Robert Kearns takes on the Detroit automakers who he claims stole his idea for the intermittent windshield wiper.
Director:
Marc Abraham
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Title: Flash of Genius (2008)
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1 win.
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Greg Kinnear | ... | Bob Kearns | |
 |
Tim Eddis | ... | Maryland Cop #1 |
| Warren Belle | ... | Maryland Cop #2 | |
|
|
Karl Pruner | ... | Pete |
| Bill Lake | ... | Scott | |
| Dermot Mulroney | ... | Gil Previck | |
| Lauren Graham | ... | Phyllis Kearns | |
| Landon Norris | ... | Young Dennis | |
|
|
Shae Norris | ... | Young Kathy |
|
|
Steven Woodworth | ... | Young Tim |
|
|
Victoria Learn | ... | Young Maureen |
| Dylan Authors | ... | Young Patrick | |
|
|
Ronn Sarosiak | ... | Reverend |
|
|
Gavin Kuiack | ... | Baby Bob Jr. |
|
|
Ben Kuiak | ... | Baby Bob Jr. |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
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Storyline
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 titans in a battle that nobody thought he could win. 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-thirties, 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 ... Written by Anonymous
Plot Keywords:
intellectual property | ford | windshield wiper | automaker | engineer |Taglines:
Based on a true story. See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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Details
Release Date:
3 October 2008 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Un éclair de génie See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$20,000,000 (estimated)Opening Weekend USA:
$2,251,075, 5 October 2008Gross USA:
$4,442,377Cumulative Worldwide Gross:
$4,802,953Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Color:
ColorAspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
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Gregory Lawson: This is justice, Bob. This is how justice is dispensed in this country - with checkbooks. There are no brass bands, you know, there are no ticker tape parades, the mayor doesn't give you the key to the city and call you a hero. You get a check, and that check makes the lives of you and your family a little easier... a little more pleasant. It's that simple.
See more »
Public Domain
Written by George Frideric Handel (as Georg Friedrich Händel)
Performed by Bertalan Hock
Courtesy of Naxos, by Arrangement with Source/Q
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Many of the Toronto locations were found by the locations manager using Google Earth. See more »Goofs
The Continental Mark III that was given to Kearns was a 1969, not a 1968 as indicated in this section. The headrests were not there for the 1968 model. All cars had standard headrests for 1969. Ford changed to smaller, triangular ones for 1970 and 1971. See more »Quotes
Bob Kearns: Whatever happened to this little thing called justice we talked about?Gregory Lawson: This is justice, Bob. This is how justice is dispensed in this country - with checkbooks. There are no brass bands, you know, there are no ticker tape parades, the mayor doesn't give you the key to the city and call you a hero. You get a check, and that check makes the lives of you and your family a little easier... a little more pleasant. It's that simple.
See more »
Crazy Credits
Today there are over 145 million automobiles on the road with the Intermittent Windshield Wiper. See more »Soundtracks
Largo from 'Xerxes', HWV by George Friederich HandelPublic Domain
Written by George Frideric Handel (as Georg Friedrich Händel)
Performed by Bertalan Hock
Courtesy of Naxos, by Arrangement with Source/Q
See more »
Frequently Asked Questions
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I cherish this movie; a lot of this is for personal reasons. The film is well done; Greg Kinnear really impressed me with this and little miss sunshine.
I am a sales guy who sells to big companies. I recently gave ford a free education in a service we offer, and it took so much evangalizing, repetition, re-explanation and hitting them over the head. I was astonished that a business this big didn't have smarter people.
Then, when we gave them our price and offer, they said "no thanks were going to build this in house rather than use you".........I felt a visceral connections to Bob Kearns.
Suddenly, Ford is an expert on this. I would talk to anyone who would listen, and I put my blood into helping them improve their business. I have a new opinion of the buying and technology that Ford uses to run its operations. One of the reasons they might be the "least screwed up" of the auto makers" is their soul-less way of getting companies on their knees, and then kicking them down when you cry "uncle" for them.
Sorry for blabbing. It just hurts to know we really wanted to help them , and help us make a buck in the process. And we were treated like dogs.