Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead is a 2010 American documentary film which follows the 60-day journey of Australian Joe Cross across the United States as he follows a juice fast to regain his health under the care of Joel Fuhrman, Nutrition Research Foundation's Director of Research.[1]
| Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Joe Cross Kurt Engfehr |
| Written by | Joe Cross Robert Mac |
| Produced by | Stacey Offman |
| Starring | Joe Cross Joel Fuhrman Phil Staples |
| Cinematography | Rick López Max Polley Jamie Rosenberg |
| Edited by | Alison Amron Christopher Seward |
| Music by | M. E. Manning |
| Distributed by | Gravitas Ventures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 97 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Summary
editThe feature-length film follows Cross, who was depressed, weighed 310 lbs, suffered from a serious autoimmune disease, and was on steroids at the start of the film, as he embarks on a juice fast.[2] Cross and Robert Mac, co-creators of the film, both serve on the Nutrition Research Foundation's Advisory Board.[3][4] Following his fast and the adoption of a plant-based diet, Cross states in a press release that he lost 100 pounds and discontinued all medications.[5][6][7] During his road-trip Cross meets Phil Staples, a morbidly obese truck driver from Sheldon, Iowa, in a truck stop in Arizona and inspires him to try juice fasting.[8][9][10] A sequel to the first film, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead 2, was released in 2014.[11][12][13]
Awards
editFat, Sick, and Nearly Dead won the Turning Point Award and shared the Audience Choice Award – Documentary Film at the 2010 Sonoma International Film Festival.[14]
Critical reception
editThe film has received mixed reviews with review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes giving it a rating of 69% "fresh"[15] and Metacritic having an average score of 45 out of 100, based on 5 reviews.[16] The Hollywood Reporter called it an "infomercial passing itself off a documentary".[17] The New York Times stated that the film is "no great shakes as a movie, but as an ad for Mr. Cross's wellness program its now-healthy heart is in the right place".[18] Journalist Avery Yale Kamila reviewed the film in 2011, reporting Cross planned to continue avoiding junk food and "eating a diet centered around whole food." She reported Cross had created an online community called Reboot Your Life.[19]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Nutrition Research Foundation: Scientific and Research Boards – Joel Fuhrman, M.D., Director of Research". Nutritional Research Foundation.
- ^ "Joe Cross - Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead". London Real. 2015-05-31. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
- ^ "Nutrition Research Foundation: Advisory Board – RJoe Cross". Nutritional Research Foundation.
- ^ "Nutrition Research Foundation: Advisory Board – Robert Mac". Nutritional Research Foundation.
- ^ Rachel Sturtz (November 23, 2012). "Wellness: Juice is the Word". 5280. Archived from the original on 2013-02-13.
- ^ "Official press release" (PDF). Reboot Media.
- ^ Charlotte McDonagh (January 2, 2015). ""Half my calories come from plants" weight loss tips". Daily Express.
- ^ Derrick Vander Waal (September 3, 2008). "Nothing But Juice: Sheldon man drops 95 pounds during documented 61-day fast". The Sheldon Mail-Sun. Vol. 137, no. 16.
- ^ "Joe Cross interviewed on CBS "Virginia This Morning"". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2013-01-28.
- ^ Sidney Fussell (May 3, 2016). "One man's journey and determination to becoming healthy". Tech Insider.
- ^ Paul, Graham (September 21, 2014). "Being Vegan – Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead 2". Las Vegas Informer.
- ^ Amy Cooper (February 14, 2015). ""Fat, Sick and Nearly dead 2" – promote juicing". The Sydney Morning Herald.
- ^ Maggie Bowers (March 9, 2016). "Reporter's friend takes on juicing and tell all". Newnan Times-Herald.
- ^ "2010 Award Winners". Sonoma International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 2015-02-14.
- ^ "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead (2011)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
- ^ "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead". Metacritic. Retrieved 2012-10-10.
- ^ Frank Scheck (2011-03-31). "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead: Movie Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
- ^ Jeanette Catsoulis (March 31, 2011). "A Road-Trip Diet". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
- ^ Kamila, Avery Yale (2011-04-27). "Natural Foodie: Film documents life-changing impact of juicing". Press Herald. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
