Weekend Cooking: Review of The Founder (Movie)

Is there anyone on earth who hasn't eaten at a McDonald's? Maybe on some remote Pacific island or in the wilds of the Yukon Territory, but it's hard to believe there's a person living who has never even heard of the fast-food chain.

I'm not sure why the film Founder (directed by John Lee Hancock) didn't get more buzz. I understand that it was a critics' choice, but the public ignored it. Put me in the fan column.

From the first sounds of sizzling burgers to the last notes of the credit music, I was glued to my screen. Before watching this movie, I knew only the bare-bones story. The hamburger franchise was started by two brothers in California, but Ray Kroc was the guy who made McDonald's the worldwide phenomenon that it is today.

The film, starring Michael Keaton as Kroc and Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch as the McDonald brothers, lets us all in on very start of the original and iconic fast-food family restaurant. I was unaware of Dick and Mac McDonald's history and was fascinated with their concepts, which are the foundation of all fast-food establishments, even today, more than 60 years after they opened their first successful hamburger joint.

The process through which Kroc ends up owning and, in fact, founding the McDonald's Corporation, is eye-opening. He certainly had the drive and (pardon the pun) hunger to be successful, but whether he was ultimately evil or a genius, I leave up to you to decide.

Michael Keaton is the uncontested star of the movie. He is in almost every scene and truly carries the film. His acting was believable, from his early frustrations to his power grab near the end of the movie.

The set details are very impressive. I loved the clothing and hairstyles as well as the cars, buildings, phones, and even the billboards. It all shouts 1950s. Even the early McDonald's restaurants, which many of you may be too young to remember, were spot on. (Note: I'm too young to have seen or eaten at an original McDonald's, but I do remember the look of first restaurants, when there was no indoor seating.)

The movie is now available for streaming, and I highly recommend you take the two hours to watch. You can make popcorn, but it might be more appropriate to have a burger and fries instead.

NOTE: Mr. Linky sometimes is mean and will give you an error message. He's usually wrong and your link went through just fine the first time. Grrrr.

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