Behind the scenes in two forms:Fast Food Nation and Jesus Camp

Doing the double feature review here, looking at two movies that offer behind-the-scenes looks: one a documentary, the other a fictional account of actual events.

Fast Food Nation, the latest movie by director Richard Linklater, features of a host of stars in its story about corruption in a meat plant that caters to a major fast food chain. It follows two storylines: one about Don Anderson (Greg Kinnear), an ad executive of Mickey’s fast food chain investigating meat contamination and employee abuse at the plant that supplies his company, the other about Mexicans working illegally at the plant.
The main character in the Mexican story is Sylvia, played by Catalina Sandino Moreno, who was superb in Maria, Full of Grace. Sylvia works at the plant after her husband (That 70s Show’s Wilmer Valderrama) is disabled in an accident there. She, as are most of the other workers, is subjected to abuses, mostly at the hands of a slimy supervisor.
Anderson, while appalled at the conditions at the plant, must consider his career first, especially since his chances of beating the system look slim.
The massive ensemble cast includes Luis Guzman, Esai Morales, Patricia Arquette, Kris Kristofferson, Ethan Hawke, Bruce Willis and Avril Lavigne, who is hilarious as a naïve (aren’t they all?) animal rights activist.
Nation is very entertaining but, while it may be enlightening to some, holds few surprises in its exposure of the evil corporations that are McDonald’s and Burger King. If you’ve seen the excellent documentary, The Corporation, it’s that in a fictional presentation.
Also, Nation is too preachy at times and pretty clear on where it stands, although I loved the scene where the animal rights people try and free the cows, only to find the cows don’t want to go (this is also a mirror image of the Mexican workers, who prefer to stay in their abusive, crappy jobs because their life was actually worse in Mexico).
One thing I hadn’t seen before: the workings of a slaughterhouse, up close. It will disturb and disgust most but, because we’re all mostly soulless drones, we’ll move on in no time and order a burger next time we’re out.

Jesus Camp, meanwhile, takes us inside an American evangelical summer camp for kids. This is a straight up doc, with no clever commentary or manipulation, ala Michael Moore, which is great because it lets the evangelicals actually reveal themselves for the monsters they are.
We watch as children are indoctrinated in a manner reminiscent of those old Nazi propaganda films and are taught about the evils of public education, Harry Potter and homosexuality. Not surprisingly, they are taught to worship a life-size cardboard picture of President Bush.
Feeling the need to add some conflict and balance, directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady injected the ramblings of radio host Mike Papantonio, a Christian himself but one who is opposed to the stern, fundamental approach of the evangelicals. There is a nice moment when he takes on the head of the camp, Becky Fischer, on his talk show.
The three children at the centre of the film are alternately cute and frightening; cute because of their naivete and sincerity, frightening because of their zeal and certainty.
If you thought the Crusades and the Inquisition were long gone and could never happen again – think again. The religious right is as strong as ever and training little Christian soldiers to march all over you and your rights.
And, somewhere, Jesus weeps.