Forks Over Knives

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Forks Over Knives
Forks Over Knives movie poster.png
Theatrical release poster
Directed byLee Fulkerson
Written byLee Fulkerson
Produced byJohn Corry
Brian Wendel
Starring T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D
Caldwell Esselstyn, M.D.
John A. McDougall, M.D.
Neal D. Barnard, M.D.
Rip Esselstyn
Edited byJohn Orfanopoulos
Brian Crance
Michael Fahey
Music byRamón Balcázar
Production
company
Monica Beach Media
Distributed byVirgil Films and Entertainment
Release dates
May 6, 2011 (limited release)
August 30, 2011 (DVD) [1]
Running time
96 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Forks Over Knives is a 2011 American documentary film which argues that avoiding animal products and Ultra-processed foods, and instead eating a whole-food, plant-based diet (whole grains, legumes, tubers, vegetables, and fruits), may serve as a form of chronic illness intervention.

Contents

Summary

Through an examination of the careers of American physician Caldwell Esselstyn and professor of nutritional biochemistry T. Colin Campbell, Forks Over Knives claims that many diseases, including obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer, can be prevented and treated by eating a whole-food, plant-based diet, avoiding processed food and food from animals. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

The film includes an overview of the 20-year China–Cornell–Oxford Project that led to Professor Campbell's findings, outlined in his book The China Study (2005), in which he suggests that coronary artery disease, diabetes, obesity, and cancer can be linked to the Western diet of processed and animal-based foods (including dairy products). [8]

Reception

The film premiere took place on May 2, 2011 at the SilverScreen Theater at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood. Actor Angela Basset attended the premiere. [9]

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 59% based on reviews from 37 critics. [10] On Metacritic, the film had an average score of 57 out of 100, based on 18 reviews, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. [11]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three out of four stars and wrote: "here is a film that could save your life." He commented that "Forks Over Knives is not subtle. It plays as if it had been made for doctors to see in medical school." [12] Loren King of The Boston Globe gave it three out of four stars and remarked that "what An Inconvenient Truth did for global warming, Lee Fulkerson's persuasive documentary does for a vegan diet". [5] Carrie Rickey of The Philadelphia Inquirer gave the film three out of four stars and described it as "an earnest and fact-filled work of food evangelism." [13] Jeannette Catsoulis of the New York Times described it as making "a pedantic yet persuasive case for banishing meat and dairy from the dinner table," while also being a "trudge through statistics, graphs and grainy film of cholesterol bubbles and arterial plaque." [14]

Sean O'Connell of The Washington Post gave the film two out of four stars and argued that it is "an interesting and informative health lecture that's sandwiched into a dry, repetitive documentary" and said that "it's desperately in need of charisma, humor or personality to balance the steady stream of scientific facts we're asked to absorb". [15] Rex Reed of The New York Observer gave the film 2/4, criticizing its "funereal" tone and writing, "the movie says nothing we don't already know, and 96 minutes is too long to tell us how sick we are." [16] Corey Hall of the Metro Times gave the film a "C" and stated that "while it's impossible to dispute the basic premise that eating more vegetables is good for you, Forks adopts a staunch anti-meat and -dairy stance that leaves the door open for criticism." [17]

Producer Brian Wendel told journalist Avery Yale Kamila of the Portland Press Herald that "it's been very hard to get publicity. It's happened several times at very large publications who said, 'We're sorry, we can't (run a story about the film) because of our advertisers." Kamila reported that "Despite the trouble the filmmakers encountered with some mainstream media outlets, the film has generated significant buzz in the social media sphere." [18]

The film was awarded the Documentary/Special Interest Title of the Year in 2012 by the Entertainment Merchants Association. [19]

Books

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plant-based diet</span> Diet consisting mostly or entirely of plant-based foods

A plant-based diet is a diet consisting mostly or entirely of plant-based foods. Plant-based diets encompass a wide range of dietary patterns that contain low amounts of animal products and high amounts of fiber-rich plant products such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. They do not need to be vegan or vegetarian but are defined in terms of low frequency of animal food consumption.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neal D. Barnard</span> American physician, author, and clinical researcher

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Diet for a New America is a 1987 bestselling nonfiction book by John Robbins. The book links the impacts of factory farming on human health, animal welfare and the environment, in an "animal-rights, pro-environment, vegetarian message." It was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Non-Fiction in 1987.

<i>The China Study</i> 2005 non-fiction book by T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell II

The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health is a book by T. Colin Campbell and his son, Thomas M. Campbell II. The book argues for health benefits of a whole food plant-based diet. It was first published in the United States in January 2005 and had sold over one million copies as of October 2013, making it one of America's best-selling books about nutrition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T. Colin Campbell</span> American biochemist

Thomas Colin Campbell is an American biochemist who specializes in the effect of nutrition on long-term health. He is the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University.

<i>Diet for a Small Planet</i> 1971 book by Frances Moore Lappé

Diet for a Small Planet is a 1971 book by Frances Moore Lappé. It was a bestseller in the West, and argues for the potential role of soy as a superior form of protein. It demonstrates the environmental impact of meat production and a contributor to global food scarcity. She argued for environmental vegetarianism—practicing a vegetarian lifestyle out of concerns over animal-based industries and the production of animal-based products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gene Baur</span> American author and activist

Gene Baur, formerly known as Gene Bauston, is an author and activist in the animal rights and food movement. He’s been called the "conscience of the food movement" by Time magazine, and opposes factory farming and advocates for what he believes would be a more just and respectful food system. Baur is president and co-founder of Farm Sanctuary, a farm animal protection organization. He is vegan and has been involved with animal rights since he co-founded Farm Sanctuary in 1986. Baur has authored two books and various articles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vegetarian Diet Pyramid</span> Nutrition guide for a healthy vegetarian diet

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caldwell Esselstyn</span> American physician

Caldwell Blakeman Esselstyn Jr. is an American physician, author and former Olympic rowing champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suzy Amis Cameron</span> American environmental advocate, actress, and model

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Greger</span> American physician, author, and vegan health activist

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<i>Planeat</i> 2010 British film

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<i>Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead</i> 2010 film

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rip Esselstyn</span> American health activist

Rip Esselstyn is an American health activist, food writer, and former firefighter and triathlete. He is known as an advocate of low-fat, whole-food, plant-based diet that excludes all animal products and processed foods. He calls it a "plant strong" diet, a term he has trademarked. He has appeared in two documentaries about plant-based nutrition: Forks Over Knives (2011) and The Game Changers (2018). He is the author of The Engine 2 Diet (2009), My Beef With Meat (2013), Plant-Strong (2016), and The Engine 2 Seven-Day Rescue Diet (2017).

<i>What the Health</i> 2017 documentary film critiquing the health effects of meat, eggs and dairy products consumption

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<i>The Game Changers</i> 2018 American documentary film

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<i>Eating You Alive</i> 2018 American film

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References

  1. Times, Seattle (2011-08-30). "New DVDs: 'Madea's Big Happy Family,' 'Forks Over Knives'". Seattletimes.com. Archived from the original on April 15, 2013.
  2. "The Forks Over Knives Diet Explained - Frequently Asked Questions". forksoverknives.com.
  3. Hickman, Angela (16 May 2011). "The food revolution of Forks Over Knives will not be processed". National Post.
  4. Knight, Chris (19 May 2011). "Film Review: Forks Over Knives (3 stars)". National Post.
  5. 1 2 Loren King, "Documentary argues virtues of a vegan diet", The Boston Globe, 16 May 2011.
  6. Jeannette Catsoulis, "Soul Food, Vegan Style", The New York Times, 5 May 2011.
  7. Kasey, "Exclusive interview with Lee Fulkerson, writer and director of 'Forks Over Knives'", TDIV, 21 December 2011.
  8. "Forks Over Knives: The Official Movie Website (Synopsis)" . Retrieved 2012-04-20.
  9. Staff, G. O. T. (2011-05-04). "Celebs Seen on the Scene: Anika Noni Rose, Idris Elba, Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon and More!". Gossip On This. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  10. "Forks Over Knives". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 2019-09-19.
  11. "Forks Over Knives: Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved 2015-02-10.
  12. Roger Ebert (11 May 2011). "'Forks over Knives' review". Chicago Sun-Times.
  13. "'Forks Over Knives': A bad-diet horror story". The Philadelphia Inquirer . 2011-05-19.
  14. Catsoulis, Jeannette (2011-05-06). "Soul Food, Vegan Style". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  15. Forks over Knives review, The Washington Post. May 13, 2011.
  16. "New York Observer Review". Observer.com. Retrieved 2015-09-09.
  17. Hall, Corey. "Forks Over Knives Metro Times Review". Metrotimes.com. Archived from the original on 2013-05-12. Retrieved 2015-09-09.
  18. Kamila, Avery Yale (2011-06-08). "Natural Foodie: Film prescribes whole foods, plant-based diet". Press Herald. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  19. "EMA Recognizes Indie Films and TV Series," 2012 Entertainment Merchants Association’s Independent Home Entertainment Award, June 2012.