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Movie Review for Flash of Genius (2008)
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Review #687 of 365 Movie Review of Flash of Genius (2008) [PG-13] 119 minutes WIP™ Scale: $13.50 Where Viewed: Landmark Greenwood Village, Greenwood Village, CO When Seen: 10 September 2008 @ 7:30 pm DVD Release Date: Unscheduled (please check back) After the Credits: nothing
Soundtrack: order the CD below
Directed by: Marc Abraham (debut) Written by: Philip Railsback (The Stars Fell on Henrietta ) based on article by John Seabrook
Isn't it about time that somebody made a movie like this? Director Marc Abraham debuts with Flash of Genius, the true story of college electrical engineering professor Bob Kearns, whose invention of the circuit that allows for windshield wipers to wipe intermittently, tries to sell his idea to Ford Motor Company, and learns the hard way that achieving the American dream in a culture of corporate greed might be a lot harder than the slogans make it seem. Greg Kinnear portrays the lively, focused, and single-minded Kearns with Lauren Graham as his trusty wife, Phyllis. One evening, while driving home from church with the family during a rainstorm, Bob gets the idea that wind shield wipers should know how often and long to blink just like the human eye. In his garage, with newly invented circuit board parts like resistors, capacitors, and transistors, plus the help of two of his sons, and some luck, he puts together an electronic circuit that achieves the impossible: wipers that pause and then wipe again! It's truly a marvel to behold. One of his best friends, Gil Previck (Dermot Mulroney) happens to be a parts manufacturer for Ford, and helps him get to a point where he can introduce the Kerns Blinking Eye Wiper to Ford's engineers who've been working on a similar concept unsuccessfully, it turns out. Oh, and they have a better name for it, intermittent windshield wipers. Kearns is protective of the invention which Previck patents for him for a cut of the action, and won't let the Ford people see the device under the hood. They are sufficiently pleased, however, as to make Kearns an offer. But, Kearns complicates matters by vowing to build the device himself in a factory and sell the parts to Ford and other auto companies. This doesn't sit will with the Ford Exec (Mitch Pileggi) who tries to convince him just to sell them the patent. As Kearns goes forward with the factory plans spending tons of his own money, Ford claims to need one of the devices to get government approval before they can install it in their cars. Shortly thereafter, Gil has to give Bob some bad news. Ford is no longer interested in the device. They want to back out of the deal. Bob is beside himself. He's invested so much money in the factory, and now for what? Worse, a year later, Ford reveals a new Mustang with intermittent wipers as a standard feature. Bob knows they stole his invention, but he has no proof. He gets the proof he needs by following home a car owner and ripping the device from under the hood. What happens next, however, is catastrophic. Bob decides to take on Ford and sue them for stealing the invention. Everyone tells him it's a lost cause, you cannot sue one of the biggest companies in the world and win, you're better off just forgetting about it. But, he can't. And, this plunges him and subsequently his family into a decades long battle that eventually ruins his life. (see spoiler for more exact details and discussion)
The origin of the story was an article by John Seabrook leading to the screenplay by Philip Railsback. Railsback captures both sides of Kearns the man making him out to be a part modern day hero part modern day Captain Ahab. His pursuit of justice ultimately overwhelms his pursuit for financial restitution. Greg Kinnear, certainly a capable actor, demonstrates a singular focus in playing this role. He becomes Kearns in every aspect, and breathes true life into the man, the myth, the legend. He does so lovingly as if he not only gets Kearns, but he gets every inventor throughout history who's ever had his or her idea stolen for the profits of others. It's a gut wrenching experience to feel so helpless and betrayed. If this were the only time in history this had ever happened, well, you know.
… a timeless story of might versus right…precisely the film needed to help kick-start…a lack-luster fall movie season.
Lauren Graham advances her career further as the strong-willed Phyllis who eventually must decide what to do about her husband's perceived folly. She too embodies the woman filling her with the sense of 50s devotion while the blossoming assertive expectations start to take hold. Alan Alda pops up briefly as an attorney who plans achieve restitution for the Kearns family. He's great as usual. Someone needs to get him back on tv in a recurring role as the head of a law firm like they did with William Shatner. Rounding out the cast are a bevy of child actors playing the Kearns kids, Bill Smitrovich who plays the Judge that eventually sees Kearns's trial, and Tim Kelleher as the Ford Company pit bull, Charlie Defao.
With a timeless story of might versus right, a cast that's more than up to the task, and an ending that's too good to believe it's actually true, Flash of Genius is precisely the film needed to help kick-start what's thus far proving to be a lack-luster fall movie season.
Review-lite Flash of Genius (2008) [max of 150 words]
Isn't it about time that somebody made a movie like this? Director Marc Abraham debuts with Flash of Genius, the true story of college electrical engineering professor Bob Kearns, whose invention of the circuit that allows for windshield wipers to wipe intermittently, tries to sell his idea to Ford Motor Company, and learns the hard way that achieving the American dream in a culture of corporate greed might be a lot harder than the slogans make it seem. Greg Kinnear portrays the lively, focused, and single-minded Kearns with Lauren Graham as his trusty wife, Phyllis. With a timeless story of might versus right, a cast that's more than up to the task, and an ending that's too good to believe it's actually true, Flash of Genius is precisely the film needed to help kick-start what's thus far proving to be a lack-luster fall movie season.
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