Random Citizen

Margin Call

Margin Call is a 2011 American drama film written and directed by J. C. Chandor. The principal story takes place over a 24-hour period at a large Wall Street investment bank during the financial crisis of 2007–2008. In focus are the actions taken by a group of employees during the subsequent financial collapse. The film grossed just $5.4 million in domestic ticket sales from 199 theaters, but had a ground-breaking day-and-date release that earned more than $10 million in video-on-demand sales.

Peter Sullivan discovers that his firm’s exposure to mortgage-backed securities is over-leveraged. The debt incurred from those assets will bankrupt the company, he writes. Sullivan calls his colleague Seth Bregman and the head of credit trading Will Emerson. Emerson attempts to persuade Eric Dale to return to the firm, but is unsuccessful. A meeting of senior management concludes that Sullivan’s findings are accurate.

Tuld selects Robertson to act as the scapegoat for the firm’s over-leveraged position and demands that she resign after the fire sale. Eric Dale is forced into cooperating with Cohen’s plan, with the firm threatening to cut his benefits and severance if he refuses. As trading progresses, the firm elicits suspicion and anger from their counterparties, and incurs heavy losses, but they are able to sell off most of the bad assets. Tuld dismisses Rogers’ view of the situation by recalling past economic crises, arguing that such events always happen and that Rogers should not feel guilty for acting in his interests.

The Founder

The Founder is a 2016 American biographical drama film directed by John Lee Hancock and written by Robert Siegel. Starring Michael Keaton as businessman Ray Kroc, the film portrays the story of his creation of McDonald’s. The film premiered at Arclight Hollywood on December 7, 2016, and was released theatrically in the United States on January 20, 2017. It grossed $24 million worldwide and received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised Keaton’s performance. After encountering a Bible salesman who’s Jewish, Ray hits on the idea of franchising to middle-class investors.

Ray also divorces his wife, Ethel, who gets all his assets except any shares in his business. The brothers agree to a $2.7 million lump sum payment (equivalent to $26 million in 2020) and a 1% annual royalty, but Ray refuses to include the royalty in the settlement. He argues that the true value of McDonald’s is the name itself, which expresses all the attributes of Americana. The film ends in 1970, where Ray prepares a speech in his elaborate mansion with his new wife Joan, now divorced from Rollie Smith.