Flash of Genius
Flash of Genius is that defining moment of inspiration that occurs in someone’s life that leads to a significant step forward for mankind. The burden of proof of this can be oppressive. Take the lengthy case of Dennis Kearns (Greg Kinnear who has just about attained the loveable everyman status of Tom Hanks and Jimmy Stewart). Anyone who has driven in the rain lately owes him a debt of gratitude for coming up with the variable speed windshield wiper. They might not know that Ford stole the idea from him which lead to the rest of the car manufacturing world picking his pocket too. The ensuing legal battle was not pretty as it consumed Kearns so much so that he lost his family, his home, his job and briefly his sanity. The ending is no surprise for anyone who can goggle and the dreams of a techno-geek seem like pretty dry stuff. Still nothing stirs up the dramatic juices like a pithy courtroom scene and there’s an adherent charm to a David and Goliath story where a feisty little guy risks everything to single handedly do battle with slimy corporate lawyers. It’s also a story that should be told if for no other reason than as a warning against the clothes and hairstyles of the ‘70’s – definitely NOT a flash of genius.