History Film / TheFounder

''The Founder'' is a 2016 BioPic starring Creator/MichaelKeaton as Ray Kroc, the founder of UsefulNotes/McDonalds.

* AndThatsTerrible: The use of powdered milk shakes to save money instead of using ice cream is this. We all know it'll be retired anyway.

* KickTheDog: The scene when Ray unloads on the [=McDonald=] brothers, describing in detail just how far he is willing to go to get what he wants. Also cements his FaceHeelTurn for the audience.

* PrinciplesZealot: The [=McDonald=] brothers are portrayed this way. They want to make a good living, but only by adhering to strict standards of quality and ethics. Kroc, on the other hand, wants to build an empire by any means necessary.

* RedOni,BlueOni: Dick's Red to Mack's Blue. Dick is quick tempered and immediately suspicious that Kroc is more dangerous than he appears to be. Mack acts as an [[AudienceSurrogate]] and is more calm and enthusiastic about Kroc. Eventually though, Kroc crosses a line that flares up the chill Mack and leads him to having a heart attack.

->'''Richard "Dick" [=McDonald=]:''' You don't "have it".

** There's no mention of Ronald [=McDonald=]

* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: The credits go over Ray's rise to power, the fate of his underlings, how the UsefulNotes/McDonalds brothers got screwed over and the very last frame confirms that yes, UsefulNotes/McDonalds starts using ice cream again in their milkshakes.

* BittersweetEnding: [=McDonald's=] is a rousing success! Kroc is a celebrated business tycoon who lives happily with the new wife he stole from a business partner. In the process, the [=McDonald=] brothers have been used and screwed out of their share of the profits, and Kroc's ex-wife got nothing for all her years of standing by him.

* EvilIsPetty: Although calling Ray "evil" is an overstatement after he gains control of the franchise he buys the [=McDonald=] brothers out for a relatively small fee, makes them a non-binding "handshake deal" to pay them 1% annually knowing he'll never actually have to do it. makes them change the name of their restaurant and builds one right across the street knowing it will knock them out of business. On top of that he declares himself to be, well, the founder, of UsefulNotes/McDonalds and takes sole credit for the successful model. He also leaves his wife who stood by him through many failed ventures and had her house unknowingly mortgaged to finance the venture. He then makes sure she never sees any of the profits from the corporation.

* HardWorkMontage: Dick [=McDonald=] gets one when he refines the Speedee System on a tennis court with some chalk and his staff miming their jobs.
* HeroAntagonist: As greed overtakes Ray and he starts making slimy and rotten moves, he becomes the villain of the piece and the [=McDonald=] brothers are the wholesome (non-powered milk) heroes opposing him.

* JerkassHasAPoint: Remember that the [=McDonald=] brothers were taking no risk in their franchising venture with Ray. Ray was putting up all the money, taking all the risk, and doing all the work. The Brothers didn't have to do anything and received royalty checks as a result. Ray (correctly) sees that they're sitting on a gold mine and that if they don't act quickly someone else will just copy their model and become the dominant force in the fast food industry. Since the brothers essentially had all of the control with none of the risk Ray is well justified in exploiting a loophole so he can take control of the franchises and greatly increase his profits. Unfortunately many of his antics and later acts in this process just come across as Evil is Petty.
* LoopholeAbuse: How Ray begins to assume further control of the company, by owning the ''land'' on which the restaurant stands rather than the restaurant itself.
* OurFounder: While Ray Kroc is the father of the [=McDonald's=] empire, it's treated as ironic when he starts calling himself the "Founder" of [=McDonald's=] as it's shown that he didn't found the original restaurant or the system that made it successful. The [=McDonald=] brothers bristle when they see his card.
* PrinciplesZealot: The [=McDonald=] brothers are portrayed this way. They want to make a good living, but only by adhering to strict ethical standards of quality. Kroc, on the other hand, wants to build an empire by any means necessary.

* ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem: "Contracts are like hearts. They're ''made to be broken''."

* StatingTheSimpleSolution: Near the end of the film, Dick [=McDonald=] asks Ray Kroc why he didn't just [[spoiler:steal their idea. He had already been given the grand tour of how they do everything behind the counter, so it would have been simpler for him to start his own restaurant using their system. Ray Kroc then says that it's the "[=McDonald's=]" name that kept him from doing that, as nobody would want to eat at a place called "Kroc's".]]

* EvilIsPetty: After Ray gains control of the franchise he buys the [=McDonald=] brothers out for a relatively small fee, makes them a non-binding "handshake deal" to pay them 1% annually knowing he'll never actually have to do it. makes them change the name of their restaurant and builds one right across the street knowing it will knock them out of business. On top of that he declares himself to be, well, the founder, of UsefulNotes/McDonalds and takes sole credit for the successful model. He also leaves his wife who stood by him through many failed ventures and had her house unknowingly mortgaged to finance the venture. He then makes sure she never sees any of the profits from the corporation.

* Evil is Petty: After Ray gains control of the franchise he buys the [=McDonald=] brothers out for a relatively small fee, makes them a non-binding "handshake deal" to pay them 1% annually knowing he'll never actually have to do it. makes them change the name of their restaurant and builds one right across the street knowing it will knock them out of business. On top of that he declares himself to be, well, the founder, of UsefulNotes/McDonalds and takes sole credit for the successful model. He also leaves his wife who stood by him through many failed ventures and had her house unknowingly mortgaged to finance the venture. He then makes sure she never sees any of the profits from the corporation.

* Jerkass has a Point: Remember that the [=McDonald=] brothers were taking no risk in their franchising venture with Ray. Ray was putting up all the money, taking all the risk, and doing all the work. The Brothers didn't have to do anything and received royalty checks as a result. Ray (correctly) sees that they're sitting on a gold mine and that if they don't act quickly someone else will just copy their model and become the dominant force in the fast food industry. Since the brothers essentially had all of the control with none of the risk Ray is well justified in exploiting a loophole so he can take control of the franchises and greatly increase his profits. Unfortunately many of his antics and later acts in this process just come across as Evil is Petty.

* Evil is Petty: After Ray gains control of the franchise he buys the McDonald brothers out for a relatively small fee, makes them a non-binding "handshake deal" to pay them 1% annually knowing he'll never actually have to do it. makes them change the name of their restaurant and builds one right across the street knowing it will knock them out of business. On top of that he declares himself to be, well, the founder, of McDonald's and takes sole credit for the successful model. He also leaves his wife who stood by him through many failed ventures and had her house unknowingly mortgaged to finance the venture. He then makes sure she never sees any of the profits from the corporation.

* Jerkass has a Point: Remember that the McDonald brothers were taking no risk in their franchising venture with Ray. Ray was putting up all the money, taking all the risk, and doing all the work. The Brothers didn't have to do anything and received royalty checks as a result. Ray (correctly) sees that they're sitting on a gold mine and that if they don't act quickly someone else will just copy their model and become the dominant force in the fast food industry. Since the brothers essentially had all of the control with none of the risk Ray is well justified in exploiting a loophole so he can take control of the franchises and greatly increase his profits. Unfortunately many of his antics and later acts in this process just come across as Evil is Petty.

Evil is Petty: After Ray gains control of the franchise he buys the McDonald brothers out for a relatively small fee, makes them a non-binding "handshake deal" to pay them 1% annually knowing he'll never actually have to do it. makes them change the name of their restaurant and builds one right across the street knowing it will knock them out of business. On top of that he declares himself to be, well, the founder, of McDonald's and takes sole credit for the successful model. He also leaves his wife who stood by him through many failed ventures and had her house unknowingly mortgaged to finance the venture. He then makes sure she never sees any of the profits from the corporation.

Jerkass has a Point: Remember that the McDonald brothers were taking no risk in their franchising venture with Ray. Ray was putting up all the money, taking all the risk, and doing all the work. The Brothers didn't have to do anything and received royalty checks as a result. Ray (correctly) sees that they're sitting on a gold mine and that if they don't act quickly someone else will just copy their model and become the dominant force in the fast food industry. Since the brothers essentially had all of the control with none of the risk Ray is well justified in exploiting a loophole so he can take control of the franchises and greatly increase his profits. Unfortunately many of his antics and later acts in this process just come across as Evil is Petty.

* HowWeGotHere: The [=McDonald=] brothers explain their legacy of businesses to Ray over dinner. Furthermore, This entire film also serves as one for Kroc's rise to power.

* AdaptedOut: Certain people are excised from the film, including Ronald [=McDonald=] and [[spoiler:Ray's second wife, Jane Green]]. Several details of the story were also trimmed as well:

** [[spoiler: Joan and Ray actually had a long-standing affair between their spouses backs, finally marrying in 1969.]]

* AntiHero: Ray Kroc starts out as this, being very profit driven and not knowing when to quit, but some of his tendencies are shown as admirable and he seems to really want the best for everyone under him. Unfortunately, see HeroAntagonist below.

* ArtisticLicenceEconomics: Invoked by the UsefulNotes/McDonalds brothers who don't really care about seeking profit driven business tactics. They only care for maintaining quality and a good image.

* BittersweetEnding: [=McDonald's=] is a rousing success! However, [[spoiler: The [=McDonald=] brothers' spirits have been shattered, and since their royalties were reduced to a handshake deal instead of a contractual one, Ray never did fork over the money, leaving them broke.]]
** Also if the [[spoiler: somber tone of the ending and Kroc's hesitant facial expressions are anything to go by, he seems to be suffering a lot of guilt for what he has done.]] And on a more meta note [[spoiler: This widely screened BioPic will likely do a massive number against Kroc's legacy and reputation, but at least gives sympathy to the McDonald brothers.]]
*** And on a final meta note, we all know that [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking that [=McDonalds=] uses ice cream in their milkshakes again, rather than using powder.]]
* BlasphemousBoast: Ray compares the Golden Arches to both the American Flag and the Christian Cross, and suggests that [=McDonald's=] could be as equal of a communal point in society as a church.

* OurFounder: Ray Kroc, who transformed [=McDonald's=] from a single family-run burger joint to a multinational corporate empire.
* PrinciplesZealot: The [=McDonald=] brothers are portrayed this way. See ArtisticLicenceEconomics .

* AdaptationInducedPlotHole: As the film focuses almost exclusively on Ray's ascension to the head of the [=McDonald's=] Corporation, there is no explanation at all on how [[spoiler:Joan left Rawland to marry Ray.]]

* ForegoneConclusion: We all know that UsefulNotes/McDonalds will become a fast food empire, Ray Croc will rise to wealth and [[ArsonMurderAndJayWalking McDonald's will serve ice cream in their milkshakes]] again after the film makes a big deal of it.

* PrinciplesZealot: The McDonald brothers are portrayed this way. See ArtisticLicenceEconomics .

->'''Richard "Dick" [=McDonald=]:''' You don't ''have it''.

* BurgerFool: How it all began.

* HeroAntagonist: Ray becomes this in the later parts of the film. Greed has overtaken him, he begins to back stab people, and worst of all [[spoiler: he begins to rewrite history with himself as the sole founder of UsefulNotes/McDonalds and back stabs the brothers out of payments.]]

* HowWeGotHere: The [=McDonald=] brothers explain their legacy of businesses to Ray over dinner. This entire film also serves as one for Kroc's rise to power.

* ProtagonistJourneyToVillain: The whole film is about this for Ray. Although he obviously isn't technically evil.
* SceneryPorn: Ray's drive down Route 66.

* UglyGuyHotWife: While he's not really ugly, Ray's wife counts. [[spoiler:Both of them.]]
* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: The film ends in 1970. As this ''is'' a true story, the film informs the audience on what happened to the key players between then and now.

*** And on a final meta note, we all know that [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking that UsefulNotes/McDonalds uses ice cream in their milkshakes again, rather than using powder.]]

* TheDeterminator: Ray will stop at nothing to own [=McDonald's=].

* HeterosexualLifePartners: The [=McDonald=] brothers.
* HowWeGotHere: The [=McDonald=] brothers explain their legacy of businesses to Ray over dinner.

* UglyGuyHotWife: Ray's wife. [[spoiler:Both of them.]]

* Adapted Out: Certain people are excised from the film, including Ronald [=McDonald=] and [[spoiler:Ray's second wife, Jane Green]]. Several details of the story were also trimmed as well:

* BasedOnATrueStory: Based on the early years of [=McDonald's=].

* TheDeterminator: Ray will stop at nothing to own the [=McDonald's=] name.

* UglyGuyHotWife: Ray's wife. [[spoiler:Both of them.]]

* ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem: "Contracts are like hearts. They're ''made to be broken''."

[[caption-width-right:350:Founders keepers]]

At the age of 52, Ray Kroc is an over-the-hill milkshake machine salesman. That is, until he makes a delivery to a small burger joint in Southern California called "[=McDonald's=]". Run by brothers Mac and Dick, Ray is quickly captivated by their revolutionary method of food production, utilizing an assembly line to prepare meals in seconds rather than minutes. At his instance, the restaurant begins to franchise and soon becomes one of the most recognized brands in the world.

* LoopholeAbuse: How Ray begins to assume further control of the company, by owning the ''land'' on which the restaurant stands rather than the restaurant itself.