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
As Ralph Nader learned, it's tough to make car-safety stimulating.
10/06/08
Nothing too special here.
11/10/08
It's as slow and lifeless a crowd pleaser as you'll see all year, a David-and-Goliath story that would have been a much stronger film if it realized that David has to be a little nuts to take on Goliath.
10/03/08
...The movie seems to have been crafted on an assembly line that specializes in inspirational tales of ordinary Davids triumphing over merciless Goliaths.
10/03/08
There's a fine line between standing up for yourself and selfishness, and Flash of Genius drives right over it.
10/03/08
While some scenes deliver, Flash of Genius suffers from an occasional lack of narrative tension.
10/03/08
A kamikaze flight of a movie that presents itself like a weighty Oscar contender. If there were a category for Best Unintentional Self-Parody, it would be a shoo-in.
10/02/08
However the makers of Flash of Genius faced a problem they couldn't quite solve: This is a story about windshield wipers.
10/03/08
The film never rises above its mundane subject matter, and it certainly doesn't do anything to distinguish itself from any other run-of-the-mill fact-based drama about One Man fighting against The System.
10/02/08
As filtered through screenwriter Philip Railsback's pen, Kearns' extraordinary life is rendered...well, ordinary.
10/06/08
Earnest but artless...not only exhibits no signs of genius but barely registers on the competence gauge.
10/02/08
As told by producer turned director Marc Abraham, [Bob]Kearns' story has just about as much drama as watching water wiped away on a windshield by his invention.
10/03/08
We have seen this kind of tale before, and director Marc Abraham is unable to convince us that we want to see it again.
10/03/08
Flash of Genius takes an uninteresting idea -- on the surface, at least -- and actually makes it even less interesting than it already would be.
10/02/08
Sadly, first-time director Marc Abraham presents this story exactly the same as all the other biopics, all highlights.
10/03/08
If you spend the entire movie making sure I'm aware that someone is socially awkward, he shouldn't turn into Henry Drumond from Inherit t the Wind during the closing argument.
10/03/08
The acting is fine. What's missing is drama.
10/03/08
If only the movie were more than intermittently interesting.
10/03/08
The film's major drawback is its unintentional drone-like quality. It's poorly lit and the somber production design becomes a grind rather than looking like one.
10/03/08
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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