The Founder

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If you’ve ever wondered how McDonald’s came to be the biggest fast food restaurant in the world, check out the biography, The Founder. In the early 1950’s two brothers, Dick McDonald (Nick Offerman) and Mac McDonald (John Carroll Lynch) owned a drive-in hamburger restaurant in San Bernardino, California called – get ready for it – McDonald’s. The brothers want to limit the time it takes for customers to receive their food to under thirty seconds, so they change their restaurant to a fast food hamburger joint. In 1954, salesman Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton) hears about the restaurant, and he talks to the brothers about franchising McDonald’s. They reluctantly agree but want to keep control of the way things are done. The brothers make Kroc the franchise manager, but within a short time Kroc figures out that by owning the ground where every McDonalds is located he will have total control. He put a plan in place and before long he forces the McDonald brothers to sell out to him. (Kind of takes a shine off the golden arches.) This is one of those stories that is unbelievable and grabs your full attention from the beginning. Not only is the film a great piece of history, but it’s a thoroughly engaging story. The film was tightly edited moving briskly from one scene to the next and removing any unnecessary dialogue. Unfortunately, the focal point of the movie is a greedy and unlikeable character, so the audience has no one to root for. Michael Keaton has been at the top of his game the last couple years and this performance is no exception. Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch are also perfect as the McDonald brothers that are inflexible and not ready for change. If you are interested in knowing where Ronald McDonald originated, you won’t want to miss this film and I’m giving it an A- rating.

This movie has been given a PG13 rating by the MPAA

Although I am blind, I can appreciate a good movie as well as sighted individuals