Fast Food Nation is a 2006 drama film directed by Richard Linklater and written by Linklater and Eric Schlosser. An international co-production of the United States and the United Kingdom, it is loosely based on Schlosser's 2001 non-fiction book.
Fast Food Nation was released on 17 November 2006 by Fox Searchlight Pictures in the United States and Canada, Tartan Films in the United Kingdom, and HanWay Films in other territories. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $2.2 million.
Plot
Don Anderson is the Mickey's hamburger chain marketing director who helped develop the "Big One," its most popular menu item. When he learns that independent research has discovered a considerable presence of fecal matter in the meat, he travels to the fictitious town of Cody, Colorado to determine if the local Uni-Globe meatpacking processing plant, Mickey's main meat supplier, is guilty of sloppy production. Don's tour shows him only the pristine work areas and most efficient procedures, assuring him that everything the company produces is immaculate.
Suspicious of the façade he's been shown, Don meets rancher Rudy Martin, who used to supply cattle to the Uni-Globe plant. Rudy and his Chicana housekeeper both assure him that because of the plant's production level, several safety regulations are ignored or worked against; workers have no time to make sure that the manure coming from the intestines stays away from the meat. Don later meets with Harry Rydell, executive VP of Mickey's, who admits being aware of the issue, but is not concerned.