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.
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.