The TV Addict 

If Frank Capra were still alive, I would swear he’d directed FLASH OF GENIUS. It’s full of his usual tropes, most notably the positioning of the populist, principled hero sacrificing everything to do the “right” thing against the unprincipled, moustache-twirling, capitalist corporations exploiting the common man for their own greedy ends. What differentiates FLASH OF GENIUS from an actual Capra film is that this story is true, and that Capra probably would have done a better job with it.

FLASH OF GENIUS follows the true story of Robert Kearns who in 1963 invented the intermittent wipers and planned to manufacture and sell it to the big automobile companies, only to have the product of his “flash of genius” stolen by the Ford Motor Company. Kearns then – risking and losing his family, marriage, and even sanity – went on a nearly thirty year legal quest to get Ford to acknowledge the invention as is, often turning down more than generous back-door offers from Ford to give his quest up.

In other words, it’s your typical one man versus the system underdog story. It’s essentially a genre at this point, and FLASH OF GENIUS contributes nothing to it except proving how paint-by-the-numbers it can become. Sure, Frank Capra’s films followed a particular set pattern as well, but there was a unique spirit in them that made them fresher than perhaps the may have been otherwise. That spirit was specifically tied to the relatable, loveable American Joe (played by equally American Joe actors Gary Cooper and James Stewart) whose fight for his principles you were invested in because you were invested in him.

FLASH OF GENIUS is sorely missing that. Despite the notable performance by Greg Kinnear, it’s hard to care about Kearns’ battle when he’s a rather unlikable individual. His mission to ensure he gets the credit he deserves (and does) veers into Captain Ahab territory, propelled by a lethal cocktail mix of insecurity, selfishness, stubbornness, neuroses, and self-aggrandizement. Right before his idea is stolen, he has a conversation with his life (the always effervescent Lauren Graham) discussing his dreams of success. She gently counters whether he isn’t successful already (what with a loving wife and family and all). He completely misses her inference, and goes on about material success, leaving his wife visibly heart broken. That’s when he – and perhaps the film – lost me.

To its credit, the film doesn’t flinch away from somewhat acknowledging Kearns’ personal deficiencies, which would have made the film more interesting if it wasn’t so insistent on wanting its cake and to eat it too. It only wants us to see his failings so we’ll feel that much more inspired when he finally wins, instead of seriously thinking about the deeper psychological problems of his obsession (right down to a brief stint in a mental institution being totally glossed over). As FLASH OF GENIUS portrays his blemishes, it still wants us to somehow believe that it’s all for the greater good in the end. It wants us to rejoice at his minor reconciliation with his family, after letting us see him selfishly destroy it. We’re supposed to cheer this man on who has destroyed his life, and – worse – that of those he loved. It’s a difficult thing to do.

It’s not that FLASH OF GENIUS is a bad film. Technically it’s a competent one, but that’s perhaps the problem. It’s so competent in navigating familiar and established terrain that it becomes mundane. It demonstrates that while an established formula can yield success, if you plug in the wrong elements into the equation, you can still end up with a wrong answer.

Overall rating: C+