The Founder
The Founder is a 2016 American biographical drama film directed by John Lee Hancock and written by Robert Siegel. Starring Michael Keaton as businessman Ray Kroc, the film depicts the story of his creation of the McDonald's fast-food restaurant chain, which eventually involved forcing out the company's original founders to take control with conniving ruthlessness. Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch co-star as McDonald's founders Richard and Maurice McDonald, alongside Linda Cardellini as Ray Kroc's third wife Joan Smith, and B. J. Novak as McDonald's president and chief executive Harry J. Sonneborn. The film premiered at Arclight Hollywood on December 7, 2016, and was released theatrically in the United States on January 20, 2017, by the Weinstein Company. It grossed $24 million worldwide and received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised Keaton's performance.
June, did you schedule the stakeout with the engineer? All set. - What about the fire department? Did you get the approval for the driveway design? - Left a message with them yesterday. - Excavation permits? - I'm meeting with them today. - All right. Hey, what's going on with San Bernardino, by the way? - I just spoke to Dick, he says they're working on it. - They're working on it? - That's what he said. - Ray Kroc on the line.
The Founder
- Hiya, Ray. - Boy, you boys are killing me. What's the hold up? I break ground in two weeks. - These things take time. You're proposing substantial alterations. - I'm adding a basement and a furnace, that's all. - We need our architect to thoroughly review it and make sure everything is safe and up to code. - Fine. Has he seen it yet, has he taken a look at it? - I'm not sure to be honest. - I've got bulldozers rolling up on the 23rd. - I'm not the one who scheduled that, Ray. - I need you to take a breath. - Take a breath? Do you realize what it's going to cost me if I have to push? - Hopefully, it won't come to that. - Every restaurant in the Midwest has a basement and a furnace. - This is standard stuff. - I understand. But it's our name on that building. God forbid the floor caves in and people get hurt or worse because of some design flaw we missed. Let's just slow down a minute and make sure it's done right. - So much for the Speedee System, huh?
The Founder
- Where's the... Where's the front of the apron? - Show me. - All right. Just make sure the windows are big enough so the customers can look into the restaurant. All the way to the kitchen. Doesn't look right. Let me see this. - Ray. - What? - We got a letter from San Bernardino. - Read it to me. - Dear Ray. Thank you for your letter sharing your idea to strike a deal with Coca-Cola to sponsor menu boards at the new Des Plaines location. An intriguing notion, indeed. As you rightly point out, such an arrangement would provide a steady source of revenue to the store at no additional labor cost. - However... - However? However, what? - However, this is a concept that goes beyond our core beliefs. McDonald's was founded with the idea of families and not strict commerce. - Sons of bitches, they don't know what the hell... - And so on and so on...
The Founder
Here you go, gentlemen. Back to work. - Let me explain. It'll be real small, along the bottom. Very discreet. - We're just not comfortable with the notion of turning our menu into an advertisement. - See it's not an ad, it's sponsorship. - It's distasteful. - It's free money! - There are plenty of things we could do to make a quick buck, - that doesn't mean we should. - Loads of restaurants do it! - Well, we don't. - Why not? - Cause I have no interest in indulging in that sort of crass commercialism. It's not McDonald's. - I didn't realize I was partnering with a beatnik. - I'll have you know I'm a card-carrying Republican. - Yeah, well you coulda fooled me. - He hung up again. - He's just... He's just a little excitable, that's all.
The Founder