Directed by Marisa Miller Wolfson
What happens when you get three committed carnivores to agree to eating—gulp!—vegan for six weeks? You turn a few lives upside down and open their eyes not only to a different way of eating but to a gruesome side of the meat industry. Writer/director Marisa Miller Wolfson uses a lighthearted approach to take viewers along on the journey. But she also manages to pack in a lot of solid information on the benefits of both vegetarian and vegan diets.
The film follows the three would-be vegans: Brian, who considers bacon to be its own food group; Tesla, a college student whose diet excludes all veggies; and Ellen, a single mom who would rather perform her stand-up comedy act than cook. We see them struggle while they completely turn their diets (and lives) upside down. We watch them discover changes that benefit their health and the environment. What started as a quick romp—and maybe a way to drop a few pounds—turns into something more. Along the way, the trio discovers a very unpleasant side to the meat they are putting on their dinner tables, and the way animals are treated before and during slaughter. And an important note is necessary here: part of their vegucation involves some very graphic video of slaughterhouses, including a stealth visit to a local farmhouse. While none of it is gratuitous, it is still disturbing.
This film is a great starting point for anyone considering a change in eating and lifestyle, whether it’s becoming vegetarian or taking the full plunge into veganism. It doesn’t preach, but certainly provides plenty of food for thought.
—Jacquelin Sonderling
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