Thirty-three million Americans have food allergies, which means it’s 100% guaranteed you know someone who has them, and you probably don’t know it. May Contain: My Life puts faces to the issue. Documentarian Jennifer Greenstreet follows the journey of six kids: Giles, Owen, Catherine, Hannah, Anna, and Riya. When they are at school at lunchtime, going to parties, or hanging out with friends after school, they are always asking servers questions and intently reading food labels to stay safe. Also part of the documentary is Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerome “The Bus” Bettis, who knows the allergy drill firsthand. Bettis has an allergy to shellfish and joins the documentary to show that even a man this tough can be tackled by something invisible if you’re not looking for it.
The film also makes its point through a dramatized birthday party scene that shows exactly how quickly things can go sideways. Actor August Maturo, who went into anaphylactic shock on an actual film set, plays Zach, a kid whose situation is not so different from his own. At a birthday party, a bully named Sam (Tanner Hagen) slips peanut-containing food to Zach in order to impress a girl who has a different food allergy than Zach. What Sam thought was a harmless trick could have turned into a deadly afternoon. It’s a scene that’s not as far-fetched as we think.
Parents are vital in raising awareness on the subject. Mandi Kearns, mother of son Giles, turned her family’s daily fear into full-time work. In a tragic case, Dina Hawthorne lost her son, Elijah, to a fatal allergic reaction over a grilled-cheese sandwich at daycare. His death could have been prevented. Dina channeled this grief into legislation that equips schools with training and EpiPens. Food allergy specialist Dr. Ruchi Gupta of Northwestern University breaks down what an anaphylactic reaction looks like and why the public health stakes are bigger than most people realize.
“At a birthday party, a bully named Sam slips peanut-containing food to Zach in order to impress a girl who has a different food allergy than Zach.”
Dina Hawthorne is spreading the word at state and local legislative bodies about Elijah’s Law, named after her son. The law would require childcare centers to provide allergy training for their staff, maintain emergency plans in case of an incident, and establish clear communication protocols for staff and students. Dina’s influence has spread up and down the East Coast and is now moving westward. The film shows the Silveras at work in Kansas City, speaking with legislators who are just now seeing the impact that food allergies can have in any and every school in their districts.
May Contain: My Life pairs well with another documentary I reviewed on the same subject, The Invisible Extinction. This film dives deep into the science behind the current food allergy crisis, while May Contain: My Life tells the story of the people affected by it.
In May Contain: My Life, director Jennifer Greenstreet strikes an important balance between delivering the message and showing practical steps one can take when faced with food allergies. It’s not a death sentence either. Here, kids can still live normal lives without letting fear take over completely. It’s all about staying hyper-vigilant, reading labels, and speaking up.
The birthday party dramatization is where the film is most effective. Here, kids learn by example the importance of not being ashamed of their allergies but being honest about them. No one will know unless you tell them. Other kids learn that food allergies are a serious matter and should not be taken lightly.
May Contain: My Life is a must-see documentary that should be screened in every school and teacher’s lounge in the country. It’s made for regular people who simply need an education on the subject. It’s also made for kids to let them know they are still normal and a food allergy will not keep them from living their best life. May Contain: My Life makes its practical case without ever feeling like a lecture.
For screening information, visit the May Contain: My Life official website.
"…makes its practical case without ever feeling like a lecture."
