The 5 Must-See Movies of January

Still from The Weinstein Company

The Founder (January 20th)

Synopsis: The story of how Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton) revolutionized the fast food industry with the creation of McDonalds.

Opportunist? Genius? Thief? These are words all attributed to McDonalds founder Ray Kroc. Like any great inventor there are differing stories about just how involved Kroc was in the creation of McDonalds. (The book Fast Food Nation gives a great overview.) It’s actually surprising that Hollywood hasn’t capitalized on telling the story of the man whose business is a product placement machine for movies. I guess McDonalds figured Mac & Me was enough brand promotion.

I digress. The Founder hopes to be a late-in-the-game Oscar contender, particularly for star Michael Keaton. After losing the Best Actor Oscar in 2015, Keaton’s back with a pretty showy performance in a film that’s been receiving mixed reviews overall. The initial trailer has a bit of a tone issue, probably because it’s unclear whether the film is in Kroc’s favor or not. It’s directed by John Lee Hancock, best known for happy family films like The Blind Side – which nabbed Sandra Bullock her Oscar – and Saving Mr. Banks. Both of those films are cute, but they’re far from memorable. Considering this was pushed out of a more Oscar-friendly date in December, it’s doubtful The Founder will go far. If anything it’ll play great with a Big Mac and a screening of Supersize Me.

Next: Split