What I Watched -- Food, Inc.

Mom, K, J, and I watched Food, Inc. on Friday night. Notwithstanding the fact that Mom and K fell asleep during parts (Mom had already seen it and K was on painkillers), I thought it was interesting. It is a good idea to know where your food comes from, even if it's disgusting sometimes.

Having said that, though, the movie definitely has a more fanatical bent than, say, Michael Pollan's books. (He is interviewed in the movie, but so are lots of other people, including a farmer whom Pollan writes about in The Omnivore's Dilemma.) Pollan is very reasoned and logical and makes a good argument. Food, Inc. was, I felt, more just a collection of people shouting and waving their arms to bring attention to the state of food quality and the food supply system. Fair enough, because attention should be paid. But shouting and arm-waving do not a convincing argument make.

One thing that Food, Inc. does have over Pollan's books is visual imagery. If you read one of his books and had trouble conjuring up an image of the chicken slaughter at Polyface Farms, watch the movie. You get to see it. And lots of other stuff, which you may or may not actually want to see.