The Founder

Worldwide, billions of people have eaten at McDonald’s, and millions have been employed at the wildly successful restaurant. So why did Ray Kroc, the acclaimed founder of the franchise, name the place McDonald’s? Director John Lee Hancock’s “The Founder” tells us how it happened in a compelling, dramatic way.

Michael Keaton, one of the most charismatic actors alive, plays Kroc—a 52-year-old traveling salesman from Illinois who fills his head with doctrines about positive thinking, while hunting for breakthrough success. When Ray learns an order has been placed for eight milkshake mixers from a single hamburger stand, Kroc drives thousands of miles to meet the owners and learn why. There, he experiences McDonald’s for the first time.

Part of the joy of the movie is watching the McDonald brothers, Mac and Dick (John Carroll Lynch and Nick Offerman) flourish while creating new methods to feed large crowds flocking to their restaurant. These brothers make a good team, and their system to exponentially reduce waiting time seems revolutionary to Kroc, who demands that they allow him to start franchises, imploring them, “Do it for America.”

We know from the outset that McDonald’s is going to eventually become a blockbuster with Kroc’s leadership—the questions include, “How did it grow so large from its tiny beginnings?” and “Who’s going to get hurt in the process?” Keaton shows us an entrepreneur who exudes confidence and is willing to tell any lie he deems necessary to succeed or exalt his own importance. Kroc believes his persistence will overcome others’ genius ideas or talent, and the story’s main conflict arises between the McDonald brothers and Kroc.

It’s natural to empathize with the brothers, who feel betrayed by their business partner’s devious schemes, but I still kept rooting for Kroc and wanted him to avoid one more business failure. There’s so much to despise about Kroc’s actions, including divorcing his wife of nearly forty years, but he’s a great salesman who believes in people, too. The movie presents an increasingly immoral character who we don’t see receiving retribution for his thefts, deception, and other tactics.

Incredibly, there are still details to admire about his vision of exponentially duplicating a family meeting/eating space, open seven days a week. In work, if you’re weak or make poor choices, your business may die fast. The movie doesn’t set out to demonize Kroc, but you may shake your head and wonder if you would make similar choices, if you were trying to build an empire that feeds approximately 1% of the world daily.

I recommend “The Founder” only to Christians who have a strong moral compass and enjoy having a good conversation afterward about business ethics. The film contains enough bad language (see details below) to nearly earn an R-rating. There’s no violence, and the sexual content is mild, although there’s flirting between people married to others.

Violence: None / Profanity: Heavy—G*d d*mn (3), Christ (10), h*ll (8), d*mn (4), f***ing (1), s-word (2), S.O.B. (3) / Sex/Nudity: Mild—a little cleavage on one woman, brief discussion about carhops having to avoid gropes from customers, glimpse of a young couple in a car making out.

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.