A college professor creates a revolutionary invention that will change car windshields forever in the drama FLASH OF GENIUS. Dr. Bob Kearns, portrayed by Greg Kinnear, is a local university professor who dabbles in inventions from time to time. One Sunday, when riding home from church with his family, Bob becomes frustrated with the use of his windshield wipers, and formulates an idea to make the wipers better. Bob creates the intermittent windshield wiper, and pitches his idea to the higher-ups at the Ford Motor Company. After accepting his proposal, the Ford Motor Company reneges on their offer, but ends up manufacturing Bob’s idea anyways. Not one for accepting defeat, Bob sues the Ford Motor Company for patent infringement.
Bio pictures are a dime dozen, but what differentiates FLASH OF GENIUS from the rest is its relatable nature. Most films in the genre are centered around a famous, tragic or tragically famous individual. The FLASH OF GENIUS protagonist certainly isn’t famous, at least in conventional circles, but his story is no less compelling depicting a family man reaching for the American dream. Kinnear, who was wonderfully egotistical and charming in GHOST TOWN, is equally convincing as Bob, a man who becomes so obsessed with personal justice, that his parental priorities become an afterthought. Although the film is a bio-picture, it isn’t as much concerned with Bob and his invention as it is in detailing the American dream and the difficulty achieving it. FLASH OF GENIUS is based on John Seabrook’s article of Kearns in “The New Yorker”, and was later released as a novel this year. Screenwriter Philip Railsback and director Marc Abraham skillfully balance the need for facts versus the spirit of the story and end up delivering a solid piece of family entertainment that doesn’t appear to meddle with the truth.
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