| Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| 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 |
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Running time | 97 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead is a 2010 American documentary film which follows the 60-day journey of AustralianJoe Cross across the United States as he follows ajuice fast to regain his health under the care ofJoel Fuhrman, Nutrition Research Foundation's Director of Research.[1]
The 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 aplant-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 fromSheldon, 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]
Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead won the Turning Point Award and shared the Audience Choice Award – Documentary Film at the 2010Sonoma International Film Festival.[14]
The film has received mixed reviews with review aggregation websiteRotten Tomatoes giving it a rating of 69% "fresh"[15] andMetacritic 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] JournalistAvery 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]
