'LBS. The movie about eating

April 27, 2010

There's a very interesting " food movie " showing right now at the Lagoon Cinema.

The film was an award winner at Sundance in 2004 but just made it to release as

a " documentary " . In the same way " Supersize Me " got into our fast food psyche,

and in the way " Precious " changed how we think about " fat " people, you will

definitely be affected by this incredible story.

The story is about a guy who grows up FAT in an Italian Catholic neighborhood

near the Bronx in NYC. His mother shows the love for her son in the form of

heaping bowls of her " special pasta " and tempts him with her " special gravy " . To

refuse the endless stream of good food is sadly out of the question. As we see

though, there is a limit to all good things! By the time the story begins our

anti-hero is almost 30, still living at home, and has ballooned up to a

whale-like 310#. In the opening scene he suffers a survivable heart attack,

wrecks the school bus he's driving and ends up in the hospital for angioplasty.

His medical problems also creates a complex array of crises at home. Supposedly

on a strict medical diet, he commands friends to sneak him food, he goes " for a

walk " but only to his favorite pasta joints for massive platefuls of pasta and

Italian pastries. He's hopelessly addicted, actually gaining weight on his new

" diet " . At the bottom of a dark spiral he takes off for parts unknown, destined

to find himself (or die) ending in a rough woodsy area of beautiful upstate NY

where for $5100 he buys a ramshackle trailer (that the previous owner died in!),

3 acres, a pond. It is here that he will made a stand and try to find hope for

overcoming his food addiction. Mama, who doesn't know where her " baby " is, goes

into a deep depression and food binge. Interspersed are touching scenes of

conversations with his best friend who is addicted as well, but in his case

addicted to several dangerous drugs. The arguments as to who's personal

addiction is worse, food or drugs, is classic (and painful). There are many

sweet moments as well. The story gets more interesting at every turn, with no

typical plot cliches or tidy wrap-ups. This is real life, folks.

If you love food, if you have ever wondered about a food addiction, or if you

have ever been stuck with someone who confuses food with love, this is a film

for you. If you are of Italian Catholic roots and go see this film, all I've got

to say, is " be careful " ! Either way, it's a film about the " human-ness " of us

all, that will stick with you for a long time.

Will Winter

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