The Founder

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The Founder tells the story of Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton) and his discovery (and ultimate franchising) of the McDonald’s Corporation. Kroc starts out as a struggling salesman until he meets the McDonald Brothers (Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch). He ultimately steals the company away from them piece by piece. Keaton continues to relish his recent career renaissance with the third or fourth fantastic film and performance I’ve seen from him in the last three years. Of course, I don’t want to take away from the supporting players. Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch as the McDonald brothers are awesome. These men are both funny and sympathetic at the same time. When Kroc first meets the brothers and convinces them to franchise, it appears that Kroc is the guy you’re going to root for while the McDonalds are going to be his antagonists and obstacles. By the end of the movie, you feel more understanding of where the brothers are coming from while Kroc just seems to do awful thing after awful thing (the whole time making McDonald’s what it is today). As the movie went on, I couldn’t help but chuckle at the hints of things to come in the restaurant’s future. Laura Dern should also be commended for her portrayal of Ethel Kroc. She’s a woman who initially wants to stand by her husband in his business venture. As things unfold and progress however, she soon sees another side to this man. You feel sorry for when you see where their ultimate relationship ends up. The movie is about two hours long, beginning in 1953 and ending in 1970. Because of this, some things feel a little rushed through and the timeline is a little difficult to grasp at times. It’s not always easy to tell just how much time has passed from one scene to the next. Despite this minor issue, The Founder was a pretty damn solid biopic I recommend checking out on Netflix if you ever get the chance.

9 / 10