Fed Up 2014

Melissa Maerz, Entertainment Weekly: Some lessons are overfamiliar (almonds good, corn syrup bad), but the section on corporate influence over school lunches is enough to make you spit out that 20-ounce soda from the concession stand. Read more

Sara Stewart, New York Post: Toggling between profiles of kids struggling with their weight and a wider look at the evolution of processed foods, "Fed Up" presents a pretty watertight case that there's something deeply wrong with the way we eat. Read more

Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times: Before "Fed Up," no movie had ever sent me hurrying to my refrigerator to read food labels - but there's always a first time. Read more

Geoff Berkshire, Variety: Stephanie Soechtig's documentary effectively gets the message out about America's addiction to unhealthy food. Read more

Mike D'Angelo, AV Club: The film gets its point across ably enough using journalism that it doesn't really need four fat teenagers to record video diaries about their unhappiness with their weight and their inability to do anything about it. Read more

Barbara VanDenburgh, Arizona Republic: "Fed Up" gets to feeling like a special nightly news report. But as news reports go, it is an especially thorough and well-produced one, taking an in-depth look at America's worsening obesity epidemic and pointing fingers at culprits Read more

Peter Keough, Boston Globe: As a screed, it builds a credible, engaging argument, presenting evidence, statistics, talking-head testimony, whimsical charts, poignant personal stories, and animated illustrations of digestive processes to make its case. Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: Thumbnail portraits of morbidly obese kids introduce a plaintive note to the argument, especially since, as the documentary notes, many school cafeterias are now indistinguishable from fast-food joints. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: You don't want to be downing Raisinets while watching this film. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: We are eating ourselves into oblivion; talk about an inconvenient truth. When will we notice? More importantly, when will we do something about it? Read more

Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: It pulls no punches in its informed outrage against the food industry, zeroing in on the rampant use of sugar and its many multisyllabic variations. Read more

Amy Nicholson, L.A. Weekly: Fed Up is poised to be the Inconvenient Truth of the health movement. (Which makes sense - producer Laurie David worked on both.) Read more

John Anderson, Newsday: Expose against America's nutritional war on itself is informative, passionate, slightly regurgitated. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: Despite the film's worthy goals, there are some empty calories. Read more

Manohla Dargis, New York Times: A very good advocacy documentary directed by Stephanie Soechtig and narrated by Katie Couric. Read more

Michael Sragow, Orange County Register: Stephanie Soechtig's attack on Big Food for sweetening us to death goes down like a tart, stiff drink. Read more

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: Even if you dispute the facts, one thing is clear: As a nation, we are fat, and getting fatter. Read more

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: Fed Up, unbothered by its often crude mode of attack, is definitely mad as hell. And its muckraking spirit, an anomaly in the age of giving in, is inspiring. Read more

Walter V. Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle: It's a decent summary of the issue, taking square aim at corporations and politicians who have made it easy for the citizenry to stuff its collective face with junk food and, even more damaging, sugar. Read more

Minneapolis Star Tribune: "The government is subsidizing the obesity epidemic," says food writer Michael Pollan. "Fed Up" will make you want to do something about it. Read more

Rob Nelson, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Fixating on the fat rolls of underprivileged kids without mentioning class, the film is a more polished version of the greasy tale Morgan Spurlock's Super Size Me told from the inside out. Read more

Bill Stamets, Chicago Sun-Times: Director Stephanie Soechtig gathers activists, doctors, kids, lobbyists, parents, politicians, reporters and teachers -- all with different stakes. Read more

Dave McGinn, Globe and Mail: You won't look at grocery store aisles the same way after you've seen Fed Up. Read more

Martin Knelman, Toronto Star: A compelling wake-up call in the form of a feature-length documentary. Read more

Bruce Kirkland, Toronto Sun: The effect is stark, disturbing and inspirational, if you are willing to listen. Read more

Scott Bowles, USA Today: Fed Up will change the way you look at junk food. Or at least the companies that peddle it. Read more

Chris Packham, Village Voice: Fed Up is a workmanlike documentary, as undistinguished in style as a PowerPoint slide show. It nonetheless finds traction in its depiction of the food industry's Montgomery Burns-like practices. Read more

Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: "Fed Up" isn't so much a warning to the ignorant shopper or a tip for the unimaginative chef as it is a rallying cry. It succeeds in firing up the choir. Whether it will convert the complacent is an open question. Read more