Butler's Cinema Scene

“Forks Over Knives”  My rating: B 

90 minutes | No MPAA rating

Eat your veggies.

That’s the message of “Forks Over Knives,” a new documentary that argues that most of the physical maladies afflicting modern man — obesity, diabetes, cancer, pulmonary disease — could be hugely reduced if we steered clear of meat and dairy and chowed down on fresh vegetables, fruit and whole grains.

Lee Fulkerson’s film joins a growing list of titles (“Food, Inc.,” etc.) pushing for a radical rethinking of America’s diet. It presents a thorough, hard-to-refute case based largely on decades of research by two physicians, Caldwell Esselstyn Jr. and T. Colin  Campbell, both of whom grew up on dairy farms and later rejected the dietary wisdom of their youths.

“Forks…” is convincing, citing research (some of it disputed, although you won’t learn that from the film) and by giving case studies. Among the latter is Joe Aucoin, a middle-aged man whose rapidly deteriorating health was turned around by going on an animal-free diet. Another is filmmaker Fulkerson, whose own medical profile was so alarming that he took the plunge as well.

This film is informative and persuasive. But I fear it’s going to be seen mostly by those who already are true believers.

Unlike a Morgan Spurlock or a Michael Moore, Fulkerson isn’t particularly clever.  Sincere and organized, yes, but “Forks Over Knives” isn’t much fun. Watching it is something of a chore.

It’s kind of like cinematic spinach. Eat it. It’s good for you.

| Robert W. Butler