The Writers Guild of America has named Super Size Me, written by Morgan Spurlock, as the winner of the Guild's first-ever Documentary Screenplay Award for outstanding achievement in documentary writing for the screen during 2004. The newly-created award was presented by producer Brian Grazer at a SRO reception for over 400 nonfiction filmmakers February 15 at the Roosevelt Hotel (hey, I've DJ'd there) in Hollywood.

Created to recognize the rising profile of documentary features, as well as the writer's primary role in nonfiction filmmaking, this inaugural WGA award illustrates that nonfiction writers collect images from reality and shape them into a story. It doesn't just happen by itself, bud.

Academy Award-nominee Spurlock, up for this year's Oscar for Best Documentary Feature for Super Size Me, is a writer, director, and producer, as well as founder of The Con, the production company behind the fast-food indie hit documentary.

For the film, Spurlock hit the road and interviewed experts in 20 U.S. cities, including Houston, the "Fattest City" in America. From Surgeon Generals to gym teachers, cooks to kids, lawmakers to legislators, these authorities shared their research and opinions on America's ever-expanding girth.

During the journey, Spurlock eat nothing but McDonald's for an entire month with three simple rules:

1) No options: he could only eat what was available over the counter (water included!)
2) No supersizing unless offered
3) No excuses: he had to eat every item on the menu at least once

He gained 25lbs and suffered ill-effects to his liver, cholesterol levels and mental health. Perhaps not coincidentally, McDonald's discontinued the "super-size" program in the wake of the film.

It's all pretty interesting except for one thing: only the most abject brain-sucked imbecile — or documentary filmmaker — would eat nothing but McDonald's for a month.

We have a wealth of reviews of SSM:

Super Size Me
Yanks are a nation of bloated slobs who keep cramming it in. The number of overweight yanks has doubled since 1980 and obesity now ranks as 2nd to smoking in terms of number of preventable deaths every year.
Posted in Blogcritics Archives on December 29, 2004 12:35 PM

Review: Super Size Me
Super Size Me is the creation of Morgan Spurlock and it's a heck of an idea: Eat nothing but McDonald's food for 30 days straight... breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If it's not on the menu, he won't eat it. He...
Posted in Blogcritics Archives on November 14, 2004 11:34 AM