I had avoided John Lee Hancock's The Founder, from 2016, because I hadn't particularly liked any of the other features he had directed, but I was pleasantly surprised. The flick, a biopic of McDonald's "founder" Ray Kroc, is a slice of Americana suited both to Hancock's rather narrow vision and Michael Keaton's talents. Keaton plays Kroc and his gift for high energy patter makes him a snug fit as the hard charging salesman. Keaton even shows he has some vocal chops as he serenades along to "Pennies from Heaven" with Linda Cardellini as the woman who became Kroc's third wife, Joan.
Robert Siegel's script planes off some of the abrasive edges of Kroc's personality. One wife and a child are eliminated from Kroc's curriculum vitae. Kroc's hornswoggling of the McDonald brothers is included, but the film is largely a celebration rather than a critique of capitalism. Hancock's view of America in the fifties is overly sunny, abetted by Michael Corenblith's adept production design, and confirms his status as a right winger; in Hollywood terms at least. The distaff side of things is neglected. Laura Dern has little to do except look glum as Kroc's neglected first wife. However, the film features a host of good performances from its supporting actors: Nick Offerman, John Carroll Lynch, B.J. Novak, and Patrick Wilson. They are all superbly cast and provide some much needed texture to a formulaic flick. All in all, this is easily Hancock's best film.
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