Forks Over Knives

I would rate this a 10 for the information contained in the film.

But I'd rate it a 2 for filmmaking.

But the information is more important, thus the non-averaged score of 8.

This is one of those movies where you have such amazing and important information being given to the viewer, but it's done in such a badly constructed way that it's difficult to watch. The narration is about as boring as any I've every heard. There's no narrative line, so to speak. The filmmaker had no idea how to tell the amazing story he was trying to tell. And the sound is truly awful at times. But that said, the information contained here is something we ALL should see and hear and understand. So, if you put it on, and are immediately turned off as to how bad it is, stick with it. You will learn how to live a longer healthier life, and for that we can forgive the bad filmmaking.

By now, there have been a number of documentaries about the health disaster that is the all-American diet. Lee Fulkerson's "Forks Over Knives" makes the case that simply switching from an animal-based diet to a plant-based one is the best thing that one can do not only for himself but also for the planet. Much of the documentary focuses on the work of Drs. Caldwell Esselstyn and Colin Campbell, who have researched the health effects of different foods over the years. It should come as no surprise that the increased processing of foods after WWII led to more heart disease and cancer.

The documentary doesn't simply preach. It even has a disclaimer at the beginning noting that it should not be interpreted as a substitute for a doctor's recommendation. It's just a warning about the deleterious effects of the western diet, especially with all the chemicals and antibiotics pumped into the food nowadays. As Bill Maher says in some footage, "The answer is not another pill. The answer is spinach." I recommend the documentary.

PS: Rush Limbaugh recently said that Michelle Obama's proposed diet doesn't sound like something healthy. Well, who knows more about unhealthy diets than El Rushbo?

I saw this film at a screening in Philadelphia on July 26th.

Most of us understand by now that the typical Western diet is not ideal. But this film explains that, in early clinical studies and scientific research, the overwhelming evidence points to some specific things we eat that are slowly killing us. It also explains that there is a way to eat that you will very likely live long and well. This movie is as simple as that, and as complex as that.

Traveling along with some of the pioneers in this field, you get to really see how obvious the approach they support is to them, and probably should be to us. You also get a "taste" of what this movement is up against. I get the sense that this film's point is to show the Dr.'s who were screaming: "Why isn't anyone listening to us?" and giving them a chance to say, "Hey everyone, here is what we have been saying for 20 years, and here is our clinical and scientific proof, now go ahead and tell us how we are wrong."

Most of all, it is very well done. I really enjoyed how well the stories intertwined, as well as some terrific graphics. Some of the personal stories, for me, were the most convincing.

Every once in a while, a documentary comes out that is just in the right place at the right time to become must see and force social change. I believe in 10 years, people will be talking about this film as the moment when America and Europe finally "Got It". I cannot imagine that this will not be an early favorite for an Oscar for Best Documentary.

Forks Over Knives (2011)

** (out of 4)

In the same tradition as FOOD, INC. and SUPER SIZE ME comes yet another low-budget documentary trying to warn you against the evils of dairy and meat. This time out we see various experts talking about how eating meat products or drinking milk can actually lead to a wide range of illnesses and we see charts on how unhealthy little rats and mice are after given these products for several months. I'm not going to knock anything that is said here because I think it's true that a lot of people are getting deathly ill due to the foods they are eating. I think in this day and age it's just become common sense. There are many good documentaries out there and there are some very bad ones. FORKS OVER KNIVES falls somewhere in the middle because it's heart is in the right place but I must admit that I was completely bored from start to finish. The film is just one great big lecture where we're told, beaten and then told again to stay away from these foods. We hear from a woman suffering from diabetes who stops eating certain things and she's cured. We hear that people in China used to be very healthy but they got fast food restaurants and now they are gaining weight. We learn that Americans are very much overweight and eat too much food. We even learn that cows are given so much grain to fatten them up that you could actually take a portion of this grain and feed every hungry person in the world. That there was probably the most interesting idea in the film. I must admit that I prefer my documentaries to show me evidence and not just trying to beat a message into my head. I also admit that I like to hear from both sides. After all, for every "expert" that tells you ABC are good for you there's an expert who says ABC are bad for you. This documentary is one sided and it likes to beat you with its message. Also, I thought the film looked rather poor and at times was just slowly paced that you wanted to push pause and go out and get a burger.

There is no quibbling about it; this movie does have a certain agenda that some people will find objectionable. Okay. But, there is enough supportive information to at least consider altering our heavy meat and dairy eating habits.

As a middle aged male with questionable eating habits, I have been concerned about my blood pressure, cholesterol, general overweight condition, and the numerous medicines that were necessary to keep them in check. When I watched this documentary, I went to check out some of the information presented. While there are some distortions, the bulk of the facts did vet out. Shortly after scrutinizing the documentary's information, I made the decision to try a plant-based diet, excluding all the meat and dairy that I never thought twice about eating for three months. The end of the three month "test" was to include a medical exam and corresponding blood work. Why not? What is there to lose?

I did decide to include a couple of servings of fish a week in my "vegan" diet. This was a tip of the hat to the Norwegian study that saw a dramatic drop in cardiovascular related deaths when meat and dairy were restricted sharply during WWII. What they specifically left out of the film was the fact that the Norwegians stepped up their fish eating greatly during that time. Other than the inclusion of fish, I went with a plant based diet.

In a nutshell, the blood work and physical changes after three months did see significantly better results. My weight was down. The cholesterol was down 25%. My HDL and LDL ratio improved. Blood pressure still remains an issue and, sorry to say, it didn't help with male performance, but the other results were impressive. When I told my doctor to look at the last year results against this year's, he took a double-take and asked, "What's going on?" He okay'd a cutting of my cholesterol and one of my blood pressure meds. A checkup on the changes are due soon.

While there is plenty to criticize about the film's bias, there is room for all of us to take stock and ask, why not take a step toward improving our eating habits? Is there anyone that really believes eating animal based foods is good for you in large quantities? Yes, probably a hamburger now and then isn't going to kill you, but eating a larger portion of fruits and vegetables is a better step for us in the long run. I'm at about the six-month mark now. I can't see going back to a diet similar to what I had before. I like the way I feel now and I like the numbers on my blood report. It is enough to keep me on a vegan diet.