Flash of Genius
by Marc Abraham
List Price:
Our Price: $1.75
You Save: $13.23 (88%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD details
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD details
Actor: Alan Alda, Bill Smitrovich, Dermot Mulroney, Greg Kinnear, Lauren GrahamDirector: Marc Abraham
Brand: Universal Studios
Cinematographer: Dante Spinotti
Composer: Aaron Zigman
Editor: Jill Savitt
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language); Spanish (Dubbed)
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.40:1
Running Time: 119 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2009-02-17
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Universal Studios
Product features:
- TESTED
DVD Reviews of Flash of Genius
DVD Review: Finally, so many years after Don Ameche's movie on the Bell Telephone patent case, we have another movie drama about patents!
Summary: 5 Stars
FLASH OF GENIUS starring Greg Kinnear, with the affable Alan Alda as one of his lawyers, concerns the man who invented the intermittent windshield wiper and his legal battle against various auto manufacturers who misappropriated his invention and infringed his patents. This is a true story. Finally, America is treated to another movie on patent law. It has been many years since America first saw, THE STORY OF ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL (1939) starring Don Ameche and Henry Fonda.
In a nutshell, Robert W. Kearns, a university professor, invented the intermittent wiper at home. He secured many patents, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,494,059 issued Jan. 1985, 4,544,870 issued Oct. 1985, 4,339,698 issued July 1982, and 4,531,066 issued July 1985. Unfortunately, while trying to gain funding for a start-up company, he showed his device to Ford Motor Co., who misappropriated his invention, and put it in their automobiles.
Although Mr. Kearns secured the help of various lawyers, he is distinguished by his efforts at representing himself in court. In the film, Greg Kinnear's high point in court is his argument that his invention, which consists of old parts being put together in a new arrangement, is like Dickens' book TALE OF TWO CITIES consisting of old, established words being put together in a new way. (I might comment that Greg Kinnear's charming analogy confuses patent law with copyright law.)
The personal interest angle of this film arises from the mess that Mr. Kearns made of his family, due to his loss of job, and infatuation with his lawsuits. What is striking and dramatic about the story of Mr. Kearns, is that he prevailed in some of his lawsuits, despite that he was representing himself ("pro se"), and despite the fact that the lawsuits were heard in a court in the company town (Detroit). According to real newspaper articles, Mr. Kearns won settlements of around $30 million. It might be argued that Mr. Kearns might have messed up his life, or that Mr. Kearns did something unusual, by spending so much time in law suits. On the other hand, other inventors such as Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, and Nicola Tesla also spent huge quantities of time with their patent lawsuits.
TAKE-HOME LESSON #1. This movie provides a couple of take-home lessons. The layperson will be struck by the notion that Mr. Kearns was pursuing what was ethically right, namely, achieving recognition for being the inventor of the intermittent wiper. The movie makes clear that his primary goal was not to earn lots of money. However, Mr. Kearns failed to realize that the primary purpose of the U.S. patent system is to stimulate commercial development, and NOT TO REWARD THE INVENTOR. This fact is made clear in Edward Walterscheid's excellent book, TO PROMOTE THE PROGRESS OF USEFUL ARTS:AMERICAN PATENT LAW AND ADMINISTRATION 1787-1836. Thus, Mr. Kearns was wrong in being fixated on the notion that he had a right to be recognized as "the inventor" of the intermittent wiper.
TAKE-HOME LESSON #2. Much of the movie concerns the deterioration of Mr. Kearns' commitment to his university responsibilities, and to his family responsibilities, due to his focus on lawsuits. But this sort of thing is not unusual. Plenty of families break up because the husband or wife are overly committed to their job. (An example might be President Ronald Reagan's divorce, apparently arising from the fact that his first wife had no interest in politics.) But the unique take-home lesson in this movie is Mr. Kearns' notion that he should argue his own cases in court. Shown below are some quotes from opinions from the Federal Circuit, an appeals court in Washington D.C. devoted to patent cases. From these opinions, it can be seen that the judges at the Federal Circuit found Mr. Kearns to be disgusting. The first quote discloses that he had been representing himself ("pro se"). The second quote discloses that he was abusing the court system. In other words, in the U.S. court system, plaintiffs are permitted to represent themselves, but in a complex patent case, a plaintiff who tries to do this will invariably make a garbled mess of their own cause and waste the time of all those concerned:
"This matter stems from Kearns' longstanding battle with the automobile manufacturing industry concerning the infringement of the claims of Kearns' patents relating to electronic intermittent windshield wiper systems. Kearns has been represented by various law firms over the last 13 years. As of March 1992, Kearns has been proceeding pro se." (Federal Circuit, Dec. 30, 1992)
"Without question, Dr. Kearns' refusal to obey the court orders prejudiced GM. GM could not reasonably prepare a defense to the infringement charges until it knew exactly which claims Dr. Kearns would assert. Throughout the proceedings Dr. Kearns refused to accept that he could only assert patents listed in his complaint. Moreover, Dr. Kearns refused to comply with the district court's order to limit his case to one representative claim per patent. There are 51 claims in the five patents listed in the complaint and 232 total claims in all of Dr. Kearns' patents . . . Dr. Kearns sought, despite clear orders to the contrary, to assert every claim of every patent he owned. Thus, he knowingly ignored the district court's reasonable order seeking to simplify a highly complex case . . . I'm going to dismiss this case. My patience is at an end. My judicial patience is at an end. Dr. Kearns has had more than ample time in which to designate the claims . . . Dr. Kearns is in complete default. A patent case cannot go forward without the claims-in-suit, the asserted claims being designated . . . The complete transcript of that hearing shows that the trial court considered the alternative of designating the claims on its own, but decided that dismissal was more appropriate in light of Kearns' repeated refusals to obey pretrial orders . . . There is a vast difference between a pro se plaintiff with a meritorious case unable to afford counsel and a pro se plaintiff with a meritorious case declining to employ counsel because of a misplaced lack of trust in lawyers or an inflated opinion notion of his ability to prosecute his own case. Here, we certainly have the latter. (Federal Circuit, July 26, 1994).
Description of Flash of Genius
Based on the true story of college professor and part-time inventor Robert Kearns? (Greg Kinnear) long battle with the U.S. automobile industry, Flash of Genius tells the tale of one man whose fight to receive recognition for his ingenuity at any price. This determined engineer refused to be silenced, and he took on the corporate titans in a battle that nobody thought he could win. When Bob invents a device that would eventually be used by every car in the world, the Kearns think they have struck gold. But their aspirations are dashed after the auto giants who embraced Bob?s creation unceremoniously shunned the man who invented it. While refusing to compromise his dignity, this everyday David will try the unthinkable: to bring Goliath to his knees.In the early-1990s, Greg Kinnear was just another amiable talk show host. After As Good As It Gets, however, Kinnear confirmed he could act. If Flash of Genius isn't as harrowing as the Bob Crane biopic Auto-Focus, Kinnear digs just as deep to play a man possessed, in this case taking on Bob Kearns, a Detroit physics professor who invented the intermittent windshield wiper. Supported by his wife (Lauren Graham) and best friend (Dermot Mulroney, making the most of an underwritten part), Kearns aims to align himself with a Motor City auto maker to manufacture his device. Ford expresses interest, so Kearns secures a warehouse, but it all falls apart when they abruptly pull the plug. Then he finds out that they've added automatic wipers to their latest line. Though he patented his invention, the company denies they're using his blueprint, so Kearns takes them to court, a process that drags on for three decades. Meanwhile, his support system starts to collapse as Kearns loses interest in everything except the credit he feels he deserves. If the film succumbs to some of the pitfalls of the genre, i.e. the win-lose-win structure, producer-turned-director Marc Abraham never paint Kearns as too much of a hero. Through the inventor's brilliance, the world's streets are safer, but his tenacity also drove away some of those he held most dear. Hence, Flash of Genius serves as an inspirational story, a cautionary tale, and the perfect opportunity for Kinnear to make a potentially off-putting character sympathetic. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Stills from Flash of Genius (Click for larger image)
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
Bestsellers in DVD
![The Story of Jeremiah [VHS] Image](/images/noimg.gif)
The Story of Jeremiah [VHS]Vision Video; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Wresting With God [VHS]by Vision Video
Vision Video; Published: 1990-10-01; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Price in other shops:
Study Bible Video with Workbook [VHS]Spring Arbor Distributors; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $7.95
Price in other shops:
Tempo:Childrens TV Favourites Video [VHS]HarperCollins Audio; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $9.17
Price in other shops:
Tempo.Herbs:Parseley'Sb/ Party Video [VHS]HarperCollins Audio; VHS Tape; VHS Video
![Strike the Original Match [VHS] Image](/images/Strike-the-Original-Match-VHS-0001374079-X.jpg)
Strike the Original Match [VHS]New Liberty Films; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Price in other shops:
![Medjugorje The Miracles and the Message [VHS] Image](/images/Medjugorje-The-Miracles-and-the-Message-VHS-0001373293-X.jpg)
Medjugorje The Miracles and the Message [VHS]JPN Film Production; Release date: 1995-12-15; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $29.99
Mayo Clinic Echocardiography Review Course for Boards and Recertification DVD 2008by Mayo
DVD
Price in other shops:
Pediatric Diagnostic Imaging DVD: Single Userby Oakstone
DVD
Price in other shops:
Cost Accounting [VHS]by Charles T. Horngren, George Foster, Srikant M. Datar, Howard Teall
Pearson Canada, Toronto; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Similar DVDs, VHS Video, Audio CDs
The Social Network (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)SON; Release date: 2011-01-11; DVD
Best price: $7.24
Price in other shops:
The Aviator (Two-Disc Widescreen Edition)Warner Brothers; Release date: 2005-05-24; DVD
Best price: $1.86
Price in other shops:
The Astronaut FarmerWarner Brothers; Release date: 2007-07-10; DVD
Best price: $2.87
Price in other shops:
Birds of AmericaFirst Look Pictures; Release date: 2008-10-21; DVD
Best price: $2.40
Price in other shops:
The ExpressUniversal Studios; Release date: 2009-01-20; Published: 2009-01-01; DVD
Best price: $5.33
Price in other shops:
Lucky 13GRAHAM,LAUREN; Release date: 2005-03-15; DVD
Best price: $2.41
Price in other shops:
The Answer ManMagnolia Pictures; Release date: 2009-11-03; DVD
Best price: $6.95
Price in other shops:
ChangelingNBC Universal; Release date: 2009-02-17; DVD
Best price: $1.75
Price in other shops:
FordRelease date: 2005-04-05; DVD
Best price: $3.62
Price in other shops:
Tucker - The Man and His DreamPARAMOUNT HOME VIDEO; Release date: 2000-10-24; Published: 2000-10-01; DVD
Best price: $40.00