'Food, Inc.' finds an unlikely corporate sponsor, 'Bruno' receives tyke-friendly edit

By Sarah Sluis

Could you imagine if Fast Food Nation were sponsored by a fast food chain? Chipotle seems to be doing just such a thing, giving out flyers for free screenings of Food, Inc., a documentary that explores the negative effects of factory farming and insufficient laws governing our food supply. While I love my barbacoa burritos from Chipotle, I never would have linked my consumption of them to the sustainable eating practices recommended in Food, Inc. Of course, that's the point. Chipotle wants to position itself as the "good" fast casual option against the "bad" fast food shown in the film, such as Burger King. I blogged about the thought-provoking film in June, and I find it even more interesting that its activist message has found a corporate sponsor.

Food, Inc. stands apart for its practical, rather than radical, approach to changing the food we eat. The documentary makes a point to single out companies that aren't standing alone, but changing factory farming by throwing themselves into the mainstream. Stonyfield Farms, for example, was bought by the Dannon corporation, and is sold in Walmart stores. The CEO defends the company's decision, saying that if more yogurt is organic, fewer pesticides and chemicals will be circulating in the environment. Food, Inc. suggests that food companies (i.e. Tyson) are so gargantuan,

they simply can't change, but most acquire upstarts and, perhaps,

slowly incorporate more sustainable, healthy methods of farming and

processing. McDonald's owned Chipotle until 2006, when it sold off all of its non-McDonald's food chains. So even McDonald's, much reviled for some of its corporate practices, allowed another company to experiment with organics and environmentally sustainable products, which is consistent with Food, Inc.'s message. Perhaps in the future, we'll see more corporations "endorse" documentaries--a practice that, when done properly, I'm sure will have mutually beneficial results. Maybe an anti-Sea World company will want to make a play for The Cove?

Across the pond, Universal is trying a different distribution strategy for Bruno, which had less-than-spectacular results in its first weekend. After grossing just $8.1 million (U.S. $) its opening weekend, Universal submitted a 15-and-over version of the movie to the British Board of Film Classification. English-speaking countries like the U.K. and Australia posted the highest grosses for Borat, so Universal clearly wants to fully tap this market. With a more inclusive rating, Universal hopes to be able to draw in younger viewers, who apparently have been "turned away" at ticket booths. Considering that the BBC airs youth-oriented programs like "Skins" that make our teen soaps look G-rated, I'm sure teens are annoyed and even turning to illegal downloads to see the film. Importantly, this will be a rare chance to see the difference ratings make on the bottom line. You constantly hear directors complaining about studios making them cut

to get a specific rating, so this will provide a nice experiment to see

how much truth there is to the conventional wisdom.