The Founder

Behind every great fortune is a great crime - Balzac.

This great crime is the plot point for The Founder, starring Michael Keaton as Ray Kroc.  In the 70s, when I might be first in a McDonalds, there was usually a plaque for Ray Kroc as the founder of McDonalds.  Only later did I ever hear of the McDonald brothers.

John Lee Hancock as director takes his sepia tones and 50s cars to tell the story of how Ray Kroc, a Midwestern milkshake machine salesman became involved with McDonalds.  If you see it as a crime what he did (e.g. The Social Network) , then you're likely missing the point of how McDonald's became the American Icon that it is.  The McDonald brothers thought they were in the restaurant business, but it took a visionary to see past that.  In that respect Ray Kroc is of course the hero of his movie.  I'll bet his estate financed the movie - certainly Joan Kroc comes off well. I call this the Blind Side effect.  Also directed by... John Lee Hancock.

Lots of parallels to other Midwestern American success stories (Walt Disney, Ronald Reagan, The Mormon Church) of taking one small idea nationwide and making it so much more.

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