How McDonald's Became an International Empire: THE FOUNDER is a Smart, Underrated Film

When I recommended The Founder (on Netflix) to my father-in-law, I said, "It's about McDonald's rise to prominence."

To which he said, "Ray Kroc."

"Oh, you've seen the movie?" I asked.

"No, but a lot of people know about Ray Kroc. He was the founder of McDonald's."

Or was he?

That's an intriguing question at the heart of The Founder, John Lee Hancock's (The Blind Side, Saving Mr. Banks) 2016 semi-biopic starring Michael Keaton as Kroc. After back-to-back award winners, Birdman and Spotlight, Keaton continued his hot streak by portraying Kroc as a very interesting character, an entrepreneur driven by his own sense of self-worth. He was a struggling salesman for many, many years, but never felt like a loser at heart. He was driven by a deep, internal desire to win.

In his travels as a salesman, Kroc stumbled upon McDonald's No. 1, the original establishment, efficiently run by Mac and Dick McDonald, affable brothers played by John Carroll Lynch and Nick Offerman, respectively. Lynch and Offerman are two of the best character actors in the game, and here they do not disappoint. Both brothers are stuck in their old-school ways, with Mac as the jolly customer service expert, and Dick as the ultra-conservative business end of the company.

Lynch plays the heart-and-soul of the original McDonald's (and you might say the story itself) while Offerman plays the brains of the operation with ingenious business ideas and unfortunately, stubbornness. These two established wonderful chemistry, which reminded me of Matt Damon's voiceover line from Rounders, "We fall into our old rhythm like Clyde Frazier and Pearl Monroe." Lynch and Offerman have that kind of pitter-patter rhythm to their shared scenes.

The McDonald brothers' "speedy system" catches Kroc's eye (along with other, concealed points of interest). Traveling the country, as other drive-ups kept him waiting or delivered the wrong order, Kroc quietly wondered if the industry was running as efficiently as it could. Then he saw McDonald's No. 1 in action, and he was immediately hooked. Kroc weaseled his way in with Mac and Dick, and the rest is legendary business history.

Laura Dern gives an unbelievably understated performance as Kroc's wife, Ethel. She's a nice lady and supportive wife, even as Kroc travels the country, failing time and time again while paying very little attention to her.  Screenwriter Robert Siegel's script paints Dern as an average American who just wants to sit down on her couch and enjoy the American dream -- house, white picket fence and all.

Kroc has a far different vision of the American dream -- he's in his mid-50s and he's tired of coming in second, third or last, for that matter. It's time for him to grab something special. Time for him to finally make his name.

So he convinces Mac and Dick to franchise McDonald's; but the brothers aren't too interested in that end of the work. They continue to focus solely on their baby -- the original Micky D's -- as Kroc runs around representing himself as the man behind the magic. The McDonalds brothers came up with the speedy system and initial concept of "fast food," but Kroc pushed it across America. As Dick focused on inventory for one location and the general idea of "taking things slow," Kroc pumped confidence into a number of new franchisees on the west coast. And from there, it spread. McDonald's began to become the phenomenon we know today.

The key to the film is its two-act structure: In Act 1, we root for Kroc. Sure, he could pay more attention to his wife and be a little less crass in his delivery of certain comments, but mostly he's just trying to make good. We understand his motivations, and if you've seen The Blind Side or Saving Mr. Banks, you might think you know exactly where Hancock is headed with The Founder. 

But this is no feel-good story. In Act 2, Kroc is a shark who smells blood in the water. I won't give too much away, but, remember Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin in The Social Network? You may find some similarities, here.

In the end, we wonder what we are supposed to think about The Founder. Were the McDonald brothers small-town American heroes? Did they represent the best America had to offer? Or was Kroc the hero? The visionary who saw more than a simple, one-stop mom-and-pop restaurant.

I'm not quite sure. I guess...find out for yourself. When the closing credits roll, you may think differently about those golden arches in the distance.

** Frascella's Score: 8.5 out of 10 **

MY UP-TO-DATE ARCHIVE OF ALL REVIEWS AND SCORES

(The Top 200 series will continue, but the list below includes ALL of my past reviews and scores.)

1. Up in the Air (9.5/10)
2. Steve Jobs (9.5/10)
3. No Country for Old Men (9.5/10)
4. The Wrestler (9.5/10)
5. Kramer vs. Kramer (9.5/10)
6. Margin Call (9/10)
7. Hannah and Her Sisters (9/10)
8. Mystic River (9/10)
9. L.A. Confidential (9/10)
10. Lady Bird (9/10)
11. Stay (9/10)
12. Gone Girl (9/10)
13. Nocturnal Animals (9/10)
14. 45 Years (9/10)
15. The Edge of Seventeen (9/10)
16. Tape (9/10)
17. A Perfect Murder (9/10)

18. War Dogs (8.5/10)
19. The Founder (8.5/10)
20. In Bruges (8.5/10)

21. Split (8.5/10)

22. Bad Moms (8.5/10)

23. Basquiat (8.5/10)

24. Moonlight (8/10)
25. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (7.5/10)

26. The Revenant (7.5/10)
27. The Good Shepherd (7.5/10)

28. The Shallows (7.5/10)
29. Focus (7.5/10) 

30. The Night Before (7.5/10)
31. The Walk (7/10)

32. 10 Cloverfield Lane (7/10)
33. Loving (7/10) - No review available
34. A Most Violent Year (6.5/10) - No review available
35. The Shape of Water (6/10) - discussed in this review
36. The Boy (6/10) - No review available

37. Joy (5.5/10)
38. Taking Lives (5.5/10)

39. La La Land (5.5/10)
40. The Visit (5/10) - discussed in this review
41. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (5/10)
42. Make Love Great Again (5/10) - No review available
43. Molly's Game (5/10)
44. Set It Up (5/10)
45. Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (4.5/10) - No review available
46. Brooklyn (4.5/10) - discussed in this review, and this review
47. Ocean's 8 (4/10)
48. Why Him? (3.5/10) - No review available
49. The Program (3/10)
50. Pitch Perfect 3 (2/10)
51. Shut In (2/10) - No review available
52. Premonition (2/10) - No review available

53. Rings (1.5/10)
54. Mother's Day (1.5/10)