Lesson Plans - Fast Food Nation

Hello Teachers,

Well this is a rather heavy film.  Essentially we enter the world of illegality in this film.  It is not at all subtle in its communication method.  It is a docu-drama and aims to deliver a message about the cleanliness of the food we eat.

It might be best, in fact, to start with a discussion with your students about the role of the documentary.  A docudrama is a close relation acting out the scenes that we know go on in real life.  It is meant to be strong and forceful in its method of communication.

There are 2-3 sexual scenes in the film, all very short and fairly contained but it’s clear one man in particular is using sex to give his female subordinates favours.  You don’t see much but it’s obvious that intercourse is going on.  They are short harsh scenes.

There’s some foul language but mostly done in Spanish.  I was not able to order the film without subtitles.  The only copies of the film in original version in Italy have Italian subtitles.  After watching the film I could see why.  Much of the film is in Spanish.  Having the continuity of the subtitles in Italian really helps while on the screen you go back and forth between English and Spanish.

The scenes of cows actually being killed are in the last few minutes of the film and shown for a very brief amount of time.

Terminology:
Cattle – is a herd of cows

Herd – branco

BEFORE THE FILM

The film opens with a scene of illegal immigrants passing over the border from Mexico into America.  It’s a hostile world for these immigrants.  With no papers, no rights, no good knowledge of the English language, they immediately become like slaves to those helping them to pass over the border.  (One man in fact is left behind in the rush and caos of the border crossing.  He is later seen in the desert alone and will apparently die of over exposure).

Then the film moves to a typical corporate scene.  Don is the protagonist, a new VP of Marketing.  He is responsible for a new line of burgers that has apparently made a lot of money for the fast food company, MICKEYS.  What do you think of this scene?  Do the men all seem almost plastic in their sentiments? Business discussion?  Do they represent the quintessential businessman?  During the discussion of recent profits, the corporate executives mention some marketing terms:

Focus Groups – groups that formed by users of the product around the country or in strategically important zones to test and/or discuss the improvement of a product. 

Demographic groups – groups representing a certain sector of the population.  Listen carefully because the demographic groups mentioned are very specific like “minivan dads.”

What do you think of the name of the burgers at Mickeys?  Ity Bity?  Little Big One?  Big One?

Next there is a scene in the flavour laboratory.  Listen to the names of the flavours they are able to produce synthetically/artificially:  liquid smoke, Caribbean flavours, lime, etc. 

The film starts to take off once Jack, the company president, calls Don in to give him an assignment away from the office – to verify the fecal (feces) count in the meat. 

As Don makes his way to Colorado to research the problem with meat contamination we meet Amber, the cashier at Micheys.  We see her at work.  We see her at home.  And then again at school.  When a friend asked how she could stand working at Mickeys, another friend responded that not everyone could be hired by Banana Republic.  The Banana Republic store is a chic clothing store that features young fashionable garments. Later in another conversation with Amber her girlfriend mentions a reference to a freshman in college.  This means a first year college student.

Amber is a high school student and serious about her studies.  Her mother seems younger that she is.  Why?  Later in the film Amber visits with her uncle Pete played by Ethan Hawke who poses a number of questions and concerns to her.  Listen to the problems and concerns he presents to Amber and discuss them one by one after the film.

Don receives a tour of the meat factory.  Later he is asked if he saw the “kill floor” or the “gut table.”  Can you imagine was parts of the factory these are?

Bruce Willis is featured mid-film.  His appearance is ironic.  Discuss the role of irony and why Bruce’s character and opinions are ironic to the message of the film.  He represents the person who acts as the middle-man between Mickeys and the Meat Factory.  He talks a lot about risk, harm, danger.  But he doesn’t care about anything, really, and finds no harm in the meat being contaminated – just as long as it’s cooked well.  Watch Bruce Willis’ monologue carefully and discuss its irony. 

Not long after this discussion about danger, a young Mexican worker does in fact get hurt in the machinery of the meat factory.  In trying to help out his friend, another young man falls, suffers a concussion and badly hurts his back.  Afterwards the company defends themselves with the potential health costs by saying the workers were on drugs and so the company has no obligation.

Toward the end of the film, there is a great deal of discussion about moral imperatives and about protesting the wrongs.  Watch for these scenes and be ready to discuss how the term responsibility is used.

The moral climax comes at the end of the film that the sweet innocent wife to be of one of the Mexican workers hurt in the factory does whatever she has to do to move forward. 

AFTER THE FILM

What did you think of the Mexicans presented in the film?  Were there Espanics oppressing other Espanics?  Or was it simply Whites oppressing Espanics?  Who was responsible for perpetuating the abuse on illegal aliens?  What did you think of the manager who consistently asked for sexual favours from women to help them?

What did you think of Amber?  Did you happen to notice what food she ate with her mother?  What did you think of her mother?  What was their relationship like as mother and daughter?  Did you notice how the mother asked for help with the payment of the electrical bill?

What did you think of the school scenes with Amber?  Compare the school scenes with the factory scenes.  What kinds of adjectives would you use to describe both?  After Don tours the factory he describes it as “state of the art,” and “high tech.”  Would you use the same words?

How would you describe the old ranch owner played by Kris Kristofferson?  He says he spends a lot of his time defending his land.  What does his reference to imminent domain mean?  Look up that term.  What do you find?

Do you remember the scene of the two male co-workers discussing WHERE to put their money.  This indeed is a problem for illegal immigrants.  They have no legal right to be in the country so they are worried about opening a bank account and not being able to access their money.  Wiring their funds back to Mexico is an option but 30% of the funds are taken by the wiring company itself.  This gives you an idea of how limited the movement is for an illegal immigrant. 

What did you think of the Bruce Willis character, Harry?  As an actor who usually fills roles of the only one willing to affront danger, his words are ironic.  Why?  During his conversation with Harry  Don begins to see the connection between Harry and the president of the company.  If he doesn’t want to loose his job, Don better shut up and not “make waves.”  What is your opinion of Don?  Harry?  Who is more moral?

How would you describe uncle Pete?  He did not want to see Amber in a uniform, especially a Mickeys uniform.  Why?  He talked about following ones passion, and maybe not being technically successful.  What does this mean?  Would you describe Pete as successful?  Would you describe him as responsible? 

The youth in the last part of the film have a number of conspiracy theories about the government, about the corporate world.  Describe some of them.  In the end, Amber quits her job because it doesn’t feel real.  She wants to do something else.  What is she talking about?  This balance between responsibility and passion is an interesting theme.  Is it more responsible to protest illegally or legally?  Is it more responsible to maintain your job or quit?  Is cutting the fence for the cows to get free a good idea?  Did it work? 

There was a reference to the Patriot Act.  Look that up on the internet.  What do you find?

The ending scenes are very painful to see.  First a man’s leg is cut off, then his friend who tries to help him damages his back and is accused of taking drugs himself so that the company pays no legal or medical bills.  Last, the innocent wife to be of the worker hurt in an accident “sells her soul” to maintain herself/boyfriend in America.  Where does that get her?

What does the last scene in the film mean?  WELCOME TO AMERICA.