Fast Food Nation: Not a Documentary!

It should be noted that Fast Food Nation is not, I repeat not, a documentary, as many might assume prior to seeing it. And having said that it is important to keep in mind that its creators do have an agenda; one that involves, I’m sure, both entertainment and politics. But despite its obvious political and social bias, Fast Food Nation does a good job of showing the many sides of an issue that does indeed have many sides. It is the sorted tale of Mickey’s, a fast food chain that doesn’t target any particular American business and yet seems to embody them all.

It appears that some testing has been done on the Mickey’s meat and the results are troubling to say the least. “Somehow cow manure has gotten into the meat” and the corporate powers-that-be have decided to send Don Anderson [Greg Kinnear], a marketing executive down to the meat plant to look into the matter. From there, Fast Food Nation takes its audience down a path that only the strong [make that heartless] could stomach.

Putting aside the obvious implications raised by sending a marketing executive to investigate what is clearly a health issue, Anderson really does a thorough job. On a tip from the manager of the local Mickey’s, he meets with a nearby rancher, played to perfection by Kris Kristofferson, whose “pennies a pound” rant left both Anderson and myself questioning “the machine that our nation has become.”

Determined to get to the truth, Anderson’s next move is a sit-down with Mickey’s liaison to the meat plant, Harry Rydell [Bruce Willis]. Right off the bat, Rydell admits to knowing about the problem but deflects responsibility claiming that the meat need only be cooked properly to remedy the problem. Rydell goes on, without provocation I might add, to rationalize the treatment of the immigrant workers employed by the plant, claiming that they are “better off in America”.

And while this is perhaps an argument with some merit – I need only point to the scene where one of the workers, played by Wilmer Valderama, brags to his family about the $80 he was paid for one day of work – it is merit derived from being nothing more than the lesser of two evils.

On the flip side, Fast Food Nation gives us Pete [Ethan Hawke], an anti-establishment middle class American who sympathizes with, but has never had to actually experience the plight of those he so passionately campaigns for. And when asked by his niece during one of his inspirational speeches of change whether he is happy with the choices he has made in his life he responds with what is perhaps the most meaningful line in the movie: “I’m pretty happy with what I’m doing and I’m very happy with what I’m not doing.”

In essence, Fast Food Nation is a montage of exchanges, each providing its own unique and moving perspective on an important issue. From the poor, and often times desperate, immigrants who work in the meat plant to the middle class high school kids who work behind the counter we are shown how we are all cogs in the American machine – each of us a victim and none of us completely innocent. And with some of the greatest cameo performances I have seen to-date this is one movie that is sure to be recognized come award season.