FORKS OVER KNIVES: 3 STARS
Be prepared for lots of shots of fatty meats, operations and happy vegans. “Forks Over Knives,” a new documentary about the benefits of a vegan lifestyle is convincing in its message, just a little ham fisted (pun intended) in its delivery.
The film is based on the findings of Caldwell Esselstyn Jr. and T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., two doctors who, working independently, found direct links between diet and health. Not such big news. We all know that eating a steady diet of fast food and fried chicken is bad for us, but did you know that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains will not only help quell global warming but cure you of everything from high blood pressure to erectile dysfunction?
Writer/director Lee Fulkerson finds out first hand when he leaves his diet of Red Bulls and frat house food behind and goes veggie. In a flip flop of Morgan Spurlock’s famous all-McDonald’s-all-the-time experiment in “Supersize Me,” Fulkerson discovers that a “whole food plant based diet” makes him feel healthier and more energetic.
That’s the thrust of “Forks Over Knives” and while it is well backed up—there’s loads of case studies and testimonials, and endless data—the material is presented with all the flair of a high school hygiene movie. Remember those? Its heart is in the right place but its attempts at fair and balanced reporting are lacking—pro animal diet speakers have unappealing shots of fatty meats edited over their talking head clips—and the film occasionally suffers from shoddy production value.
Still, like Brussels sprouts the “Forks Over Knives” film is good for you. Your eyes will be opened by some of the information presented, and proves that you really can’t have your cake and eat it too… unless that cake is made with soy milk and egg replacement powders.
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