Movie of the Week: The Founder

Alexa: When I first started watching “The Founder” and got caught up in the nostalgia of the original McDonald’s restaurant, all I wanted was to journey to the nearest golden arch and grab a burger and fries. By the end of the movie, I pretty much never wanted to see another Big Mac again. The movie recounts how Ray Kroc transformed McDonald’s from a humble little burger stand into what is arguably the nation’s most recognizable franchise, but ultimately at the expense of the two brothers who actually founded the fast food restaurant and its innovative approach to speed and convenience. It juxtaposes two distinct incarnations of the American dream - one rooted in name recognition and financial success and the other a smaller, more personal endeavor in which its creators take a great amount of ownership and pride. “The Founder’s” greatest asset is its story. Everyone knows McDonald’s, but not everyone knows how it came to be, and the movie does a solid job of conveying it. But ultimately it felt a little flat, like it was missing a piece that could have elevated it from a straightforward adaptation into something more thoughtful. I kept going back to “The Social Network” - another tale of a massively successful business that royally screws over a few people in its rise to power - and felt “The Founder” lacked that movie’s more artful execution and more analytical storytelling. But it was bolstered by a stellar performance from Michael Keaton, and anything that gives Nick Offerman a chance to shine wins extra points in my book.

Joel: Heading into this movie I knew the broad strokes of the McDonald’s story. I knew that It was started by brothers, but Ray Kroc was the one who made it McDonald’s that we know today. I knew that Kroc and the McDonald’s brothers had a major falling out over Kroc’s handling of McDonald’s. I knew that McDonald’s main income was from their real estate setup more than their food. There wasn’t a lot of new information that I learned watching the movie. Which makes it even more impressive that the movie itself was as captivating as it was.

It would be impossible to try and tell the story of McDonald’s itself in a single movie. The creation of McDonaldland, Ronald McDonald, Super sizing, all of this is left out of the movie.  In fact I would say that the story of the McDonald’s brothers themselves would have made a pretty compelling movie and that whole story is condensed into a single scene near the beginning. The movie decided to focus solely on Ray Kroc and makes it a stronger movie.

The film is unquestionably carried by Keaton’s acting in this role. With the things that Kroc has done in his career, and the way the movie chose to portray him, it would be easy for the movie to end up presenting Kroc as a sort of fast food super villain. Keaton is able to bring something to the role that keeps Kroc from being a one-dimensional antagonist and instead a fascinating character study of one of the most influential businessmen of all time. It’s a powerful performance and one that proves that Keaton has earned this renaissance that his career has been experiencing these past couple of years.

Chris: There was some point where I was sure the McDonald brothers were going to wise up and not take Ray Kroc for his word and expect them to stand their ground but alas, they kept giving up inch after inch. I honestly had no clue about the origin story of McDonald's. Actually, Ray Kroc's name is the only one I recognized only because there was a tacky plaque that was mounted on the counter at the McDonald's I spent my first 5 birthdays at. That plague included a 3D bust of Kroc's profile and, honestly, there was something presidential about it that maybe reminded me of a quarter and that might explain why 5 year old Chris thought Ray Kroc was a US President for a little while. Either way, it was interesting to see just how dirty Kroc had to get his hands to build this fast food empire that stands head and shoulders about the competition. It should be a surprise because it seems that you need to be a bit of a villain in order to become that successful. Either way, I echo the sentiment made by everyone else, Keaton is on a special roll lately.

Jason: Man, when did Betelgeuse get old?? Seriously though, Michael Keaton can do no wrong. He takes a character and infuses it with heart and emotion. Many actors try to do that. Not many fully succeed.

I don't know how accurate this story is to the actual events but if IMDB is to be believed, it's pretty darn close. If that's the case, then I have yet another reason never to go back to McDonald’s again. Ray Kroc’s greed and cut-throat business practices are everything that is wrong with American capitalism. He was wildly successful and the company now makes billions of dollars, feeding hundreds of millions. But at what cost? Anyway, that's just my thoughts. Back to the film. The script for this movie was stellar. I feel that biopics like this would be more difficult not only to write for but also to act. Recreating a real flesh-and-blood person is so much harder to pull off than making something new. Keaton, Nick Offerman, and John Carroll Lynch made these people feel genuine. I know Keaton always goes over the top when researching his roles. He took piano lessons for this one because he found out that Ray Kroc played.

This movie probably should have been an Academy Award contender for acting and also writing. It may not have been as artfully shot as other films in its genre but they definitely took a movie that made me think “Meh” at first glance and turned it into a story I didn't know I wanted to hear.