Posted by The story of the start of McDonalds starring Michael Keaton. He really does a great job with playing the middle aged salesmen trying to sell milkshake machines, he goes home and listens to self help books on vinyl. Nick Offerman also has a good performance. He was called by a place called McDonalds which was started in San Bernidino California.
When he first visits the place he was completely baffled by getting his order less than a minute after placing it, asking the guy repeatedly if he’s sure that’s the right order- and didn’t understand why there were no plates or seating, asking the dude where hes supposed to eat it.
It’s based on a true story that takes some liberties, but it’s really interesting from the start.
Michael Keaton approaches the brothers who’ve started the first McDonalds and offers to help them start franchising and expanding. He’s kind of a dick in the way he handles it, but it’s effective. The thing that keeps this guy going is the idea that persistence gets things done, and he is relentless in his salesmenship and pushing his ideas forward. Abrupt and moody with a temper, Keatons character doesn’t treat the brothers well, but he does succeed in making their franchises successful spreading east from California to Minnesota. As Mcdonalds becomes famous, people get more and more excited to see one open up in their town – but Keatons character becomes arrogant and starts stepping on the toes of the brothers by naming his franchise the #1 McDonalds store, instead of the founders store. He even starts parading around to new cities pretening it was his idea all along.
Keatons character isn’t one I liked at all, but the story was compelling.
The movie was well scripted, well acted, and it felt like the real life telling of a story without a ton of embellishment.
Overall, this is a story of how Keatons character screwed over the well meaning McDonald brothers out of their business and takes over everything.