Cafeteria Man

Gr 9 Up—The opening and closing shots of Chef Tony Geraci's sailboat in Baltimore Harbor are symbolic of the journey he undertook to completely change the content, delivery, and philosophy of the Baltimore, Maryland, school lunch program. Geraci is now the Food and Nutrition Director of the city's public school district, and this film follows him for two years as he attempts to revamp the lunch program in a district that serves 83,000 students. His comments about the possibility of using fresh meat and locally grown vegetables and fruits, interspersed with vignettes featuring kids growing and preparing fresh food, provide great evidence of how his vision could be implemented. Kids play a big role in this documentary. Their facial expressions and observations say more in many instances than the comments of noted food activist Michael Pollen and First Lady Michelle Obama. Some of the students even travel to testify before Congress about the importance of reforming the school lunch program. The scene where teens encounter raw oysters for the first time is a definite highlight, as is the comment by one teen about how important his commitment to the program feels to someone with minimal parental involvement. Geraci's progress and frequent frustrations are clarified by comments from administrators and city officials. His vision is emphasized in scenes featuring kids working on the small farm he set up as well as the hoop houses (greenhouses with plastic roofs) full of greens grown by students. While the project has not been a complete success, it is still a work in progress. Viewers will come away thinking about the possibilities of something similar for their own schools.—John R. Clark, Hartland Public Library, ME