ON THE SILVER SCREEN: A DIFFERENT LOOK AT A SAN DIEGAN HERO (THE FOUNDER)

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By Liz Alper

Photo:  Youtube screenshot

January 20, 2017 (San Diego) - One of San Diego’s most revered historical figures is Ray Kroc.  Kroc and his wife Joan donated billions of dollars to the Salvation Army and NPR.  The Kroc Center is practically a San Diego community landmark and where San Diego State men's hockey has their home games.  He's played by Michael Keaton in the film The Founder.  

The film focuses more on how Kroc turned McDonald’s, once a hamburger stand in San Bernardino owned by two brothers, Dick and Mac McDonald (Nick Offerman, John Carroll Lynch, respectively), into a multi-million dollar fast food empire.  It focuses very little on Joan and does not show them married (rather, it shows them married to other people), but does state at the end of the film that they were married until his death in 1984.    

This film was Wolf of Wall Street without the sex, drugs, partying, or swearing (though there was some).  Kroc starts out as an Illinois businessman in 1954 Missouri traveling from restaurant to restaurant, trying to sell his new idea.  The way he finds out about the McDonald brothers is in the most random way possible; his secretary mistakenly says that they ordered something from Kroc’s company and Dick tells him that they make eight milkshakes consecutively, while Kroc is peddling a machine that can only make six.  Intrigued, Kroc sets out on a road trip to California.

Once there, he goes to McDonald’s in San Bernardino.  He’s surprised to see it’s so popular, but his real surprise comes when he orders.  He orders a hamburger, Coke and fries.  It’s given to him within 30 seconds.  He doesn’t have to wait in his car for 30 minutes like he’s so used to; he gets it at the window, ready to eat.  He asks where he can eat it and the employee says anywhere.  He bites into the hamburger and declares that it’s the best burger he’s ever tasted.  He then meets Mac, who shows him around.  From then on, Kroc convinces the brothers to invest with him and turn McDonald’s into a franchise.  The golden arches were born and McDonald’s was on its way to becoming a success.

The reason I say that the film is identical to The Wolf of Wall Street is that Kroc acts exactly like Jordan Belfort; he will cheat his way to the top even if it means breaking contract (which he does several times and which Dick calls him out for constantly).  I saw a headline that Keaton was playing a Donald Trump-like character.  Watching the movie, I could definitely see that.  I don’t know much about Donald Trump because I don’t know much about politics, but when I do get to hear him talk, I do notice the similarities between him and Kroc in this film.  

There were some things I didn’t like.  I do respect Michael Keaton as an actor, but was he really the right actor to play Kroc?  Maybe it’s just naiveté, but I always pictured Kroc as a kind gentleman.  I don’t really think Keaton plays many greedy, self-absorbed characters.  Then again, he’s still Batman to me.

I especially did not like how the brothers took a backseat in the film once Kroc basically stole their business from them and declared himself founder.  I understand that it’s how corporations work and I understand that I’m a bleeding heart, but it was their business, their idea and he stole it from them.  I hated that.  Not to mention he was constantly breaking the rules in their contract (I knew he was going to because there was a scene where he basically just does what we all do and skims over the contract and terms of agreement, but still callous).

I liked the music.  I don’t know why I expected there to be more 50s songs, since this wasn’t a fun 50s teen comedy like American Graffiti, but I did like it.  Also, even though I’ve never watched Parks & Recreation, I knew of Nick Offerman and how funny he is and I was amazed he could act in drama so well!

The film opens in theatres today, January 20.  A lot of San Diegans don’t know who Ray and Joan Kroc are other than “oh, there’s the Kroc Center,” when they drive past it and even though this isn’t a spectacular film, I’d recommend it if you don’t know who Ray Kroc really was or what he did.

A Weinstein Company production.  Directed by John Lee Hancock.  Written by Robert D.  Siegel.  Music by Carter Burwell.  Cast:  Michael Keaton, Nick Offerman, John Carroll Lynch, Linda Cardellini, B.J. Novak, Laura Dern, Justin Randell Brooke, Kate Kneeland, Patrick Wilson.  Runtime: 1h 55 min.  Rating:  PG-13.

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