Intentionally troubling documentary about the American food industry, and why we're eating what we shouldn't be eating, will be eye-opening for many – at least for those who, unlike me, haven't already seen other recent documentaries about food, such as King Corn, The Future of Food, The Real Dirt on Farmer John, and so on. (What can I say? I'm married to a vegan, we have Netflix, these movies get seen.) Not to mention the books Fast Food Nation and The Omnivore's Dilemma, the authors of which show up here in several talking head interviews.
It's hard to knock Food, Inc. because it is a very important film to watch, especially if you don't know what's really going on in the meat industry. In fact, the film should really be called Meat, Inc.
That said, Kenner takes the same wussy liberal stance that a lot of "political" documentarians do lately: he points his finger only at the industry and depicts consumers as blameless, even while reminding us that we can make a difference by buying organic or locally-grown food.
But when a poor Mexican American family of four is shown buying a nutrition-free lunch at Burger King for $12 because "vegetables are too expensive" (the film's point being that corn is subsidized, and is thus much cheaper, than broccoli), I call B.S. I know for a fact that $12 can buy you enough organic beans, rice, broccoli, and so on to feed that family of four. In other words, Kenner skirts the issues of personal responsibility, and that's a problem.
Also, despite the unsettling footage at slaughterhouses, for all his "you can make a difference" reminders, Kenner can't bring himself to say, "Oh, and maybe you should try at least one dinner a week without meat." (Again, I'm married to a vegan, but come on.) See this documentary anyway, as it's good to be educated about what's going on behind the scenes at Tyson, Monsanto, and other shady food conglomerates.