Fast Food Nation (2006)
A staple in modern American indie cinema, Fast Food Nation tackles the fast food industry with a tongue-in-cheek seriousness that manages to disgust the audience while also making them think, “It can’t be that bad.” Anyone who has worked in fast food will tell you that it certainly is that bad, so if you enjoy eating at the big chains and want to continue doing so, you might want to skip this movie.
Greg Kinnear gets first-billing as a marketing executive of a faux-McDonalds company who finds out that fecal matter has been discovered in the hamburger meat. He visits the meat-packing factory and sees the appalling conditions. Sprinkled into the mix are characters who show the audience the unhygienic restaurants and the abusive working conditions for illegal immigrants in the factory. Ashley Johnson and Paul Dano work behind the counter, and while Ashley tries to be a good, perky worker, Paul spits on the food and uses meat after it’s dropped on the floor. Across the Mexican border, workers brave the difficult crossing into America, and endure factory work with an abusive boss, Bobby Canavale, all for a wage higher than in their home country. One of the featured workers, Ana Claudia Talancon, develops a drug habit and sleeps with her boss—hardly the American dream. You’ll also see a host of familiar faces in the three connected storylines, including Luis Guzman, Bruce Willis, Kris Kristofferson, Avril Lavigne, Lou Taylor Pucci, Patricia Arquette, and Ethan Hawke.
With so much complaining packed into the movie, it’s hard to tell which issue Hollywood wished to push. Is this a movie a case against the ill-treatment of migrant workers? Is it a protest against fast food in general, the quality of the meat, or the lack of supervision in the restaurants? Some people will love with this movie, because there’s so much kindling to fuel their anger. Some people will criticize it, thinking it should have picked one issue and really exploited it. There’s only one way to find out which camp you’ll fall into, and that’s to rent it for yourself—unless you don’t want to, and you can just nod your head enthusiastically when your friends bring it up.
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to sex scenes and graphic visuals of dead meat, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.
More Bruce Willis movies here!
Greg Kinnear gets first-billing as a marketing executive of a faux-McDonalds company who finds out that fecal matter has been discovered in the hamburger meat. He visits the meat-packing factory and sees the appalling conditions. Sprinkled into the mix are characters who show the audience the unhygienic restaurants and the abusive working conditions for illegal immigrants in the factory. Ashley Johnson and Paul Dano work behind the counter, and while Ashley tries to be a good, perky worker, Paul spits on the food and uses meat after it’s dropped on the floor. Across the Mexican border, workers brave the difficult crossing into America, and endure factory work with an abusive boss, Bobby Canavale, all for a wage higher than in their home country. One of the featured workers, Ana Claudia Talancon, develops a drug habit and sleeps with her boss—hardly the American dream. You’ll also see a host of familiar faces in the three connected storylines, including Luis Guzman, Bruce Willis, Kris Kristofferson, Avril Lavigne, Lou Taylor Pucci, Patricia Arquette, and Ethan Hawke.
With so much complaining packed into the movie, it’s hard to tell which issue Hollywood wished to push. Is this a movie a case against the ill-treatment of migrant workers? Is it a protest against fast food in general, the quality of the meat, or the lack of supervision in the restaurants? Some people will love with this movie, because there’s so much kindling to fuel their anger. Some people will criticize it, thinking it should have picked one issue and really exploited it. There’s only one way to find out which camp you’ll fall into, and that’s to rent it for yourself—unless you don’t want to, and you can just nod your head enthusiastically when your friends bring it up.
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to sex scenes and graphic visuals of dead meat, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.
More Bruce Willis movies here!