| Flash of Genius Movie Review |
 |
 |
 |
| Written by David Delaney |
| Tuesday, 30 September 2008 19:00 |
|
In the American automobile dominated market of Detroit in the 1960s, a creative professor/inventor by the name of Dr. Robert W Kearns took on Ford Motor Company in a 12 year battle to claim his invention of intermittent wipers was stolen by the auto manufacturer he had so admired before. Greg Kinnear plays Kearns in a well played portrayal that depicted the hardships, frustrations and personal loss that Kearns and his family endured while being ridiculed in his efforts to claim what was rightfully his. It was the litigation of this process that was the true anarchist in this movie, as the time, effort, money, and personal cost it took to get to court was the reason why it was so disheartening to see how Corporate America can choose at will to run over individual freedoms and undermine the spirit of invention. This in the face of the undeniable fact the Kearns had patented the invention in 1967 before any auto manufacturer had it installed in any vehicle. "Flash of Genius" is a term used in the legal patent world as the moment of conception of an idea that can simply come out of nowhere. It allows for credence to an idea that is envisioned without the normal, scientific process and research an invention may be commonly associated with. Kearn's "Flash of Genius" occurred when his gimpy eye-lid gave him the idea to create a wiper that only came on when just a little bit of moisture needed to be swept away. Within days he developed such a motor that was not only intermittent, but had variable speeds to adjust for different levels of inclement weather on a car's windshield. Kearn's and his lawyer/business partner showed it to Ford without proper protection or agreements in place. Ford led them to believe they had a manufacturing deal only to inexplicably pull out a few months later. Alas, the wiper shows up in new Ford models and hence begins the battle. I think Greg Kinnear, who is more often seen to be playing a quirky character with a comedic side, shows inhernet depth of acting skill here in playing n every day man caught in a battle with a monster. |
