Corn, Corn, and more Corn

Of all the documentaries we see, this documentary does not make me burnt-out. King Corn begins with two fellows, Ian and Curt who are curious city boys yearning to grow an acre of corn. So they pack up and relocate to Green, Iowa, a major location for corn producer. During the ninety minutes, they plant, spray and harvest their acre of corn while learning where their corn goes. Their curiosity and sense of humor adds a light touch to the severe topic of the “corn epidemic” which brings obesity and fat cows. Their high fructose corn syrup synthesis shows the nasty process, including the addition of sulfuric acid, making our beloved corn syrup that is mixed into our sodas and almost every item, and yet they giggle and show animated faces to make the audience have a good time.

 

They also show their good-nature when the cab driver tells his tale of obesity and diabetes, Ian and Curt show their emotions as if they are the audience themselves. This portrayal of emotion and sense of humor makes feel as if we are right there with them growing that acre of corn and figuring out where that corn goes. This sense of adventure goes through the heavy topics lightly, and somewhat quickly, so the audience does not feel bogged down with too much sadness or guilt of eating corn products. This way you learn the topic at hand instead of being burnt-out and not caring about the heavy topic. Ian and Curt, when presenting a heavy topic, come back from the heaviness by adding their quirky personalities and actions. As you watch the final scene where they play baseball on that single acre of land, you cannot help but laugh at their intolerance for the corn industry.

King Corn. Dir. Aaron Woolf. Perf. Ian Cheney Curt Ellis. Balcony Releasing, 2007. DVD.