Sentimental but remarkably compelling, the saga of a little man's victory over a corporate giant will ensure that you'll never see your windshield wipers the same way.
Comment
09/09/08
Flash of Genius (2008)
58
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:103
Fresh:60
Rotten:43
Average Rating:6/10
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.
Theatrical Release:20-03-2009
Synopsis: Veteran producer Marc Abraham makes his feature film debut with FLASH OF GENIUS, based on a true story set in Detroit and spanning multiple decades. Dr. Robert Kearns (Greg Kinnear) has a good... [More]
Starring: Greg Kinnear, Lauren Graham, Dermot Mulroney, Alan Alda
Director: Marc Abraham
Reviews for Flash of Genius
This movie doesn't really offer anything new, but the quiet, meditative execution was refreshing.
10/02/08
There is depth, there is complexity, there is authenticity to this character.
11/10/08
Kinnear captures both the distracted-genius absentmindedness of a man inspired and the crumbling psyche of a man possessed. It's easily Kinnear's best performance in years, maybe ever.
10/02/08
The most gripping movie about engineering windshield wipers you will ever see. Take that any way you care to.
10/03/08
Try imagining the pitch for Flash of Genius: "It's a true story about the guy who invents the intermittent windshield wiper blade."
10/03/08
Genius is appealing, and while the story is an odd one, it remains an intriguing observation of underhanded corporate business practices told through formulaic melodramatic trappings.
10/02/08
It's as if the filmmakers are too nervous about making a mistake, so consistently take the safe path, draining the movie of colour and leaving us sympathetic but uninspired.
02/15/09
It's the individual story, fleshed out by Philip Railsback's intelligent script, that makes the audience care.
10/02/08
Did you like Tucker: The Man and His Dream? It's in the same boat but less stylish and with a bit more heart.
10/03/08
The film rests easily on Kinnear's narrow but sturdy shoulders.
10/02/08
Kinnear allows his character's small bit of humanity and desperation over injustice to keep the man's head barely above the quicksand.
09/29/08
With minimal saccharine emotions and a reliance on low-key realism, Flash of Genius is a formulaic underdog tale carried out with decided intelligence.
10/02/08
A fairly satisfying story of an underdog taking on the corporations that anyone can get behind, although it rarely feels like something so cinematic you might feel the need to rush to see it in theaters.
10/03/08
Too bad this real-life battle is framed as classic David-Goliath story for the socio-economic-scientific context and eccentric persona of Kearns (well played by Kinnear) and his invention are fascinating and could have been more dramatically absorbing.
09/15/08
Flash of Genius is a conventional crowdpleaser but not, I'm pleased to report, a shameless one.
09/01/08
Celebrates one man's arduous and lonely crusade against injustice; it's a story the honors his courage and zeal.
10/02/08
If timing is everything, there's no better time for Flash of Genius and its story of the Little Guy getting ripped off by Big Business.
10/02/08
... Its true story, filmed and acted with great skill, has an uncommon poignancy.
05/15/09
Kinnear, a generally underappreciated actor, holds the picture together almost by force of will.
10/01/08
Latest News for Flash of Genius
March 17, 2009:
Five Favourite Films with Greg Kinnear
How do you describe the career of a guy who started as the host of Talk Soup on E! and within five years was Oscar nominated for a role opposite Jack Nicholson? Greg Kinnear is... More...
February 16, 2009:
RT on DVD: High School Musical 3 or Midnight Meat Train?
It's a good week for mediocre films (Body of Lies, Changeling, Quarantine and Flash of Genius, which all walk a fine line between Fresh and Rotten) and an even better one if... More...
October 02, 2008:
Box Office Guru Preview: Chihuahua to Overtake Multiplexes
Hollywood kicks off the fourth quarter with a stampede of new releases that will test the elasticity of the marketplace. Ambulances are already on standby to rush the high... More...
September 02, 2008:
After 15 Years, Abraham's Flash of Genius Strikes 
Why make your directorial debut on a movie about the guy who invented the intermittent windshield wiper? For Marc Abraham, it came down to a matter of principle. More...
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