Flash of Genius

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Flash of Genius

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Flash of Genius

Greg Kinnear, Dermot Mulroney, Lauren Graham, Daniel Roebuck, Jake Abel, Bill Smitrovich, Alan Alda

Robert Kearns takes on the Detroit automakers who he claims stole his idea for the intermittent windshield wiper.

Id: 10938315

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Flash of Genius Recent Reviews
  • gor41
    October 29, 2009
    gor41
    Well worn tale of the little man taking on a corporate giant. Absolutely predictable but amiable.
  • hobster1
    April 9, 2009
    hobster1
    Biopic of how Robert Kearns, the man who invented the intermittent windshield wiper, went up against the Ford Motor Company for stealing his idea. David and Goliath story presents its tale competently, but it's hard not to feel like we've seen this many times before. Our protag...( read more)onist never gives up, regardless of the consequences or benefits. Indeed, it's telling that as the story progresses, the main character seems rather foolish, and not so heroic.
  • armybratgeo
    March 28, 2009
    armybratgeo
    Oh this was good!! Mr Kinnear has come such a long way from doing Talk Soup, to getting nominated for an Oscar to doing such pieces as this one. Impressive! The story of Bob Kearns is a tale of a very selfish but dedicated man. He gives up everything to see his work getting credi...( read more)ted to him, if he would have gave up to keep his family he would never have been credited for his "flash of genius". What would you or me have done? Not an easy question for most...
  • her69eyes
    November 21, 2008
    her69eyes
    The concept of "Flash of Genius" could almost come off as a joke - imagine telling your friends you're off to see a movie, and when they ask what it's about, you reply "intermittent windshield wipers". On the surface, it's hardly riveting material. First time director Marc Abraha...( read more)m (a renowned producer) knows damn well that the average movie goer can care less about wiper mechanics, so he only gives us the information we need to comprehend the plot. We simply watch the awe on the faces of those who lay their eyes on the first intermittent windshield wiper and understand it's a breakthrough. However, there's something so unfulfilling about not knowing, as an audience, why this one works. What's the big revelation? Why is Bob Kearns a genius, and how come Ford has never been able to come up with this on their own? We're never really told... it has something to do with eyelids, I guess. That's representative of the problems of "Flash of Genius" - it lies in such shallow water that we can never fully invest in the characters. What should've been a story about a man shamefully casting aside his family due to his stubborn tunnel-vision becomes every other "David vs. Goliath" story you've ever seen. There's a really good story here, but it settles for much less than it should.

    In 1967, Bob Kearns (Greg Kinnear), a college professor, invented the first ever intermittent windshield wiper. After an accident which caused him to lose sight in one of his eyes, he became fascinated in the eye mechanics. We blink on an average of every four seconds, so why cant a car's windshield wipers "blink" by itself at given intervals? Kearns was the first ever to conquer this concept, and he did it in his basement - beating multimillion dollar corporations to the punch. So, he and his business partner, Gil Privick (Dermot Muloroney), realize the market for such an innovation and take it to Ford. Ford shows a great deal of interest and initially accepts Kearns' offer, but then backs out at the last minute with no given explanation.

    Two years later, Kearns noticed his windshield wipers on a few cars on the road. He followed these cars and was led to a Ford launch of it's new model - equipt with his intermittent windshield wiper. Kearns sued Ford in 1978 for infringement, however would not get his day in court for thirteen years. Along the way, his wife, Phyllis (Lauren Graham) left him because of the stress, and he had his six children help him with his legal work. One of the things "Flash of Genius" explores is whether or not the end justifies the means - he put his family and himself through hell for thirteen years to finally get his just due. Is he really a hero, or would he have been better off putting family values infront of his personal pride?

    The problem with "Flash of Genius" is that it doesn't quite know what it wants to be. On one hand, we have a really dark film that involves Kearns admitted into a mental asylum. On the other, however, it's simply a story about a man fighting for his day in court. There's an unbalance there that leaves both sides of the story completely unconvincing and flat. Perhaps the most crucial moment in Kearns' struggle was when his wife left him, however we never got much of a chance to meet her so we were left entirely unphased.

    This film reaffirmed my theory that 95% of all films that involve a trial are ruined by said court case. Trials are such uninteresting and narrow-minded method of creating drama, and rarely do they offer any surprises. Cross-examinations will leave witnesses stumbling over their words, the good guy will inspire the jury in an unconventional manner (that the judge must "see where he's going with this"), and the bad guy is sure to shout "objection" everytime the good guy is on his way to a point. This film reminded me of "Ghost Town" (which also stars Kinnear), in that there's so much potential but it's so by-the-book that it's completely underwhelming.

    I've always been a fan of Greg Kinnear, but I wasn't completely blown away by his performance here. That being said, however, Kearns (as presented in the film) wasn't exactly an interesting guy. We don't have a reason to sympathize with him - sure, he got screwed, but he's selfish throughout the majority of the film. I would have liked less of Kearns' trial and more examinations of his mental state. Although I spend two hours with the character, I never felt like I really knew him.

    I was quite disappointed with this, and I wouldn't say it warrants a recommendation. It's competent filmmaking, but it's just completely lifeless.
  • jackamaku
    June 29, 2009
    jackamaku
    Greg Kinnear plays the guy who came up with the intermittent windshield wipers, you know, for when it's drizzling? Ford then rips him off and he spends years trying to sue them, not for the money, but for the recognition. What was most interesting about this true story was how ...( read more)difficult it seemed to be to make wipers that paused, something that you could probably make with an erector set these days. The rest of the movie is fine, neither great or bad, just sort of predictable and mildly pleasant...something for a rainy afternoon cable watch.
  • yasendi
    November 9, 2009
    yasendi
    The story of the inventor of automated wndow swipers. A very inspiring experience full of determination and values.
  • SC007
    November 8, 2009
    SC007
    Greg Kinnear gives one of his best performances in this film. The film kind of reminded me of the film, Tucker The Man and His Dream. Also the supporting cast does a good job too. On the negative, I didn't like the way the film opened. Also the pacing was off at times. Still, the...( read more) film is worth seeing cause of Kinnear's performance.
  • eh4ever2000
    October 24, 2009
    eh4ever2000
    Flash of Genius probably has the best performance, Greg Kinnear has ever done in his career. It's the true story of Robert Kearns who invests the intermittent windshield wiper. He attempts to sell his invention to Ford, and they steal his idea. Kearns spends the next 12 years fig...( read more)hting Ford all the while he suffers a nervous breakdown, and his wife and children leave him.
    Very good film.
  • dredzag
    October 19, 2009
    dredzag
    Corporate greed gone amuck in this David vs Goliath story. Worth watching though this is a bit of a cautionary tale....when being consumed by something causes you to lose everything....maybe it's time to walk away? Glad he didnt though!
  • dukeakasmudge
    October 14, 2009
    dukeakasmudge
    Better then I expected
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