Super Size Me

Released 2004
Stars Morgan Spurlock
Directed by Morgan Spurlock

When I first heard about this movie, I thought it was going to be just a gimmick. "Look at me eat crap and get fat," but it's much more than that. I expected 90 minutes of watching Morgan Spurlock eating 90 fatty McMeals over 30 days, but there's a lot of humor and information as well. It reminded me of Michael Moore's "TV Nation" from the 90's in its style and content, but one major difference is Michael Moore would have probably died from this experiment. I doubt this diet was much different from Moore's typical diet, but it would have probably put him over the top. At any rate, I really enjoyed this movie. One key to its success is it frequently changes locations, so we're not stuck in a couple of McDonald's dining rooms. There are a lot of interviews that break up the potential monotony, and the various doctor visits add drama. I was as surprised as the doctors that an intensely high fat diet could do so much damage to his liver in just a month. Although what he did wasn't realistic for a normal, healthy person like himself, that knowledge is pretty frightening. This movie is entertaining, but it may also improve your health.

Summary by Bill Alward, October 10, 2004