A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Greg Kinnear stars in Flash of Genius, featuring Lauren Graham and Dermot Mulroney.Flash of Genius is the true story of Robert Kearns, an inventor, an engineering teacher and Ph.D who invented the intermittent windshield. While in negotiations with Ford Motor Company, Ford pulled out and decided they didn't want it, even though they had been working on one for years and hadn't come up with a solution.When Kearns sees his windshield on a car, he realizes that Ford has stolen his invention. Though everyone, including his friend and business partner (Mulroney) don't want him to pursue it, and he does, hiring an attorney, Gregory Lawson (Alan Alda). Lawson gets a settlement offer for a quarter of a million dollars. Kearns turns it down for one reason. Ford will not admit they stole his invention, and though they approach him again, he continues to turn them down. Finally, working as his own attorney and with his son's help, he finally gets his day in court.As another poster pointed out, the story is sad in a way because for every Bob Kearns who won't give up, there are hundreds and maybe thousands of people who have invented things, only to see their invention stolen.Kearns suffered through a nervous breakdown, the deterioration of his family, and isolation as he fought his case.Greg Kinnear did a wonderful job as Kearns, a serious, somewhat eccentric, and brilliant man who believed in ethics and integrity.This is a very inspiring story -- it's not easy to make a movie about the invention of a windshield wiper, and maybe it's not the most exciting film I've ever seen, but I liked it.

Every day we go through life using all kinds of objects and gadgets we never ever stop to think to ourselves 'how does this work exactly'? Not so, Roberts Kearns, who makes a hobby out of taking things apart and putting them back together, often with improvements.Greg Kinnear puts in a solid performance as the real life wannabe inventor who has his patented invention of the intermittent windshield wiper stolen by Ford Motor company, and goes on a decade long battle to get recognition for his work. The film is your typical David v Goliath story, and the film suffers from Kearns not being the most interesting of people. If he were an eccentric Albert Einstein type inventor, this could have been a lot more entertaining.Never the less, it's still quite an interesting true story, and the film picks up in the last act once it hits the court-room. Some funny touches by Kinnear warms the audience to him and had me at least rooting for the little guy. It's no masterpiece, but just a light drama suited to a lazy Sunday night in front of your Television set. Just don't take it apart after-wards.

A truly remarkable film where Prof. Bob Kearns begins his lectures to his engineering class by talking about ethics. Little did the professor know what was to befall him.The Ford Motor Company went ahead and stole his patent. What this did was to lead to his nervous breakdown, loss of self-esteem, break-up of a marriage involving 7 children and a life where one has the right to question certain ethical standards.Greg Kinnear, in the lead role, is phenomenal here. His every emotion is pulled out here in a totally memorable performance. Kudos also must go to Alan Alda. As in "The Aviator," of several years back, Alda appears briefly but is memorable as a lawyer who knows the system all-to-well.This film is so good as it shows that man can triumph for his ethical beliefs.

Greg Kinnear is Robert Kearns who invented the intermittent windshield wiper and then spent the next bunch of years battling the car companies for patent infringement. Its an amazing story, that would be great film except for the fact that Kearns is a very difficult man to warm to. You understand how his tunnelvision disrupted the life of everyone around him. As good as the film was, and it is an excellent film on all levels, I wanted it to be over so I could know how it came out and I could not have to spend any more time with Kearns. (Kinnear is excellent by the way) I understand why this film isn't better known and why it hasn't caught on since as good as the film is, our hero is almost one note. Try it it may click with you.