Flash of Genius

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Flash of Genius

PG-13

2008

2h 0m

Drama

Biography

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Popcornmeter

62%

Tomatometer

106 Reviews

55%

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5,000+ Ratings

When college professor and part-time inventor Robert Kearns develops an intermittent windshield wiper, he believes he, his wife and their children will be set for life. Though the invention is a big hit with automakers in the 1960s Detroit, Kearns finds himself forced out of the picture. Determined to collect the recognition and financial reward due him, he wages an arduous legal battle with the auto industry.

Critics Consensus

The touching underdog story of a single guy against a massive corporation, Flash of Genius is a well-paced and well-written tale with a standout performance by star Greg Kinnear.

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Jonathan F. Richards

Film.com

11/10/2008

If it doesn't rise to the level of It's a Wonderful Life, it's because Marc Abrams is no Frank Capra. And after all, this isn't about angels, it's about windshield wipers.

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Reece Pendleton

Chicago Reader

10/10/2008

Seriously undermined by the skeletal script, which barely develops the characters and unintentionally raises more questions about Kearns's quixotic battle than it answers.

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Rex Reed

Observer

10/08/2008

Too much technical information about circuit boards, Motorola transistors and U.S. patent laws eventually takes up more screen time than Kearns' sympathetic story, leaving the viewer restless and bored.

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Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

09/07/2020

3.0/4.0

Had the film itself come together as nicely as Kinnear's performance, there would simply be no doubt about the inevitability of an Oscar nomination for Kinnear.

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Joanne Laurier

World Socialist Web Site

09/02/2020

Flash of Genius is a sincere and moving work, although somewhat pedestrian.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

10/04/2018

2.5/4

...many of Flash of Genius' problems stem from an overlong and padded-out running time...

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Hans H

@HansHans 10/25/2023

Superb movie. The scene when father comes home from hospital is why I rate this movie as great acting.

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11/07/2020

I am obsessed with endings. I think, ultimately, that's all audiences really care about when they form their opinion on a movie. Flash of Genius' ending (which I won't say), simply undercuts the whole theme / message / point of the story. Even if it's true to history, which I respect, it left me feeling like this was a waste of my time.

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Jeffrey P

@vanillavoodoo1 08/23/2020

Good film about windshield wipers. Kinda falls apart and drifts off into something else in the second half.

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steve d

@RT35616104 06/22/2020

unpleasant biopic that forgets to get you to care about it's characters beyond their situation.

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Michael W

@mawilps 02/08/2020

This is a great movie that's based on a true story. Greg Kinnear and the rest of the cast did an excellent job in this movie. The plot to the movie is great. It's about fighting for what's yours and never giving up no matter how long it takes. People should see this movie because it would inspire people to get what they want in life and never let anyone get in their way or let them say it can't be done. Check it out. It's worth seeing.

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04/20/2018

I thought this was a pretty good movie

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Marc Abraham

Director

Greg Kinnear

Robert Kearns

Lauren Graham

Phyllis Kearns

Dermot Mulroney

Gil Privick

Jake Abel

Dennis Kearns

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Synopsis

When college professor and part-time inventor Robert Kearns develops an intermittent windshield wiper, he believes he, his wife and their children will be set for life. Though the invention is a big hit with automakers in the 1960s Detroit, Kearns finds himself forced out of the picture. Determined to collect the recognition and financial reward due him, he wages an arduous legal battle with the auto industry.

Director: Marc Abraham
Producer: Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, Michael Lieber
Screenwriter: Philip Railsback
Distributor: Universal Studios
Production Co: Barber-Birnbaum, Universal Pictures, Spyglass Entertainment, Strike Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (Brief Strong Language)
Genre: Drama, Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 3, 2008, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $4.2M
Runtime: 2h 0m