You know what? Make that a DOUBLE quarter-pounder, you preaching ass: "Fast Food Nation"

And hell, put some bacon on it. The more animals killed for my meal, the better.

I never thought while reading this pretty good book a few years ago that it could become a movie. First, it was nonfiction. Second, it went all over the country. Third, it pretty much called McDonald's a bunch of murderous pr!cks. No matter how much money such a movie grossed -- and I do mean gross -- it wouldn't be enough to pay the legal fees from the lawsuits.

But they didn't count on one thing: Richard Linklater. Yes, Mr. Experimental strikes again. Maybe an odd choice given there's no reefer or weird animation. But here's a guy who has done ensemble stuff before, so why not?

Our story follows a bunch of folks from very different backgrounds that end up in the fictional town of Cody, Colorado, which apparently has gone from a small burg to a booming mecca for all kind of chain restaurants. One of them is "Mickey's," a fast-food joint modeled after, of course, Taco Bell. (In case you really can't tell, we get one clear shot of a McDonald's early on.)

Greg Kinnear plays the new marketing guru at Mickey's, and he's dispatched to Cody to visit the meat-processing plant after reports that "The Big One" -- Mickey's top burger -- is, shall we say, less than pristine. He does a decent job with the role -- Kinnear has earnestness down pat -- although I didn't quite buy the idea that he was so innocent and upset at what he learns.

Working at the plant are a host of illegal immigrants, a few of whom we meet when they cross the border. They go on to work at the plant, where conditions suggest they aren't covered by an HMO or get time-and-a-half on weekends. Catalina Sandino Moreno ("Maria Full of Grace") and Wilmer Valderrama -- yeah, I know -- are a married immigrant couple, while Bobby Cannavale is the evil supervisor. He's really good.

The third main player in this tale is a high-school student who works at the local Mickey's. She's a good worker but eventually comes to question whether her employer is a pillar of society. Our would-be heroine is played by Ashley Johnson, whom I couldn't place but is believable.

Some good points of view, complemented by a host of smaller roles -- some practically cameos and a few featuring famous faces: Luis Guzman, Bruce Willis, Paul Dano, Patricia Arquette, Esai Morales, Ethan Hawke, Kris Kristofferson, even Avril Lavigne. I probably enjoyed Willis the most, although Hawke wasn't annoying, and it was good to see Kristofferson play subdued instead of just crusty and rambling. He actually might have been better than Willis.

Good performances, interesting story, generally successful adaption ... much to like. But while I like "Fast Food Nation" more than not, I was disappointed with how it wrapped up. I didn't have a problem with it being a downer. But the last few minutes were designed to shock and disgust, and instead they left me shrugging.

It's hard to explain, but the issue that set Kinnear's plot line in motion isn't addressed in the end. Rather, we simply see what happens to cows in the slaughterhouse. It's gross, sure, but where do you think beef comes from? This movie might make you become a vegetarian, which is fine. But as for how pure that pattie is, we still don't know.