The story of Ray Kroc, a salesman who turned two brothers' innovative fast food eatery, McDonald's, into the biggest restaurant business in the world, with a combination of ambition, persist... Read allThe story of Ray Kroc, a salesman who turned two brothers' innovative fast food eatery, McDonald's, into the biggest restaurant business in the world, with a combination of ambition, persistence, and ruthlessness.The story of Ray Kroc, a salesman who turned two brothers' innovative fast food eatery, McDonald's, into the biggest restaurant business in the world, with a combination of ambition, persistence, and ruthlessness.
- Awards
- 1 win & 5 nominations
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe company Kroc worked for prior to founding McDonald's, Prince Castle, still exists, and supplies McDonald's with much of its equipment.
- GoofsWhen Ray is looking at the map, he follows his finger along highway 66 and lands on San Bernardino. It shows some surrounding cities, one of which is "Moreno Valley". Moreno Valley didn't become an incorporated city until 1984. In the 1950's that city would have been called "Sunnymead" on a map.
- Quotes
Ray Kroc: Now, I know what you're thinkin'. How the heck does a 52-year-old, over-the-hill milkshake-machine salesman... build a fast-food empire with 16,000 restaurants, in 50 states, in 5 foreign countries... with an annual revenue of in the neighborhood of $700,000,000.00... One word... PERSISTENCE. Nothing in this world can take the place of good old persistence. Talent won't. Nothing's more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius won't. Unrecognized genius is practically a cliche. Education won't. Why the world is full of educated fools. Persistence and determination alone are all powerful.
- Crazy creditsDuring the opening/closing credits, the real Ray A Kroc is heard giving an interview about how he came to buy out McDonald's.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Conan: Nick Offerman/Johnny Pemberton/Dorothy (2016)
- SoundtracksMister Tap Toe
Written by Rich Dehr (as Richard Dehr), Terry Gilkyson, Frank Miller
Performed by Doris Day with Paul Weston and His Orchestra and The Norman Luboff Choir
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By arrangement with Sony Music Licensing
A staple for over 60 years, McDonalds restaurants are a mainstay of everyday life, a reliable source of cheeseburger delicacies, crispy French fries and refreshing beverages that continue to supply the goods to those both young and those young at heart. When consuming McDonalds however, its unlikely many of us have ever truly considered where this establishment was born from and thankfully for all us, the story is a real doozy.
It's often the case these days that high profile, well-marketed biopics are reliable as a Big Mac (you always know what you're going to get) but John Lee Hancock's film is imbedded with both an energy and pace that elevates it above the usual bio-fair and with another awards worthy turn from Michael Keaton as its centrepiece, this enthralling slice of history is a fabulously entertaining ride tinged in nostalgic 1950's vibes and garnished with a quick- smart script from The Wrestler screenwriter Robert D. Siegel.
Capturing the time, place and allurement of this mankind changing business model, The Founder does a great job of transporting us back in time as we ride alongside struggling salesman Ray Kroc, whose eyes are opened when he comes across the McDonald brothers, whose business model of "fast food" finally gives Ray the chance his so longed for all his life, to make a buck and then some.
Keaton's performance as Kroc is quite the feat. His a genuinely cold and calculated character but as the film begins we are happy to see him put in the hard yards as his franchise model of stores takes off but as the brand grows so does Kroc's ego and Keaton's performance morphs naturally as it does in fascinating and unexpected ways.
Come the films later stages, the real feat of Keaton's turn comes into the spotlight and what we're left with is a layered character brought to life by the performer, whether it's in comical situations or brutally raw moments shared with lawyers, Keaton is on fire here and while his ably supported by the likes of Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch as the unfortunate McDonald brothers Dick and Mac, The Founder is founded off the back of Keaton's turn and whilst unlikely that this film will find itself in to many awards categories, Keaton is looming as a key player in the upcoming awards season.
The Founder is one of those rare biopics that grabs you from the get-go and doesn't let up.
A well shot, scored and acted studio film that tells a story worth telling (plus one of the best advertisements McDonald's has never paid for), The Founder offers a fascinating insight into the beginnings of the McDonald's brand that also gives us an equally fascinating real life figure and another chance for the career revival of Michael Keaton to continue on its merry way.
4 milkshake sachets out of 5
- eddie_baggins
- Nov 23, 2016
- Permalink
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Languages
- Also known as
- Nhà Sáng Lập
- Filming locations
- Coweta County, Georgia Administration Building parking lot, 22 East Broad Street, Newnan, Georgia, USA(The original octagonal McDonald brothers restaurant)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $25,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $12,786,053
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $3,404,102
- Jan 22, 2017
- Gross worldwide
- $24,121,245
- Runtime1 hour 55 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1