By Katie Walstrom

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“Food Inc.”

Although this film is interesting and informative, if you enjoy eating meat, I don’t suggest seeing how it is made. Due to grotesquely graphic scenes, I wouldn’t say this film is child-friendly. It did, however, open my eyes to the horrors of how fast food is made. The film touches on subjects such as the appalling conditions in which farm animals are kept and the way they are treated, which is one subject that upsets me quite a bit. I now see the false advertising that meat and dairy products use thanks to the information given to me through this film.

I believe this film will change the way people eat and the way they shop for groceries, if it hasn’t already. The film promotes organic alternatives, which I see more and more people switching to. The effect of films like this on society is already becoming prevalent, so I can safely say that director and writer Robert Kenner was successful in spreading his message of the unsanitary, current methods of food production. “Food Inc.” is incredibly thought-provoking and has the power to change how people view the food they eat.

“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”

This animated film is loaded with celebrity voices such as SNL stars Bill Hader, Anna Faris, Andy Sandberg and Will Forte, along with other famous stars Neil Patrick Harris, Lauren Graham, Mr. T and Al Roker. Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were able to create a children’s film that not only held the attention of kids but adults as well.

I watched this while baby sitting a three-year-old, and we were both laughing and were continuously entertained. The film ties morals with entertainment and is subtle about it. Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader), the nerdy underdog you can’t help but love, shows kids never to give up on your dreams and that anything is possible. Sam Sparks (Anna Faris), the pretty news reporter in a field of all men, gives girls a sense that women can accomplish anything and that they are beautiful no matter how people judge their outer appearance.

“Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” is hilariously entertaining as well as heart-warming, and it’s appropriate for all ages.

“Julie & Julia”

Nora Ephron’s 2009 hit based on a true story is filled with familiar faces. Starring in the film are Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. The film switches back and forth between Amy Adams’ character, Julie, in present day, and Meryl Streeps’ character, Julia, in 1949.

I enjoyed how blogging, the modern diary, was incorporated through Julie as she embarks on her cooking adventure. Ephron did an excellent job on capturing the similarities between Julie and Julia with the sequencing of scenes where Julia experiences something, and then the film moves to present-day Julie dealing with something similar. Meryl Streep captured the personality (and voice) of the real Julia Child perfectly. Although at times I found her character overly-flamboyant and exhaustingly excited about food, she was overall delightfully humorous.

Although I found this film entertaining overall, it seemed to lose its momentum near the end. At one point, the movie veered away from the story line with a short excerpt with Julie and her husband, and there were some slightly awkward, unnecessary sexual references. But all in all, it was a worthwhile film with phenomenal acting and an original, entertaining plot.