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Flash of Genius Details

2009 Certificate 12
  • Rated:
  • 70
  • from 1297 members

The Kearns were a typical 1960s Detroit family, trying to live their version of the American Dream. Local university professor Bob married teacher Phyllis and, by their mid-30s, had six kids who brought them a hectic but satisfying Midwestern existence. When Bob invents a device that would eventually be used by every car in the .. Read more

Starring Greg Kinnear, Lauren Graham, Dermot Mulroney, Alan Alda
Director Marc Abraham
Genres Drama

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Flash of Genius

The Kearns were a typical 1960s Detroit family, trying to live their version of the American Dream. Local university professor Bob married teacher Phyllis and, by their mid-30s, had six kids who brought them a hectic but satisfying Midwestern existence. When Bob invents a device that would eventually be used by every car in the world, the Kearns think they have struck gold. But their aspirations are dashed after the auto giants who embraced Bob's creation unceremoniously shunned the man who invented it. Ignored, threatened and then buried in years of litigation, Bob is haunted by what was done to his family and their future. He becomes a man obsessed with justice and the conviction that his life's work--or for that matter, anyone's work--be acknowledged by those who stood to benefit. And while paying the toll for refusing to compromise his dignity, this everyday David will try the unthinkable: to bring Goliath to his knees.

Starring Greg Kinnear, Lauren Graham, Dermot Mulroney, Alan Alda
Director Marc Abraham
Studio OPTIMUM HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time DVD: 1 hr 59 mins
Certificate Certificate 12
Genres Drama
Language DVD: English
Released DVD: 20 Jul 2009
Production year: 2009
Format DVD
  • Critics' reviews of Flash of Genius

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  • 2 stars out of

    This cautionary tale for the Dragons Den set takes in the career of Detroit-based amateur inventor Dr Robert... read more on Time Out

    • David Jenkins, 
    • Time Out
  • Most helpful member's review of Flash of Genius

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  • 11 out of 11 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    Strong performance, another inspiring film

    'Flash of Genius' is the one of the known stories that changed the face of US automotive history. Dr. Robert Kearns is a morally-conscious inventor/professor who fights against the Ford Motor Company for not claiming a patent on his invention. In his path to claiming he invented the intermittent windshield wiper, he refuses to take a settled payment for his concerns from Ford and takes on the mission of finding what he needs to support his claim as a case in court as a family man and on his lonesome. The film, based on another inspiring human story and has a captivating performance from Greg Kinnear, authentic props of the 50s, facts about the justifications of US law on patents (with analogies) and some insights to the workings of a intermittent windshield wiper, and a storyline and moral that will resonate with people of the engineering/automotive industry and working-day humans looking inner to their creations and how they claim to be theirs in the voice of the public and in court. Please do bear in mind that this a Hollywood take on a published article from The New York Times about Kearns' battle against the corporation presented solely in this issue and it is not just Ford but another one of the Big Three US automakers mentioned in this film.

      • A customer from Milton Keynes
  • Most recent members' review of Flash of Genius

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  • 2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 3 stars [Highly rated reviewer]

    Worthy but not dull

    Solid drama of the type they used to make. Although the subject matter is specific, the ever dependable Greg Kinnear and supporting cast, and convincing setting make it accessible to anyone.

      • matt from shrewsbury
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Rating breakdown

1,297 Member ratings
  • 100
51
  • 90
49
  • 80
315
  • 70
344
  • 60
336
  • 50
86
  • 40
75
  • 30
15
  • 20
23
  • 10
3

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    • The Kearns were a typical 1960s Detroit family, trying to live their version of the American Dream. Local university professor Bob married teacher Phyllis and, by their mid-30s, had six kids who ...