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Each day, millions of people around the world dig into their Big Macs and Happy Meals. For many of us, fast food is a regular part of our hectic lives. But if you’ve ever wondered how McDonald’s became the fast food superpower that it is today, you may be intrigued—but not entirely surprised—by the drama and deception of director John Lee Hancock’s Ray Kroc biopic The Founder.
The Founder begins in St. Louis, where Michael Keaton’s Ray Kroc is struggling to sell milkshake mixers to drive-in restaurants. When he gets an impossibly large order from a restaurant in California, he immediately gets in his car and drives out to meet brothers Mac and Dick McDonald (John Carroll Lynch and Nick Offerman), who have revolutionized the restaurant industry. Ray knows that he needs a piece of it—but once he becomes the face of McDonald’s franchises around the country, he decides that the McDonald brothers are holding him back, so he fights for a bigger piece.
It doesn’t really matter if you harbor a secret McNugget addiction or you avoid the Golden Arches at all costs; The Founder has a fascinating story to tell about drive, desperation, and cheap hamburgers. Though we often take fast food restaurants for granted—just the source of cheap, easy, but not necessarily nutritional meals—the thought that went into the first McDonald’s restaurant is pretty remarkable.
You can’t help but love Mac and Dick McDonald, the lovable underdogs who overcame numerous business failures and came up with this ground-breaking concept. In any other movie, these two guys would actually be the stars. But, here, they’re the guys who took the time to develop and perfect their concept, only to have their idea (and their brand) hijacked by a shady business partner.
Keaton’s Kroc definitely isn’t a likable character. He’s the stereotypical sleazy salesman—the kind of fast-talker who will do anything to make a buck. Sure, he has the drive and the determination, but he’s also just downright desperate—and he figures out how to use that desperation to his advantage. His level of sleaziness sometimes makes the film a tough sell, but Keaton plays the part well. And though you may generally despise the character in the end, you’ll still be amazed by his story.
The Founder isn’t exactly an inspiring underdog story. But it’s certainly a fascinating exploration into the history of one of the world’s most familiar companies. While it may not permanently turn you off Quarter Pounders with Cheese, it’s a story that you won’t soon forget.
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