The story of the Dennis Kearns (Greg Kinnear), the inventor of the intermittent windshield wiper who took Ford Motors to court for stealing credit for his invention, Flash of Genius is like The Pursuit of Happiness meets Philadelphia in Detroit&ellips; except that somewhere between the San Francisco streets, the Philly courtroom, and Detroit's Motor City, Flash of Genius fails to grasp the very elements which made the other two "triumph of the downtrodden" stories the audience favorites that they became.

Much like Philadelphia, Flash of Genius is about the courtroom battle that cannot be won. As a family friend tells Kearns' wife Phyllis (Lauren Graham), "For goodness sakes, it's Ford. He can't win." But the message of the movie: It's about more than just a ruling or an award, it's about right, it's about wrong, and it's about justice. As Kearns' tells his electrical engineering students on their first day of class, ethics is the most important aspect of any job. As Kearns seeks to bring to justice the unethical behavior that has robbed him of what he rightfully deserves, the idea is that his pursuit will provide both justice and opportunity for many more people than just him. And since the particular battle is most definitely uphill, like The Pursuit of Happiness, Flash of Genius spends much of the movie simply depicting what it looks like to struggle, reminding us that great achievements do not come without effort, and that great efforts will eventually be rewarded.

The problem with Flash of Genius is that although I know the verdict Kearns receives is a valuable one, and that there is no way it could have been reached without considerable trial and sacrifice, the movie struggles to make me feel like it is worth it. Part way through the movie, Kearns makes one mention of other inventors who met tragic ends because of the injustices they faced. As the verdict looms near, a fellow inventor steals a thirty second sound bite to tell Kearns what this will mean to the community of inventors at large. But for the rest of the movie, almost every single one of Kearns' arguments fails to paint a picture of any world larger than his own. And as the movie's end titles quickly tell us of all that has happened since Kearns' verdict was handed down, no mention is made regarding its impact on any other situation but that of the intermittent windshield wiper.

Even in Kearns' own life, the value of winning his case against Ford struggles to show through. "To me, it's the Mona Lisa," Kearns tells a friend of his windshield wiper. More than just a tool, it is a body of artistry, beauty, and value worth fighting for. But although Kearns certainly endures loss and suffering in his pursuit, he still comes off lacking in the kind of desperation that feels like it should accompany the pursuit and/or loss of true value. The situation does secure Kearns a brief visit to a mental institution, but its depiction is shallow and brief in a way that fails to fully capture the dire nature of the actual situation at hand. And although the twelve year ordeal does affect Kearns' family, never does it fully portray any tangible negative effects that the wrong inflicted on Kearns actually has.

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