Parents' Guide to

Flash of Genius

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Inventor fights for recognition in feel-good film.

Movie PG-13 2008 119 minutes
Flash of Genius Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 3 parent reviews

wonder dove
wonder dove Adult
June 18, 2009
age 12+

I liked it...a lot.

This was a refreshing movie. It was nice to learn something about an inventor, something I never knew. There is a good message to be learned here, and also a not-so-good message. The good one is that you should never give up your dream, no matter what anyone thinks of it. For the bad, choosing your dream over family is not such a great thing, but hey that's life! And that was his life! He chose it. Having someone come along and rip your heart out of your sleeve will hurt bad, and that's what Ford did. I understood his pain. Young kids wont understand this movie, I think it will be too slow for them. I say 4/5 stars, especially Kinnear's acting, I love him!!
gokuro
gokuro Parent of 11 and 12-year-old
March 1, 2009
age 15+

Nice business story, not a good family lesson

The movie has a good David vs Goliath story in the business sense but unfortunately David pretty much looses his entire family in order to defeat Goliath. Not exactly what I would want young kids to learn. Older children may be able to understand that part of the story is not exactly a good life lesson. There is some bad language but it is brief and is rare.
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What's the Story?

The phrase "flash of genius" refers to that moment of epiphany when an inventor discerns a crucial connection that -- hopefully -- leads to an important discovery. In FLASH OF GENIUS, Robert "Bob" Kearns' (Greg Kinnear) moment comes while driving with his family in the rain in the 1960s. Wondering why his windshield wipers, which had only one speed, couldn't work more like an eyelid -- blinking fast or slow as necessary -- the engineering professor and father of six sets out to solve the problem, eventually building an intermittent wiper. He and his friend Gil (Dermot Mulroney) try to sell the invention to Ford Motor Company, and a deal seems imminent. But at the last minute -- after Kearns gives them some valuable information about his gadget -- they decline. Then one day Kearns spies Ford's newest cars shimmying down the road, intermittent wipers working full-time. Kearns is convinced the behemoth company stole his idea and sets out to right the wrong. But at what cost?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (3):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Inspired by real-life events, Flash of Genius is -- like its lead actor -- amiable and likable. Its populist tug at the heart is hard to resist (big kudos for making windshield wipers interesting). Kearns is anti-establishment in the purest sense of the word; he doesn't even want the money. He just wants people to know that Ford stole his idea and that he deserves the credit (or so the movie goes). For this, Kinnear -- who appears to be gunning for James Stewart's good-guy-makes-good mantle -- is more than able.

But the film lacks, well, genius. As David-and-Goliath tales go, it's no Rocky. The characters feel flimsy and one-dimensional; had they been rendered more fully and less after school-special-like, the movie would have been far more compelling. (Kearns, after all, did neglect his family; why are they so forgiving? Were they in real life?) As it is, Flash of Genius, while it scores high on the feel-good factor, is a little flat and a lot unsurprising.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why Robert Kearns' story made a good subject for a movie. How accurate do you think the film is? Why might filmmakers bend the truth when making a movie based on real life? How could you find out more about Kearns if you wanted to? Also, why do you think his struggle took over his life? Why was it so important to him to get credit? Did he go too far? What were the consequences of his obsession? What makes someone an inventor? Was his idea stolen, or are the facts of the case not cut and dried?

Movie Details

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