The Founder


The Founder, directed by John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side, Saving Mr. Banks), features the true story of how Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton), a struggling salesman from Illinois, met Mac and Dick McDonald, who were running a burger operation in 1950s Southern California. Kroc was impressed by the brothers' speedy system of making the food and saw franchise potential. Writer Robert Siegel (The Wrestler) details how Kroc maneuvered himself into a position to be able to pull the company from the brothers and create a billion-dollar empire.

How the hell did this movie not garner more academy attention?  This movie was better than more than half of the Best Picture nominees.  They did an excellent job of the slow build to this story.  You were very hooked and invested even knowing how it would play out.  They managed to make me hate Michael Keaton for the role he was playing and I have always loved that guy.  This was a very well done movie. 

I would absolutely recommend people checking this one out.  It is a great (although upsetting) story about ego and business. The irony of a story like this coming out in our present times was off the charts.