BBC iPlayer: Fast Food Nation (2006)

[Watch] (until 00:49, 2nd April)

'Fast Food Nation'

Directed by: Richard Linklater
Cast: Greg Kinnear, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Kris Kristofferson


Brief synopsis: "Don Henderson (Kinnear) - marketing executive at Mickey's Fast Food restaurant chain, home of 'The Big One' - has a problem. Contaminated meat is getting into the frozen patties of the company's best-selling burger. To find out why, he'll have to take a journey to the dark side of the All-American meal."

Within 7 minutes, the seminal line is dropped - "There's shit in the meat". 'Fast Food Nation' is loosely based on Eric Schlosser's investigative novel on the US fast food industry. Somewhat surprisingly, I've actually read this book (yeah, I'm cultured) and suggest you seek it out. Or Wikipedia it. Or of course, you could just watch the fictionalised film version and its holistic take on the (horrors of the) fast food industry. It's a shame though that the film ends without a payoff.

Oh and Avril Lavigne is in the film for some reason. Yes, Avril Lavigne acting. And there's another perhaps equally random cameo from a certain Hollywood star who finds it hard to die...