Heavy Size

I recently watched the documentary that put director Morgan Spurlock on the map, Super Size Me. It's an examination of obesity in the United States, centered around fast food giant McDonald's. I'd only seen Spurlock's efforts in smaller segments of other work, and I was interested to see what he'd do with a full-length film.

The answer, in my view, is that Spurlock is a similar filmmaker to Michael Moore, with a few (not all) of the extremes sanded down. Consistent between the two is a whole-hearted commitment to their subjects, and the desire to insert themselves into their narrative. The main throughline of Super Size Me is Spurlock's own experience eating nothing but McDonald's food for every meal over an entire month. We see his doctor visits, his trips to the restaurants, and the steady (but not slow) decay of his health.

What we don't get as much of is the extreme grandstanding Moore tends to include in his movies. I didn't really perceive any Morgan Spurlock equivalent of ambushing Charlton Heston for an interview, or protesting alone on the steps of some building with a megaphone. Nor does Spurlock so often deploy sarcasm or real anger. And no doubt this is part of why Spurlock is a less polarizing figure that Moore... though the lack of more extreme showmanship also results in a movie that I think functions less well as a piece of entertainment.

Of course, documentaries are meant to educate as well as entertain, and Super Size Me does do a good job of that. I don't think too many people are really unaware of the fact that fast food isn't healthy for you, and Morgan Spurlock even acknowledges this at points in his movie. But he does an excellent job of showing just how bad it is for you, something not widely known before this film, something in fact shocking the physicians he employs in monitoring him during his 30 day experiment.

The film was also made a big impact. Between the time of its film festival debut and its wider release in theaters, McDonald's removed the "Super Size" options from its menu. (Though a) That's not the real point here; and b) they claimed it had nothing to do with the film. Sure.) And while I was hardly ever a McDonald's eater in particular, it has certainly made me try a bit harder to eat less fast food in general. I suppose if I were truly committed to a healthier diet, I'd start learning to cook a wider variety of things, but hey, it's a start.

So, a documentary that's informative and affects a change in the world? That's probably what's most important, even if it isn't as entertaining as some others I've seen. I certainly give it the thumbs up, and grade it a B. If you've never seen it, it's worth the time.