Nonstandard: A Documentary

Scott Hardie: “It ruled.”

Yet another little documentary that I crowdfunded years ago (there's my name in the end credits) has finally materialized, and this one is available in its entirety for free on YouTube, since any attempt to monetize McDonald's trademarks could potentially risk a cease-and-desist letter that buries the film. McDonald's has nothing to worry about: Other than acknowledging the chain's contemporary trend towards boring "gray box" architecture that will probably look dated in a couple of decades, the film offers no significant criticism of the chain, and instead romanticizes their past with a nostalgic whimsy. If your childhood McDonald's ever had distinctive decorative elements, such as the large aquarium that used to fascinate me at mine, this movie will give you a substantial rush of happy memories, and make you crave a cheeseburger and fries. The film makes its comedy by taking seriously its totally frivolous subject matter (the opening quote earned belly laughs from my wife and me), which is appropriate, since the project started life as a silly Twitter account. The documentary is too short, rough, and inessential to be a great film, but it's well worth an hour of your time if you find the subject matter amusing.

− May 19, 2025 • more by Scott • log in or create an account to reply