Super Size Me Review
by Ryan Ellis (flickershows AT hotmail DOT com)May 19th, 2004
Super Size Me
by Ryan Ellis
May 18, 2004
You're going to think I'm making this up, but it's true. When I walked out of the theatre after seeing 'Super Size Me', there were 2 kids standing on the curb. One shouted gleefully to the other, "There's McDonald's!" So not more than 5 minutes after seeing a documentary that details the terrible effects of fast food on the human body, a couple of tykes were salivating for a Happy Meal. Get Alanis Morissette on the line? We've got one more example of irony.
Morgan Spurlock's documentary of his own 30-day McDonald's binge comes at an interesting time. Even though terrorism and war are obviously important issues for every citizen of the world, our health and well-being are generally ignored by the majority of the population. This movie seems to ask the question I've been asking for years---is suicide okay as long as you do it slowly and pay into the system before you die? Since the substances many of us ingest through our food & drink are just a few notches above a slow-working poison, is this cause for the words "national health crisis"? Experts interviewed for this film think so, including the former U.S. surgeon general.
Spurlock, making his writing and directing debut, goes the Michael Moore route and makes himself the subject of his own doc. After hearing that two obese teenaged girls were suing McDonald's for allegedly making them fat, he was intrigued. The fast-food chain's response was that the girls had to prove it was specifically this burger joint that was packing on the pounds, which gave Spurlock a great idea. "What if I ate only this food for a month?" His plan was to eat all his meals at the Golden Arches, to "super size" the meal whenever asked, and to try everything on the menu at least once. He also wouldn't exercise, since most Americans with poor diets aren't very active. Just about anyone would tell you that this insane...no matter how cinematic it might be. Over his vegan girlfriend's objections, Spurlock started to gorge on Big Macs.
Guinea pig Morgan takes the camera with him everywhere, including into the offices of his three doctors. They each give him a thorough work-up and he seems to be in excellent health before his experiment begins. Just one week later, he's struggling to stay on this new diet and has gained 10 lbs. in the process. Later, he starts to experience mood swings, depression, lethargy, decreased sexual agility, and even appears to be a little hooked. Before it's over, we find that his liver is pickling the way an alcoholic's would and he's gained nearly 25 lbs. When it becomes apparent that he's endangering his health, I felt like Ralph Wiggum looking through the Really Big Book Of British Smiles..."that's enough, that's enough!"
The film is more than just scenes of one man's odyssey through the line-up to buy crappy food. The New Yorker travels the mid-western United States, then eventually arrives in the fattest city in America---Houston. [Detroit claims that title now.] He visits several school cafeterias to see what they're serving the kids, and the results are discouraging. Some students eat only fries or chips and Gatorade (no pop allowed, which is a minor miracle). He interviews people to find out what their eating habits are. He makes a strong case for the way corporations brand their logo on toddlers. Does it stun you that young kids recognize Ronald McDonald instantly, yet struggle to identify George Washington or Jesus Christ? And we're shown tons of damning stats and figures, most of which won't surprise anyone who reads the paper, watches the news, or just pays attention to the world around them.
About the only weakness with the film is that the broad strokes seem obvious. For every person who can wolf down fast food every day and appear to be healthy, there are hundreds of us who can't. No shit. Our parents pushed vegetables and fruit on us for a reason. No sane mother is ever going to say, "I'd rather you go buy a fatty burger than sit down and eat this balanced meal I've prepared". So Spurlock makes his point early and fails to make truly astounding discoveries later on. Sure, there are a series of revelations about this growing health crisis, but they weren't very surprising to me. The way schools feed kids, the number of people who die because of their poor diet (which is approaching the number of deaths by smoking on the preventable premature expiry grid), and the blase attitude we seem to have about all of it seems very clear.
McDonald's has eliminated the super size portion, which seems wise. Killing your customers is bad business. I once scoffed that McDonald's offers salads (that's like going to a dance club to hear a piano concerto), but I applaud them for taking steps to balance their menu. Many believe that this film's premiere at Sundance caused Ray Kroc's company to make these changes, although they deny it. Who cares why? It's a step in a better direction. The company may have been reluctant to answer Spurlock's many phone calls, but it seems that he spoke volumes to them anyway.
Spurlock has the right attitude for this project. He's a bit of a show-off, but seems willing to give both sides a chance. 'Super Size Me' is often funny, and it's even a little dramatic. When his doctors say he could die if he continues on this course (and that's before he's reached his 30-day goal), you get the feeling he's proven his point and will quit. I won't say whether he makes it to 30 days or not, but you'll feel his pain long before then anyway. Heck, he struggles mightily to get through his first super-sized meal, then vomits it out the car window. That says it all.
On the way home after seeing this movie, I made a point of picking up some extra veggies and had one of the healthiest meals I've had in months. At this very moment, the thought of eating anything from McDonald's is almost nauseating. I'm not a regular there as it is and this movie is going to make me think twice before going again. 'Super Size Me' didn't really open my eyes, but it has made me feel self-conscious about the fake food I often eat. Perhaps I should have leaned over and spoken to those kids who were so excited to see that McDonald's down the block. Maybe I should have told them not to let themselves get hooked, to only go as a treat. Then again, my voice is no match for the powerful marketing and the addictive pull of Ronald McDonald.
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