The Founder (2017)
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AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: The Founder puts Michael Keaton's magnetic performance at the center of a smart, satisfying biopic that traces the rise of one of America's most influential businessmen -- and the birth of one of its most far-reaching industries.
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Cast
as Ray Kroc
as Dick McDonald
as Mac McDonald
as Joan Smith
as Rollie Smith
as Harry Sonneborn
as Ethel Kroc
as Fred Turner
as June Martino
as June Martino
as Jim Zien
as Jerry Cullen
as Jack Horford
as Leonard
as Myra Rosenblatt
as Owner (Ed's Drive-In)
as CarHop Girl (Ed's Drive-In)
as Dennis
as CarHop Girl (Joe's Drive-In)
as Employee (San Bernardino)
as Woman (San Bernardino)
as Woman (San Bernardino)
as Loan Officer #1
as Loan Officer #2
as Harvey Peltz
as Mrs. Horford
as Mrs. Cullen
as Art Wolodarsky
as Kroc Corporate Lawyer
as Cheerleader #1
as Cheerleader #2
as Cheerleader #3
as Cheerleader #4
as Cheerleader #4
as Kroc Divorce Lawyer
as Doctor Reeves
as Will Davis (LA Times Reporter)
as Mother (San Bernardino)
as Little Boy
as Customer (Schaumburg)
as Grand Opening Customer
as Limo Driver
as Mr. Merriman
as Waiter
as Bingo Caller
as Gorgeous Blonde
as Owner (Joe's Drive-In)
as Female Passenger
as Female Passenger
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Critic Reviews for The Founder
All Critics (212) | Top Critics (42) | Fresh (175) | Rotten (37)
The Founder ends up feeling extremely wishy-washy, unable to scrub the nastiness of Kroc's success but also incapable of confronting it.
One of the must-see entertainments of the year.
Its omissions and elisions are the result not of natural narrative contours but of open choices, gaping holes, psychological wounds that a filmmaker displays all the more via the elaborate efforts at concealment ...
Keaton is fascinating as Kroc, a bad guy who embodies the American Dream - a man who isn't necessarily the best or most talented but who's willing to step on anyone to get ahead.
The Founder remains fascinating largely because Keaton is so good at guile and bile. Not once does he wink at the audience or overplay the obvious.
John Lee Hancock serves up a biopic of McDonald's king Ray Kroc that is not unlike the restaurant's product: precisely prepared, brightly packaged, and uncomplicated in its appeal. Or at least, that's how it goes down much of the time.
Audience Reviews for The Founder
Reads like an unpolished draft. Tried to cram too much in instead of focusing on only great scenes with emotional impact. More like a book report than a biopic. Made me crave a McD's cheeseburger though so I guess in that sense, it was a success.
Super Reviewer
Good movie, but about a hideous man. I didn't know the story of Macdonald's prior to watching this and I really felt sorry for the brothers who owned the original restaurant. That guy who took it over was a sleazy little weasel. I spent most of the movie wishing harm on him!
Super Reviewer
The Founder is a very thorough depiction of business. As the chronicle evolves, we get a tale that metamorphosizes from a drama about entrepreneurial spirit into a commentary on the sins of capitalism. What emerges is a riveting portrayal of Ray Kroc. He comes across as a very intelligent guy but he can be a ruthless tycoon as well. The brothers are depicted in a more sympathetic light. They place a premium on high-quality ingredients for example. Yet their "stuck in a rut" way of thinking is part of an outmoded business model that has kept their attempts to franchise from succeeding in a big way. Did Ray Kroc exploit the brothers' geniality or was he the visionary that saw opportunities that they didn't? It's an interesting discussion and one that the screenplay encourages. You will both admire and chastise this man. That duality grounds The Founder. I enjoyed every morsel that it served up. fastfilmreviews.com
Super Reviewer
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