Fast Food Nation" is a movie that's mainly saved by Richard Linklater's immense talent for writing dialogue, because for the most part he doesn't really bring anything new here. It's not bad, but it's just the same as usual: characters sit around making nothing of their lives, then gradually they get caught up in each other's story arcs somehow. I've seen him doing it before, and I've seen him doing it better. The main reason why "Fast Food Nation" isn't really his best is because some characters just aren't very interesting. To me the most compelling character is probably the oh-so-clever marketing executive who slowly starts to grow a conscience, I reckon those segments are by far the best. The rest is surprisingly pedestrian material that doesn't even hand us anything resembling closure. I know Linklater has made stories that go nowhere into an art form, but here it doesn't really work out because you just don't care enough to fill in the blanks yourself. Bringing in Avril Lavigne for a bit part also sorta reeks of stunt casting, because she sure as hell wasn't hired for her acting abilities. Still, you will get some brilliant lines out of this movie. It's not quite "Dazed and Confused", but it definitely has its moments.

I saw this in the library, I checked it out not knowing much about this movie other than the blurb on the box, that it was loosely based on a nonfiction book indicting the fast food industry. Unlike some others here who felt let down and disappointed by the movie, I had the opposite reaction, "Fast Food Nation" was better than I thought it would be. If you expect a Michael Moore type film on the fast food industry you might not like this. It is more of a humanistic view of not only fast food chains effect on people's lives, but franchises in general. The central points of the movie are not limited to the evil big mac (or "big one" as its called in the film), it's asking some broader questions. Should people be happy with a Big Mac and a pair of Nikes? What happens to bring it to them? and is there maybe something weird about a culture where plenty of people are actually happy with a big mac and a pair of Nikes, or maybe a "Happy Meal". Bruce Willis' character represents the other side of the coin who basically says- nobody is making immigrants come here (a big mac and a pair of Nikes is probably still better than what they had), plus plenty of other things kill people besides fast food. And I'd also add there is a bit of s**t in just about any tap water as well as that "big one" burger. It was probably presented as a "fictional" movie to avoid legal problems, and to avoid being tied into Michael Moore territory. Overall I like the approach they took. All the actors are good, and I especially liked Bruce Willis and Ethan Hawke in their short parts. "Fast food nation" is a unique achievement encompassing both dark humor and moving drama. The moralistic tone of the film and the killing floor scene combine to make a strong impact. It could have been a little more focused, but this is a well done film IMO.

Richard Linklater crafted one of my favorite sci-fi films of all time, that being A Scanner Darkly; apart from that I can admire the man's work and his intentions but I'd never call anything else he did 10 star material, Waking Life would be a 9, and Fast Food Nation is another one of those films that I thoroughly, for the most part, enjoyed but I wouldn't call it a masterpiece.It's like Soderbergh's Traffic, but about the fast food world; who works for the corporations, who supplies who with what and who tries to fight the machine that controls almost every single feasible aspect of the whole thing. All the performances are truly fantastic, Linklater knows how to handle actors and actresses, there's no doubt about that, and it flows beautifully with never a dull moment, but then that moment comes that I knew was a possibility but was hoping against.Yes, Richard, we know that the cows are treated like lifeless garbage simply for the profit of giant corporations, but showing me a cow being slaughtered will not get me on your side; I know the horrors that exist in that world so, predictably, showing me the death of a cow isn't going to impress or enlighten me...or have any effect, really.

This film takes a very serious book and tries to make it into a movie but in doing so seems to lose the focus of the issues it presents. That is because it goes into several issues. The main focus is the abuse of animals and workers in making burgers for consumption at America's Fast Food Restaurants. The burgers are supposed to be contaminated with animal droppings to put it nicely.The film looks at the illegal alien problem in America in that it shows meat plant workers being UN-documented folks who come across the border. It goes into some sexual & drug problems with a supervisor having his way with many of the women at his plant. Late in the movie it shows the killing room. The film presents an inept group of teens who nearly get themselves hurt trying to help the cows.Because of the number of issues presented, the film tends to lose focus and not present any of them effectively enough. The pace of the movie is something akin to watching an entire professional golf tournament. If your into the activity, you will stick it out. If your not, you will lose your focus too.After seeing this, I get the feeling the book which I have not read, might be a stronger plot. This is like Melba toast.