Another day, another break from the Academy Award nominees and my first documentary of 2012.
This morning, I decided to watch a documentary I’ve had on my list for a while. Why? I’m not really sure, but Forks Over Knives (by Lee Fulkerson) examines the “profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods,” principally by tracing the careers and research of American physician Caldwell Esselstyn and professor of nutritional biochemistry T. Colin Campbell.
Maybe my decision stemmed from the recent death of my grandfather, a diabetic. Maybe the fact the past few nominates films were boring had something to do with it. I’m not really sure.
Ironically enough, both Esselstyn and Campbell were raised on dairy farms and both are leading scientists in the “whole foods” dietary movement.
I really enjoyed this film. Obviously, I do not follow a whole foods plant bad diet. I love a good steak as much, if not more, than anyone else, however, I did find the research extremely interesting about the effects of diet without animal products compared to frequency cancers/heart disease/diabetes.
Some movie critics have said this documentary needed more humor or charisma and less facts and info. I disagree completely. In fact, I want a documentary that focuses on facts and info, rather than glitz and glam. That is the problem with too many widely known documentaries today; I’m talking to you, Michael Moore.
RECOMMENDATION
Forks Over Knives is a very interesting documentary that explores the benefits to individuals and society of eating a whole food plant-based diet. Whether you agree with the point, or not, the film is definitely worth a watch
Forks Over Knives has a 7.2/10 rating on IMDB, is 59% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and has a 57/100 Metascore.
