The Founder – movie review

Who would have thought that the formation of McDonald’s would make for such an eye-catching yarn? As told in The Founder, it is a forceful drama that tells the true story of how Ray Kroc, a salesman from Illinois, met Mac and Dick McDonald, who were running a burger operation in 1950s Southern California. Impressed by the brothers’ speedy system of making the food at their San Bernardino hamburger stand and the crowds of patrons it attracted, Kroc immediately saw franchise potential. He maneuvered himself into a position to be able to pull the company from the brothers and create a billion-dollar empire. And thus McDonald’s was born.

Michael Keaton stars as the maverick American entrepreneur who transformed McDonald’s into a global empire, now with more than 35,000 locations around the world. Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch portray Dick and Mac, the innovative brothers whose assembly line brought industrial efficiency to the preparation of their limited menu of burgers, fries, shakes and sodas. We are talking about a dynamic period in post-war America when people were time-strapped and clamoring for speed. Also starring are Laura Dern as Ray Kroc’s first wife Ethel, who is treated shabbily and Linda Cardellini as Joan Smith, the wife of one of Ray’s early franchisees, Rollie (Patrick Wilson). B.J. Novak is Harry Sonneborn, the financial whiz whose franchising innovations led to Kroc being able to wrest control of McDonald’s from the founding brothers.

The Founder is skillfully directed by John Lee Hancock (Saving Mr. Banks), based on an original screenplay by Robert Siegel (The Wrestler). What a driven and ruthless individual the founder of the world’s most successful franchise is painted as!  Michael Keaton portrays Kroc as a take-no-prisoners, super-slick salesman.  I found I became more and more involved the longer the film went.

Quite frankly, the explanation by the McDonald brothers of how they came to form their excellent hamburger restaurant in San Bernardino was too quick.  I wanted to know more and I would have liked that description slowed down.  But, of course, the filmmakers were understandably keen to concentrate on the main game, namely how Kroc stopped at nothing to take charge and the impact it had on those around him.

Keaton (Spotlight) has proven time and again recently that he is a modern force of nature, with his intense performances.  He does so again here.  I greatly appreciated the warts-and-all persona to which he gave voice.  The McDonald brothers are the good guys, respectful and nice, but Kroc was the huge risk taker and with it came massive rewards.

While I was sitting there watching, I thought how many people would chart Kroc’s course and how many would be satisfied with running a local eatery into which they pour their heart and soul and of which they can be proud? As I am suggesting, I really admired the play on morality that underpinned the story, rather than seeing it pitched as a straightforward rags-to-riches tale, with a few bumps along the way. Rated M, The Founder is fascinating, compelling and largely engaging, and scores an 8 out of 10.

Director: John Lee Hancock
Cast: Michael Keaton, Patrick Wilson, Linda Cardellini, Nick Offerman
Release Date: 24 November 2016
Rating: M

Alex First