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.
- ♪ Every time it rains ♪ ♪ It rains Pennies from heaven ♪ ♪ Don't you know? ♪ ♪ Each cloud contains Pennies from heaven ♪ - ♪ You'll find your fortune ♪ ♪ Fallin' all over town ♪ - Sounds pretty good. - ♪ Be sure that your umbrella ♪ ♪ is upside down ♪ ♪ Trade them for a package of ♪ - ♪ Sunshine and flowers ♪ ♪ If you want the things You love ♪ ♪ You must have showers ♪ ♪ So when you Hear it thunder... ♪ ♪ Don't run under a tree ♪ ♪ There'll be Pennies from heaven ♪ ♪ For you and me ♪ - Sorry.
The Founder
- I think I've got some people for you. I met this young couple. Very committed. They're from Glenview. High School sweethearts, married for five years and they're looking for a business they can operate together. And they seem very excited. - Yeah, forget that. Everything's changed. - You want a drink? - No... Changed, how? Forget the Chicago suburbs. Think bigger. - Bigger? - I'm not chasing them anymore. They're chasing me now. - What is...? - The trip! The trip I just took. - The trip. How was it? - Triumphant. They rolled out the red carpet. They're kissing this ring. They're begging for McDonald's. Here, have a drink.
The Founder
- Hiya, Ray. - I want to renegotiate. - Renegotiate what? - My deal. My lousy deal. 1.4 doesn't even cover my monthly nut, let alone drive expansion. - Ray, those are the terms. - It's not good enough. - It's almost triple our cut. - You should be getting more too then, shouldn't you? - We are not greedy men. - Greed has nothing to do with it. If I had more money to work with, I could be growing this thing at twice the pace. - We have no beef with the current rate of expansion. - I've got nothing, not one location in Pennsylvania. - Nothing in New York. - All in good time. - Nothing in Texas. - I have no doubt it will come. - I'm out here breaking my neck for you guys. - And you're doing a bang-up job. - Well, then I should be doing a heck of a lot better - than just breaking even. - I don't know what to say. - Say you'll renegotiate. - I can't. - Can't or won't? - Upping your cut it would be unfair to the franchisees. - The franchisees are doing just fine! I'm the one that's drowning here. - You freely and willingly agreed to the terms of your deal, Ray. Nobody put a gun to your head. - Four percent? - No. - Three and a half percent? - Ray... - What? - No! - Goddamn it!
The Founder
- Dick. Is he a pain in the rear? Yes. Does he have a few screws loose? You bet. But that doesn't mean he's going to do us any harm. - How long are you going to keep this up, Mac? - Keep up what? - The whole "everything is fine" act. There's a wolf in the henhouse. We let him in! I never should have listened. - We have a contract for just this sort of thing, Dick! - I should have trusted my gut. - So it's my fault, huh? Just like the movie theater? Well, I'm sorry I wanted you to have your dream.
The Founder