Flash of Genius

Name: Flash of Genius
Genre: Drama
Released: October 3, 2008
Duration: 119 min
Rating: 57
Cast: Greg Kinnear, Lauren Graham

2008

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 25 Critics

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 23 Ratings

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7.6

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7.6	Your Score
7.6	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 23 Ratings

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FLASH OF GENIUS

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Movie Details & Credits

Universal Pictures | Release Date: October 3, 2008

Starring: Greg Kinnear, Lauren Graham

Summary: Based on the true story of college professor and part-time inventor Robert Kearns' long battle with the U.S. automobile industry, Flash of Genius tells the tale of one man whose fight to receive recognition for his ingenuity would come at a heavy price. But this determined engineer refused to be silenced, and he took on the corporate titansBased on the true story of college professor and part-time inventor Robert Kearns' long battle with the U.S. automobile industry, Flash of Genius tells the tale of one man whose fight to receive recognition for his ingenuity would come at a heavy price. But this determined engineer refused to be silenced, and he took on the corporate titans in a battle that nobody thought he could win. (Universal Pictures)… Expand

Director: Marc Abraham

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 119 min

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Awards & Rankings

98	#98 Most Shared Movie of 2008

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Metascore

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Negative:

Critic Reviews

100

Baltimore Sun - Michael Sragow

It's exhilarating in an authentic, pathos-streaked way to see Kearns, through Greg Kinnear's inspired characterization of a wary obsessive, representing himself during his trial against Ford Motor Co. for stealing his design. Read full review

San Francisco Chronicle - Peter Hartlaub

An enjoyable way to start the Oscar season. Read full review

Philadelphia Inquirer - Steven Rea

Kinnear does what he's done in the past: You underestimate the guy's acting chops, and suddenly, strikingly, he floors you. Read full review

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) - Liam Lacey

The problem with Flash of Genius is that a windshield wiper is an awfully thin mechanism on which to hang a feature movie. Read full review

The Hollywood Reporter - Peter Brunette

It's also solidly constructed throughout and the acting is impeccable. The problem is that it just lumbers along for two solid hours, never rising to any significant emotional or philosophical heights. Read full review

Los Angeles Times - Mark Olsen

Wants so much to be liked, even with its prickly, difficult hero, that it misses the mark of nonobviousness necessary not only for a patent, but also for a thrilling, original work. Read full review

Village Voice - Robert Wilonsky

Greg Kinnear, usually kinetic, is unusually (and unbearably) dull. Read full review

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User Reviews

LindaK.

Oct 8, 2008

Engrossing throughout. Lots of lovely, subtle things in the setting. The way Greg Kinnear played Kearns, the viewer understood why he could not quit the quest. Alan Alda surprise me because I had type cast him into being a very honorable character instead of a very practical one.

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DennisL.

Oct 7, 2008

Doesn't deserve the tepid score. Kinnear is very good, the court room scenes are compelling, and the afterglow is quietly strong.

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AdamL.

Feb 10, 2009

While the film may lack the novelty or high artistry necessary to earn it a "10," the beauty, focus, and superb performances of this movie make it more than worthy of a "9." The lukewarm response of many of the professional critics above is unwarranted.

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Fantasy

Oct 8, 2008

Good movie not great. GK does another outstanding job. A bit long but otherwise okay with a predictable ending.

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JonathanC

Oct 4, 2011

Its not a movie that stands out in any way and if it was not for Kinear's decent acting (not incredible, but decent), the movie would have done far worse. Kinear definitely carried out his portrayal to make the film believable and there are some other saving performances. The movie makes aIts not a movie that stands out in any way and if it was not for Kinear's decent acting (not incredible, but decent), the movie would have done far worse. Kinear definitely carried out his portrayal to make the film believable and there are some other saving performances. The movie makes a visible lifte when Alan Alda makes his appearance. Also on the plus, it was shot well and pacing was acceptable. On the negative side, its predictable and a little too toned down. To quote a character "Let's tone down the language." (against Ford). The movie could have listed the countless other inventors marginalized and by corporations and could have made a much stronger statement.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

ChadS.

Oct 6, 2008

The intermittent windshield wiper is his Mona Lisa; only one person painted the Mona Lisa. In another century, prior to the Italian Renaissance, Bob Kearns(Greg Kinnear) would have been considered an artist, as the distinction between artisan and artist hadn't been made yet. When Bob The intermittent windshield wiper is his Mona Lisa; only one person painted the Mona Lisa. In another century, prior to the Italian Renaissance, Bob Kearns(Greg Kinnear) would have been considered an artist, as the distinction between artisan and artist hadn't been made yet. When Bob invented the intermittent windshield wiper, he did it independently, not by committee. During therapy, the tortured "artist" asks the doctor how'd he feel if another man's name appeared on his published books. This is the sort of question Bob should be asking the team of engineers at Ford, whose labored fruits carry the corporate logo. They're like clusterf***** Hollywood screenwriters at an arbitartion hearing before the Writers Guild of America, who rules against their claim for on-screen credit. When Bob's case is brought up before the court, he's like Arthur C. Clarke trying to get his "patent" on HAL back from MGM Studios. Blind in one eye, due to a honeymoon mishap with an errant champagne cork, Bob sounds like pioneering Soviet filmmaker Dziga Vertov as he describes the Kearns Blinking Eye Wiper operating under the principles of an eyelid. This inventor was like "The Man with a Cor-ko Eye" in approaching Ford; the maverick trying to woo the establishment, with the naive notion that he wouldn't be co-opted. (If Vertov came to Hollywood and worked with John Ford, he'd try to cut "The Searchers" like "Flash...dance". This Constructivist filmmaker unwittingly predicted the language of the music video.) Despite its winning story about the underdog going after "the man", "Flash of Genius" is hampered by a dramatic inertness as Bob waits for his day at court. Surely, the DaVinci of the pantograph arms(thank you, Wikipedia) attempted to paint another Mona Lisa during the interim, when he wasn't alienating his family and friends. That's the direction "Flash of Genius" should have taken, a dramatization of Bob Kearns' realization that you can't catch lightning in a bottle the second time around. Losing his Tesla girl was tough, losing his invention was tougher, but knowing that he peaked was probably the greatest source of the inventor's angst. Every artist, or artisan, fears this; the loss of creativity, having hot flashes of unimaginativity.… Expand

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DanielR.

Oct 3, 2008

Really?....Really?....A 55? This movie was bad. Simply very bad. It suffers from a sever pacing problem and Kinnear's character is an imbecile who's self destructive behavior only makes this underdog film feel bland. It's hard to feel bad for him when he behaves like such a Really?....Really?....A 55? This movie was bad. Simply very bad. It suffers from a sever pacing problem and Kinnear's character is an imbecile who's self destructive behavior only makes this underdog film feel bland. It's hard to feel bad for him when he behaves like such a greedy child.… Expand

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