THE FOUNDER
US, 2016, 115 minutes, Colour.
Michael Keaton, Nick Offerman, John Carroll Lynch, Laura Dern, Linda Cardellini, Patrick Wilson, B. J. Novak.
Directed by John Lee Hancock.
The press preview for The Founder was on the morning of Thursday 10th of November, under 24 hours since the news of the election of Donald Trump. Which means that our audience was thinking about the impact of Trump, the businessman, the showman, a powerful winner in the context of the capitalist United States. And here was the portrait of Ray Kroc, the founder of Mc Donalds (or so he claimed) and of the two Mc Donald Brothers who established their fast food company.
By the end of the film, one didn’t have an entirely favourable impression of Ray Kroc, his personality, his philosophy of persistence in business, which he saw as war, and the means he used to get his success – and, as with so many films of actual people these days, a clip of the real Ray Kroc appears during the final credits along with information about him and those associated with Mc Donalds.
Michael Keaton seems born to the role, something of a variation on the hyper- energised characters he has played over the decades. The film opens with Ray Kroc to camera, a huge spiel about his selling a machine to make multi-milkshakes, a vigorous sales pitch about supply creating demand, and posing priorities of chicken and eggs. It is rather overwhelming – then deflating, for him and for us, when he is instantly turned down. That is the history of Kroc, taking on many sales jobs, not quite succeeding, living on the road, in hotels, listening to personal development records, phoning his wife, growing away from her, a driven man.
At first he can’t believe the diner in San Bernardino, California, who put in an order for eight of his machines. He decides he has to go and see this enterprise and is amazed, as he lines up in the queue, at the speed of delivery, at the paper packaging, at the seats in the grounds of the diner, so gets talking with two middle-aged men, Dick and Mac Mc Donald (fine performances by Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch) who explain their processes to him, their history, the film recreating a day when they experiment with the designs of a floor plan for maximum efficiency and a group of men whom they rehearse, continually restructuring until they have what they want.
The two brothers are decent men, with a sense of honour, Dick with the initiatives and Mac as solid support. Ray is so impressed that he persuades the brothers that he should go in with them – and so begins the process of an entrepreneur, lacking in scruples, enthusing and gradually taking over Mc Donalds, forming a company, buying land on which his franchises can be built, recruiting the right staff who will keep to the formula and make sure that each Mc Donalds will be a place that families can come to. At the end of the film he explains to Dick Mc Donald that the secret of their success is the name, a name that most people can identify with – after all who would want to go to have a hamburger at Krocs!
The brothers are swept along by Ray Kroc, as are we the audience.
A line of dialogue in the film sums up Kroc’s approach – contracts, like hearts, are meant to be broken. He breaks the brothers’ hearts and does not honour the handshake contract he makes about their receiving 1% of Mc Donalds' profits. He breaks his wife’s heart (Ethel, played by Laura Dern, as a sad and lonely woman), divorces her and marries the wife of one of his associates.
So, this is the American capitalist dream writ large – the final credits mentioning that his wife, Joan Kroc, bequeathed very large amounts of money to the Salvation Army and other charities.
1. The title, Ray Kroc and his career and achievement? The Mc Donald Brothers and the launching of their fast food project?
2. The 1950s and the 1960s? The look, clothing, homes, cars, the cities, the countryside, the fast food outlets? The musical score, the songs – and the meaning of Spirit of the Sky as the finale?
3. The locations, fast food restaurants, the style of the 1950s, drive-ins, San Bernardino, the location for the diner, the McDonald? look, the arches? The other towns, the building of the franchises? Interiors, homes, offices? Restaurants?
4. The Mc Donald brothers, their ordering the mixers, the phone calls to Ray, their being very busy? The two brothers and the different personalities, Dick as serious, Mac as more open, inventive, supportive of his brother? Telling their story to Ray? It being illustrated? From New Hampshire, financial difficulties, going to Hollywood, driving for Columbia Studios, setting up the cinema, the stand, the experience of the depression? The development of their style, going to San Bernardino? The story of Dick’s plan, the detailed recreation of his getting the layout, the plan on the floor, the various workers, their role-plays and rehearsals? Perfecting the layout and technique? The difficulty with people and their expectations, not getting out of their cars…? The atmosphere of the grand opening, the little boy ordering the hamburgers, the people coming?
5. The opening with Ray, his spiel to camera, the issues of persistence, his theories of demand and supply, the chicken and the egg? Then seeing him being turned down? Packing the machine in the boot? His phone calls to his wife, life in the hotels, listening to the record for self-improvement in persistence? Away from home, the various attempts he had for sales? Refusals? Talking, drinking? The return home, Ethel and her reaction, the alienation between them? His taking her to the club, the drifting apart? Seeing Joan Smith at the restaurant? Ultimately the divorce?
6. Ethel, her experience of neglect, sad woman, loving her husband, wanting to be close to friends, going to the club, trying to be supportive, getting employees for her husband? His mortgaging the house, not telling her, her being upset, the quiet meal, asking for a divorce in the middle of the meal? The conditions – and Ray’s meanness towards his wife and not giving her one share in the company?
7. Ray’s faithful assisted in the office, his relying on her, her work, the lectures, her skills – and eventually rising within the company?
8. Ray going to San Bernardino, lining up in the queue, waiting, learning about instant service, his puzzle, the speed, the paper, sitting eating outside? Talking to the brothers, his friendliness, their giving him the full tour, telling the story, all their secrets? That of the others who had taken the idea and failed? Ray and his decision to succeed – and at the end, explaining to Dick Mc Donald that it was the name that was important, an ordinary name, that anyone could identify with? In this explanation in the scenes of the actual Ray Kroc during the final credits?
9. Ray’s communication with the Mc Donald brothers, their characters, decent, wanting to do the right thing, moving slowly, allowing themselves to be led, finding themselves trapped, the different contracts, Ray and his attitude that contracts, like hearts, were made to be broken? The example of the powdered milk and Joan’s suggestion? The issue of buying the land, the brothers saying no, Ray hanging up on them, Dick eventually hanging up on Ray? Ray’s attack on them, his visit, the deal, offering the blank cheque? The final legalities? The payout to the brothers? The handshake about the percentage and its never being followed up? Mac and his collapse, time in hospital, Ray’s visit with the flowers and the cheque? Ray continuing being mean-minded towards the brothers?
10. Ray, starting up the franchise, efficiency, appreciating the work of Fred Turner and his subsequent positions in the company and succeeding Ray? Ray and his detailed following the brothers plan, the quality of the cooking, the service, cleanliness? The discussion with his fellow golfers, their putting up their money, but changing the ideal of Mc Donalds, the burgers, introducing other menu items, young people hanging around, the litter, against the ideals of the brothers? The recruiting of the sales personnel and their making successes of the franchise? His varied speeches to Rotary clubs, to the Jewish community? Expanding, going to Minnesota, the restaurant, seeing Joan playing the piano, the attraction, Rollie, her husband and his interest in the franchise? The duet of Pennies from Heaven? Joan and her ideas about powdered milk? She and husband going to the business? Ray’s attraction, his divorce, marrying Joan?
11. Establishing the company, the bank and the loans, the debts and expenses, his being upset about his percentage, wanting to expand, going to the banks and their demands, mortgaging his house? His getting possession of the name, breaking the contracts? Asking his lawyers to make problems go away? At the bank, the advisor about land, his guiding Ray? (And later working for him but clashing and leaving?)
12. Ray, ultimately winning, the American capitalist, persistence, success, not being nice, business as war? The brothers unable to wage this kind of war and losing? The final talk with Dick in the toilet, the importance of the Mc Donald name?
13. Ray, preparation for his final speech, claiming to be the founder, looking back over his life, the comparisons with President Reagan?
14. The final information, the pictures of the actual characters, the information about their careers, Ray’s death, Joan and her huge bequests to charities?
15. And the worldwide success of Mc Donalds to the present?
