Monday's Movie-Flash of Genius

A Novel Menagerie asks us to post about a movie that you watched the week before. We usually watch quite a few movies over the weekend and it is sometimes difficult to only discuss one.

One movie that we watched this weekend and really enjoyed was Flash of Genius.

Here are some of the details from the film:

Genre: Drama

Starring: Greg Kinnear, Lauren Graham, Dermot Mulroney

Runtime: 1 hr, 59 mn

MPAA Rating: PG13

Here is a synopsis of the film from the MSN Movie website:

Greg Kinnear stars in director Marc Abraham's man-against-the-system docudrama Flash of Genius as inventor Robert Kearns, the visionary who developed the modern intermittent windshield wiper. Kearns submitted the invention to each of the big three auto companies, each of which promptly rejected it; the companies then turned around and put the device to use. The enraged inventor spent several decades attempting to collect on his patent, and mounting lawsuits that traveled all the way to the Supreme Court; he eventually collected over 30 million dollars for his obsession. Abraham co-authored the script with Scott Frank and Phillip Railsback, adapting an article by John Seabrook that originally appeared in The New Yorker. Dermot Mulroney plays Kinnear's best friend, with Lauren Graham rounding out the supporting cast. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

My Movie Thoughts:

I love a movie that is based on a true story and this one did not disappoint. I enjoyed watching the birth of the new invention that was created, followed by the dreams and plans that this man's family made as they were counting on this product to take off in the marketplace. Little does Kearn's know that his dreams will be stripped away by the greed of large corporations. This was very heartbreaking to watch, as Kearn's dreams are shattered he loses focus of everything in his life except for his invention. His obsession costs him his marriage, family, and his mental health. After years of trying to gain recognition for his invention the court system finally goes full circle and the big corporations can no longer avoid the inevitable. As Kearn's fight is nearing the end, his family is back to support him realizing that his journey is more than a pipe dream. I really don't want to give too much more of this movie away, except that it was an excellent vision of one man's fight for the American Dream. My family enjoyed this movie and I am going to rate this one 4 out of 5 bags of popcorn.