Greg Kinnear stars in Flash of Genius, featuring Lauren Graham and Dermot Mulroney.Flash of Genius is the true story of Robert Kearns, an inventor, an engineering teacher and Ph.D who invented the intermittent windshield. While in negotiations with Ford Motor Company, Ford pulled out and decided they didn't want it, even though they had been working on one for years and hadn't come up with a solution.When Kearns sees his windshield on a car, he realizes that Ford has stolen his invention. Though everyone, including his friend and business partner (Mulroney) don't want him to pursue it, and he does, hiring an attorney, Gregory Lawson (Alan Alda). Lawson gets a settlement offer for a quarter of a million dollars. Kearns turns it down for one reason. Ford will not admit they stole his invention, and though they approach him again, he continues to turn them down. Finally, working as his own attorney and with his son's help, he finally gets his day in court.As another poster pointed out, the story is sad in a way because for every Bob Kearns who won't give up, there are hundreds and maybe thousands of people who have invented things, only to see their invention stolen.Kearns suffered through a nervous breakdown, the deterioration of his family, and isolation as he fought his case.Greg Kinnear did a wonderful job as Kearns, a serious, somewhat eccentric, and brilliant man who believed in ethics and integrity.This is a very inspiring story -- it's not easy to make a movie about the invention of a windshield wiper, and maybe it's not the most exciting film I've ever seen, but I liked it.

A man's obsession with doing the right thing at any cost. Robert Kearns was driving his car during some light rain, and upon becoming annoyed with starting and stopping the windshield wipers with the control button, had his flash of genius about making something to delay the wipers; and the rest is history, as any of us who use intermittent wipers on our modern vehicles knows.The description of the plot gave me doubts, but I must admit that I was wrong, because the story is compelling from beginning to end. Kearns used his basement as a lab for experiments until he is able to make a device that works in a fish tank. He meets with Ford researchers who have been working on a project with the same goal, without success. Kearns is asked to come up with a cost per unit outline. He rents a warehouse to set up production, but becomes concerned when no one calls him back from Ford. They introduce the new Mustang with his idea. They deny the fact that they stole his invention, and as a result, he has a nervous breakdown, and is put in a mental hospital. His wife and children leave him because of his ongoing court battles, and his attorney, Gregory Lawson(Alan Alda) quits the case after Kearns refuses his advice to settle with Ford. Eventually, he finally is victorious, but at great personal cost. Flash of Genius is an outstanding real life drama, and Greg Kinnear is perfect as Kearns.

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.

Greg Kinnear is Robert Kearns who invented the intermittent windshield wiper and then spent the next bunch of years battling the car companies for patent infringement. Its an amazing story, that would be great film except for the fact that Kearns is a very difficult man to warm to. You understand how his tunnelvision disrupted the life of everyone around him. As good as the film was, and it is an excellent film on all levels, I wanted it to be over so I could know how it came out and I could not have to spend any more time with Kearns. (Kinnear is excellent by the way) I understand why this film isn't better known and why it hasn't caught on since as good as the film is, our hero is almost one note. Try it it may click with you.