Flash of Genius

This is based on the true story of Robert Kearns (played by Greg Kinnear), who sued American car companies for infringing upon his patents for the intermittent windshield wiper. While it sounds pretty dull, and it does drift into typical courtroom drama, the film has a surprising amount to offer. This is thanks in large part to a good performance from Kinnear, who isn’t going for laughs this time out. While some of the “one man against the world” stereotypes do exist here, the film is a nice effort about the loyalty of children and the importance of inventiveness. Kearns fought Big Auto for many years and died recently of Alzheimer’s. He scored a lot of victories for the little man, and this movie is likeable testament to that fact. Kinnear is good in this one, as is Lauren Graham as Kearns’s frustrated wife. Alan Alda makes a sinister appearance as a smiling lawyer with a relatively short fuse.