Super size me

Super size me is an expository documentary about the fast food branch, McDonalds and the effects it can have on the human body if over indulged in.

Morgan Spurlock took it on himself to have McDonalds 3 times a day for both breakfast, Lunch and dinner over the course of a month. Throughout the month he is seen by 3 physicians, A cardiologist a gastroenterologist and a general practitioner. As well as a nutritionist and a personal trainer.

Rules that Spurlock must follow:

• He must eat every item on the menu at least once in the 30 day period • He must only eat things on the McDonald's menu including drinks.• If Offered to ‘Super size’ the meal he must accept the offer.• He has to walk the same or less amount of steps that the average American walks in a day.• He must consume McDonalds for all 3 meals of the day.

Outline of the documentary

Directed by: Morgan Spurlock

Produced by: Morgan Spurlock

written by: Morgan Spurlock

starring: Morgan Spurlock

Cinematography by: Scott Ambrozy 

Edited by: Julie ‘bob’ Lombari

Production company: The Con

Distributed by: Samuel Goldwyn films roadside attraction

Budget: $65,000

Box office: $25,592,368

Tagline: A film of epic proportions

Running time: 98 min

Language: English

Production details

Type of documentary and the features that it employs

Super size me is a expository documentary which usually either have a main topic/ argument being enforced within them. There usually built up of facts opinions and in supersize me’s case different techniques in which putting across the point that fast food is as big of a problem as smoking/drinking.

Expository documentaries the commentator/ subject (Morgan Spurlock) talk to the viewers. The documentaries are usually built up of different features which include interviews/ Reconstructions and facts.

The purpose of the documentary is to expose what binge eating fast food everyday can do to the human body. Spurlock’s purpose of the documentary is to tell us that advertising is powerful and children need help to find healthy food alternates along with adults.

The message behind the documentary is the fast food restaurants aren't the ones to blame us as responsible people and consumers are.

The message and purpose of the documentary

NarrationIn “supersize me” Morgan Spurlock is the narrator. He also appears throughout the documentary as he’s the one who took up the challenge. The medical specialist are examples where Spurlock only narrates over the clips he does this as these are omniscient and trustworthy characters as they explain in depth all the medical statistics to do with Spurlock's health as the weeks progress. During these scenes Spurlock just sits back as these people are specialist in what they do and any information that is given to him can help him during his month.

Script/structureThe script/structure of supersize me is thought out to be hard hitting from the start, as the first scene is a group of young children all sat down singing the fast food song. This is a very hard hitting start as children are shown to be most vulnerable as they don’t know what eating fast food can do to them. Also during this opening scene the camera mainly focuses towards the more overweight children, just to put forward the main point of this documentary.

The documentary then refers back to the use of children in the last day of Spurlock’s McDonalds binge as on his ‘last McDonalds supper’ he sits with parents with young children that are all happily playing in the play park doing this shows us the children's vulnerability and most of all is the most hard hitting of all people eating McDonald’s.

Throughout the main sections of the documentary most of the show is based around statistics and the intakes that Spurlock is taking in. There is the use of lots of facts and studies around the subject that is shown which reinforces the argument that Spurlock is putting across.

Stereotyping/SimplificationThroughout the documentary there is stereotyping, this is done as the camera only shows the people of the general public that are fat and walking into the McDonalds branches by doing this it reinforces Sperlock’s argument of the public eating to much fast food leading to weight issues.

Spurlock plans for this documentary is to find out is it solely the food companies fault on the obesity increase or is it the people are who to blame?

ReconstructionsOne of the reconstructions at the start of the documentary show us a blue print of 2 young girls whose parents filed a law suit against McDonalds due to them being overweight (as seen below). It shows both girls sizes in both height and weight and compares it to the nations average.

Another scene in which really builds to Sperlock’s argument that has a reconstruction is the scene where ‘Fat’ cartoon characters go up to the counter to buy food. It then goes on to talk about that McDonald's have there own group name for there customers the ‘heavy users’ and the ‘super heavy users’ both of which have the appropriate size cartoon characters labelling each.

There is also another re-construction scene in which the chairmen/bosses are made saying how much money they spent on marketing with McDonalds being the most. Followed by candy and Pepsi. Finally it refers to the 5 a day fruit and veg campaign. Being over 100% less spent on marketing healthy products. Furthering the point that McDonalds is a day to day talked about and heard about company.

Interviews are carried during the documentary Spurlock interviews the public asking them a series of question such as, ‘how often do you eat McDonalds a week? When he does this he asks a variety of different sized people he does this so that his point isn’t biased but he still goes on to chose people that are slightly above average weight doing these he gets the answers that he wants to hear.

Throughout the documentary several interviews take place with the cardiologist, gastroenterologist and a general practitioner during these interviews Spurlock doesn’t speak as the people are specialist’s in what they do and he can learn from what they are saying.

He then goes on to do interviews/questions with children showing them a variety of pictures and finally the Ronald McDonald he does this as the children are the innocent victims of obesity doing this makes you feel very sympathetic towards them.

Interviews

Impact/Influence

After Supersize me was released McDonalds then went on to abolish the ‘supersize’ portion meals from there menus across the US 6 weeks after the release of super size me. (Which has now been re-introduced).The impacts on Morgan Spurlock was that his cholesterol went up sharply and he had gained a total of 24.5 pounds in weight over the course of the month. As a result of this Sperlock had to go on a strict diet over the course of 4 months so that he could revert to his previous body shape. This then saw the introduction of the ‘go active’ adult happy meal introduced to there menu which was scheduled to be introduced the day before ‘supersize me’ was released to the cinema’s across the US.Later into the future we have also seen the introduction of more healthy alternates such as the McDonalds fruit bag for kids.

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