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Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead

  • 2010
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 37m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
9K
YOUR RATING
Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead (2010)
100 pounds overweight, loaded up on steroids and suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease, Joe Cross is at the end of his rope and the end of his hope. Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead is a documentary that chronicles Joe's personal mission to regain his health
Play trailer2:42
2 Videos
15 Photos
Food DocumentaryDocumentary

Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead is an American documentary that chronicles Australian Joe Cross's 60-day journey across the United States, where he embarks on a juice-only fast in a quest to recl... Read allFat, Sick, and Nearly Dead is an American documentary that chronicles Australian Joe Cross's 60-day journey across the United States, where he embarks on a juice-only fast in a quest to reclaim his health.Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead is an American documentary that chronicles Australian Joe Cross's 60-day journey across the United States, where he embarks on a juice-only fast in a quest to reclaim his health.

  • Directors
    • Joe Cross
    • Kurt Engfehr
  • Writers
    • Joe Cross
    • Kurt Engfehr
    • Robert Mac
  • Stars
    • Joe Cross
    • Amy Badberg
    • Merv Cross
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.5/10
    9K
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Joe Cross
      • Kurt Engfehr
    • Writers
      • Joe Cross
      • Kurt Engfehr
      • Robert Mac
    • Stars
      • Joe Cross
      • Amy Badberg
      • Merv Cross
    • 33User reviews
    • 5Critic reviews
    • 45Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos2

    Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead
    Trailer 2:42
    Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead
    Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead
    Trailer 2:43
    Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead
    Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead
    Trailer 2:43
    Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead

    Photos15

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    Top Cast16

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    Joe Cross
    Joe Cross
    • Self
    Amy Badberg
    • Self - Doctor
    Merv Cross
    • Self - Joe's Father
    Virginia Cross
    • Self - Joe's Mother
    Joel Fuhrman
    • Self - Nutritionist
    Tammy Hamlin
    • Self - The Markey Health Food Store
    Stacy Kennedy
    • Self - Senior Clinical Nutritionist, Brigham & Women's Hospital
    Siong Norte
    • Self
    Terry Pennington
    Terry Pennington
    • Self - Owner of Terry's Gun and Pawn
    Ronald Penny
    • Self - Emeritus Professor of Medicine, University of NSW, Medical Director, Good Health Solutions
    • (as Prof. Ronald Penny)
    Mandy Reinking
    • Self - Hotel Staff
    Austin Staples
    • Self - Phil's Son
    Barry Staples
    • Self - Phil's Brother
    • (as Barry 'Bear' Staples)
    Phil Staples
    Phil Staples
    • Self
    William Staples
    • Self - Phil's Father
    Kit Willow
    • Self - Designer, Willow Fashion Group
    • (as Kit Willow Podgornik)
    • Directors
      • Joe Cross
      • Kurt Engfehr
    • Writers
      • Joe Cross
      • Kurt Engfehr
      • Robert Mac
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews33

    7.59K
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    Featured reviews

    9essensual911

    Very inspirational

    For over 2 years, my dad has been drinking vegetable "smoothie" daily for breakfast with recipes recommended by Dr. Tom Wu from Taiwan. As a result he is healthier and looks younger. After watching this documentary, he was inspired and did 3 weeks purely on the smoothie (skin and all fiber included, not just the juice). Surprisingly, he now looks even younger and healthier. His psoriasis condition improves dramatically. So much that I am now trying this out for 10 days. I'm on day 5 now and my skin is glowing I barely need make-up in the morning. I also don't have the migraine which I usually have during my period. I like this documentary very much I am buying the DVD for others who want some inspirational boost to start their health journey.
    k_patel445

    Simply Superb

    Must watch movie. Even though it is documentary movie, they have made it very interesting. It is simply superb. It shows importance of fruits, veggies and original juice (not processed that we can buy from any store). Fresh Juice, Veggies and Fruits are not only helpful for Fat people but it is required for all healthy people too. You can not miss this movie. It is really inspiring movie. It even shows that it helped in Migrane. I am going to try Reboot and recommend my friends and family. Food is becoming major problem all across world. This movie is one of the best movie I have ever watched. I am very thankful to a friend who provided information about this movie and Juicer. I have already bought juicer and going to try tomorrow.
    8JWJanneck

    Not a science lecture, but motivation and inspiration

    Movies about food and health are in season, many of them droning on about the Western diet, the benefits of proper food, the evils of the food industry and the modern life style, or any combination thereof. To be sure, all of that is quite right, and learning more about it can be educational and helpful in improving one's own dietary habits and consequently one's health.

    This film skips much of the science, which is dealt with only in short sketches and cartoons (and a look at the Web site suggests that it might be better that way, since the author's view of the science is cartoonish with a distinct New-Agey touch). Nutrition science isn't the topic here.

    Instead, we are being taken on the personal journeys of the author, Joe, and a couple of other characters who are 'recruited' on the way. And it is the power and realism of those stories that are the source of the impact of this movie. Joe's own story is impressive already --- as he literally slims before our eyes from pudgy to trim by drinking vegetable and fruit juice, it is difficult to imagine anyone struggling with their weight and health seeing this without getting at least interested in his approach. It might have ended there, and be a pretty good piece on the significant impact of your diet on your health, and how a shift of the food habits can have a decisive effect on someone's life in a relatively short period of time.

    But then there is the story of Phil, a very fat truck driver from Iowa, one of the folks Joe talks to on the road trip he undertakes during his juice fast. Halfway through the movie, we listen to Phil calling Joe to take him up on the offer to help him with his weight problem. Phil sounds desperate and depressed, he sounds like he is not expecting to make many more calls. Much of the second half of the movie is devoted to Phil's journey, from a very fat, socially isolated, depressed Iowa truck driver who could hardly walk, to a much thinner, much healthier-looking Phil who jogs, gives inspirational talks about nutrition to others, and helps his brother change his diet before the next heart attack becomes his last one, just as Joe helped him turn his fate around. That's just an incredible story, amazing to watch, and truly inspirational.

    Even if you don't have a weight problem, it's still a joy to see real people change their lives to the better on screen. However, if you do have a weight problem, and related health issues, and perhaps have come to believe that that's just the way you were built and nothing can change it, then this movie shows you otherwise. If Phil can do it, so can you. Do you have to do it the way Phil and Joe did? Probably not. Should you research the matter further? Definitely. Should you consult a physician? Probably. You may need to take a slightly different route, but this film shows that there is a path.
    8alexvojacek

    Pure inspiration, one of the best documentaries out there!

    First of all, I am a vegetarian, I was from the moment I first saw "earthlings", one of the most sad and terrible documentaries about the way animals are treated in a day to day basis for us to be able to consume them.. from that point forward I just watched each and every documentary about healthy diets, vegetarianism, vegan-ism and the likes.

    I just watched this new film with no expectations whatsoever, thinking I've seen it all, what else could impress me. My knowledge about the subject is wide, I already did fasting, detox diets and all you can imagine, I weight 59kg and I am 38 and I didn't think I could learn something more about it, and I was right! I did not learned anything new, but, oh boy how wrong I was about the whole thing.

    I did make a huge mistake in over-thinking my position as vegetarian following logic steps when in fact, that was not the thing that lead me to where I am in the first place, instead, it was experience, seeing other people much better than me, my girlfriend feeling great, me, not so much.

    THIS is the core of this film, experience.

    The movie does away with all scientific explanations (except for a few doctors in between) and put all of it's effort on showing us real people, real experiences and some really disturbing transformations (for the better!).

    Suffice to say the movie struck me as beautiful, excellent, super inspiring and right to the point. It's so good that I want to watch it again and again with all the people I know so they too can see for themselves the importance of diet.

    They say an imagine worth a thousand words, well, this movie is all about experience, images, transformation, virtue, will and most of all, inspiration to others.

    Explanations, I know them, probably a lot of people don't but now I see this is not so much important anymore, this movie nailed it.

    Please go watch it you won't regret it, even if you're not interested in all this green stuff.

    8 out of 10 for sure!
    10spystyle

    SO fantastic !!!!!!!!! Gerson enthusiasts should enjoy it :)

    I've never written a review before, I am worried about the word limit :) Here goes : You've got to see this film if you are serious about turning your health around. I've been studying the "Gerson therapy", "Food Matters", "Jay Kordich" and "Andrew Saul" stuff, in an effort to get healthy and fit, and it's all a little overwhelming for me. This movie follows the same approach but does it in such a simple way, it's perfect! America is in a health crisis, and with health care's tremendous profit margin the trend will be to make us sicker and fatter each year. We are just dollars for them - society has us on the fast track to diabetes and obesity - not to mention smoking and prescription drugs - but we can take back our health :) Watch this movie, then go to their website and join in - reboot your health :) Also Google up the stuff I mentioned above. They all use juice like this.

    Good health and abundant energy, it's worth any price - but it's also surprisingly affordable.

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    Related interests

    Jiro Ono in Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)
    Food Documentary
    Dziga Vertov in Man with a Movie Camera (1929)
    Documentary

    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Connections
      Followed by Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead 2 (2014)
    • Soundtracks
      Down Under
      Written by Colin Hay and Ronald Strykert

      Performed by Low Mass Tone

      Courtesy of Sony BMG Music Entertainment (Austrailia)

      By arrangement with Sony BMG Music Entertainment

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    FAQ14

    • How long is Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 1, 2014 (Netherlands)
    • Countries of origin
      • Australia
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Толстый, больной и почти мёртвый
    • Filming locations
      • Atlanta, Georgia, USA
    • Production companies
      • Us & Us Media
      • Faster Production
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • A$2,500,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 37m(97 min)
    • Color
      • Color

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