Lunch Line

Lunch Line from 2010 is a thought-provoking documentary that delves into the complex and contentious world of school lunches in America. This movie offers an insightful perspective on the ups and downs of the National School Lunch Program, a system designed to feed millions of children each day.

The movie, directed by Ernie Park and Michael Graziano, navigates through the history of this program, critically examining its intentions, impact, and results. While the National School Lunch Program's purpose stems from the noble effort to provide nutrition to all children, the documentary reveals how it has evolved into a political and economically-charged battleground. Lunch Line brings to the fore a wide spectrum of viewpoints from lawmakers, school food service workers, activists, and politicians.

The narrative of Lunch Line is uniquely structured, inviting dialogue about the past, present, and future of school lunches in America. In the backdrop of this exhaustive analysis, the film unravels the story of six students from Tilden Career Community Academy High School in Chicago who won a cooking contest to serve their school lunch recipe to congressional leaders.

The directors, with commendable subtlety, use the story of these students as an illustration of the possibility, the potential that can be achieved, and the obstacles to overcome. Their journey, while creating an engaging thread, also mirrors the broader challenges and victories of the National School Lunch Program. From the winning recipe's ingredients to the rigors and constraints of preparing it on a mass scale under budget limitations, their story encapsulates the complexities of the issue at hand.

The film’s indirect commentary is expressed through stark comparisons and contrasts. While on one hand, we see vegetables being chopped with care, culinary skills being honed, and pride in a dish making its way to Congress, we also glimpse at the less appealing realities of processed meals, food quality debates, and the bureaucracy surrounding changes in school dining halls.

Lunch Line presents a comprehensive panorama of issues – nutritional, political, economic, and social – that are intertwined with school lunches. It explores factors such as the hidden cost of cheap food, the influence of agricultural lobbies, the battle against childhood obesity, and the side-effects of governmental legislation.

The film features a variety of voices, not just from inside the school systems but from outside as well, including government officials, child nutrition advocates, food historians, and critics of the program. Perhaps the most compelling among them is Ed Cooney, Deputy Director of the Congressional Hunger Center who brings a balanced viewpoint to the discussion, articulating the complex constraints and challenges of feeding, educating, and taking care of America’s schoolchildren.

Essentially, Lunch Line is a movie that uses the concept of school lunches as a lens through which to view a more significant conversation about children, nutrition, and education in America. Moreover, it's a call to action, urging viewers to consider the importance of healthy nutrition to the future of our children, and as a result, our nation.

The cinematography is straightforward and often stark, letting the subject matter take the spotlight. The editing strikes a balance between the historical survey of the lunch program and the tale of the student chefs. The soundtrack enhances the storytelling, evoking an array of emotions as the narrative unfolds.

Overall, Lunch Line offers not only a critique but also a hopeful panorama of the future. Despite confronting the realities and bureaucracies of the school lunch system, the film ends on a positive note, suggesting that change is possible. Though acknowledging the monumental task of feeding every child a nutritious meal every school day, it suggests that the work is necessary and achievable.

In conclusion, Lunch Line is an enlightening exploration of an aspect of American society that may seem mundane but is rather profound. It's a film that is sure to provoke thoughtful conversation about how we feed our children, what we teach them about food, and what that says about our values as a nation.