Sunday, April 19, 2009

Flash of Genius (Universal 2008)


What if someone offered you $30,000,000? The only catch? Give someone else credit for your idea.

Your idea.

Your idea, that you developed and fought to protect. Your idea that will eventually affect the lives of just about everyone who uses a certain product every day!

Like say...a car.

But wait, your family and friends want you to take the money. Just let them have "their" invention. It's just a stupid windshield wiper!

So now the tough question. Do you take the money or do you fight? The choice is yours. Me? I'd take the money and run. Retire, drink beer, smoke cigars, and blog all day. But hey, that's me. DON'T YOU JUDGE ME!

Based on the true story of college professor and part-time inventor Robert Kearns' 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 would come at a heavy price. But this determined engineer refused to be silenced, and he took on the corporate titans in a battle that nobody thought he could win. The Kearns were a typical 1960s Detroit family, trying to live their version of the American Dream. Local university professor Bob married teacher Phyllis and, by their mid-thirties, had six kids who brought them a hectic but satisfying Midwestern existence. 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. Ignored, threatened and then buried in years of litigation, Bob is haunted by what was done to his family and their future. He becomes a man obsessed with justice and the conviction that his life's work-or for that matter, anyone's work-be acknowledged by those who stood to benefit. And while paying the toll for refusing to compromise his dignity, this everyday David will try the unthinkable: to bring Goliath to his knees.

Whether it's a large crooked cooperation or a harassing government agency, the little guy dukes it out and lands a killer punch and a great story!

Here is the trailer...



Speaking of cool inventions...

13 comments:

WomanHonorThyself said...

I'm back up and running..thanks for hangin in with me!:)

nanc said...

thankx for reminding me of this - i couldn't remember the name of this movie until now - one of our teens has seen it, but i'm going to put it in the q now!

EDGE said...

Hiya Angel!

Hey Nanc,

Check it out! Great story! It's kinda of hard sale to get people to watch a movie about the "windshield wiper guy", but trust me it's a good one!

ASM826 said...

To answer the original question, sure, you got 30 large, you can have my idea. I'll be the beach house, the new one.

Don't be hatin'. You know you would too.

EDGE said...

ASM826,

$30 mill...you could by a lot of ammo for that.

Borepatch said...

Dunno - probably depends on how grumpy I was at the time. I live in Massachusetts, and Massachusetts makes me grumpy, so ...

Then again, the Massachusetts taxes on $30M is about $29.95M, so it's a bit academic. ;-)

Definitely on our list to watch now!

Z said...

Mr Z would love it...I'm hoping it's at Netflix...going there now.
Thanks, Edge!

Brooke said...

I would consider the idea SOLD. :)

EDGE said...

Thanks Borepatch! Hope the beach treated you well!

Z, I know Mr. Z will like this one!

Brooke,

Me too! ;O)

Cappy said...

See! Hyde was right on That 70's Show

WomanHonorThyself said...

miss ya!

nanc said...

finally watched this on this past weekend - excellent!

Always On Watch said...

I saw this film and enjoyed it a lot.