Home / Flash of Genius

Flash of Genius

Year:

2008

Duration:

USA:119 min | Canada:119 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Genres:

Biography | Drama

IMDB rate:

Director:

Marc Abraham

Awards:

1 win

Details

Country: USA

Release Date: 2008-10-03

Filming Locations: Cinespace Studios, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Earnings

Budget: $20,000,000

Opening Weekend: $2,251,075 (USA) (5 October 2008)

Gross: $3,744,790 (USA) (12 October 2008)

Cast

Actor

Character

Isaac Lupien

Flash of Genius

Greg Kinnear

Bob Kearns

Tim Eddis

Maryland Cop #1

Warren Belle

Maryland Cop #2

Karl Pruner

Pete

Bill Lake

Scott

Dermot Mulroney

Gil Previck

Lauren Graham

Phyllis Kearns

Landon Norris

Young Dennis

Shae Norris

Young Kathy

Steven Woodworth

Young Tim

Victoria Learn

Young Maureen

Dylan Authors

Young Patrick

Ronn Sarosiak

Reverend

Gavin Kuiack

Baby Bob Jr.

Ben Kuiak

Baby Bob Jr.

Tom Rooney

Jerry Barnley

Kate Parker

Waitress

Andrew Gillies

Paul Previck

Duane Murray

Jim

Kate Greenhouse

Jean Previck

Philip Nessel

Club Member

Liam Titcomb

Joe Warwick

Sal Scozzari

Workman #1

Daniel Roebuck

Frank Sertin

Mitch Pileggi

Macklin Tyler

Richard Blackburn

Executive One

Michael Spencer-Davis

Real Estate Agent (as Michael Spencer Davis)

Michael Rhoades

Salesman

Nicole Crozier

Waitress #2

Sergio Di Zio

Louis

Ashley Wright

Security Officer

Jonathan Whittaker

MC / Singer

Richard Fitzpatrick

Barney Howell

Jared Durand

Student

London Angelis

Wade

Matthew Edison

Nerdy Student

Kristian Truelsen

Doctor

Simon Reynolds

Angry Driver

Denis Akiyama

Dr. Ito

Liam Wright

Toddler Bob Jr.

Owen Wright

Toddler Bob Jr.

Quancetia Hamilton

Case Worker

Alan Alda

Gregory Lawson

Aaron Abrams

Ian Meillor

Jake Abel

Dennis (21 Years)

Tim Kelleher

Charlie Defao

Tatiana Maslany

Older Kathy

Bill Smitrovich

Judge Franks

Conor O'Farrell

Chris Finley

Grant Boyle

Older Patrick

Ashton Doudelet

Older Tim

Josette Halpert

Older Maureen

Bruce Gooch

Jury Foreman

Chuck Shamata

Professor Irwin

Jim Chad

Patron in Diner (uncredited)

TJ Cheslea

Auto Show Patron (uncredited)

Daniel Cristofori

Student

David B. Guthrie

Bartender (uncredited)

Kate Parr

Peggy

David Webster

Reporter (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

Marc Abraham asked Greg Kinnear to put on about 20lbs as his physique didn't really resemble that of a college professor with 6 kids.

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Actor Greg Kinnear gained twenty pounds to play some of the later scenes.

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Today over 145 million cars carry the wipers that Kearns invented.

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Goofs

When the Kearns family goes to a restaurant to celebrate the successful invention, in the mid-1960s, there is a Pepsi sign featuring a logo that wasn't introduced until 1971.

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Ford had electric intermittent wipers available for the full size models by 1968, same year as the Lincoln Mark III they installed his invention on. The Ford version also had a "ready" and "park" position, which his didn't.

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Dr. Kearns's first patent for intermittent wipers was filed on December 1, 1964. Ford already had a system in production by 1965, same year of the car he drives in the start of the movie. They were sold on Mercurys and Comets. They were mechanical vacuum bleed timing devices, but worked well over a wide range of delay.

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Quotes

Bob Kearns: Whatever happened to this little thing called justice we talked about?

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Faq

A Note Regarding Spoilers

The following FAQ entries may contain spoilers. Only the biggest ones (if any) will be covered with spoiler tags. Spoiler tags have been used sparingly in order to make the page more readable.

Is "Flash of Genius" based on a book?

Flash of Genius is based on a 1993 The New Yorker magazine article written by journalist John Seabrook about the life of Robert Kearns, inventor of the intermittent windshield wiper. It was adapted for the screen by screenwriter Philip Railsback.

Didn't a woman invent the windshield wiper?

Yes. Mary Anderson in 1905. Kearns' invention is the system that improves upon the wiper, wipes intermittently, once every second or every 10 seconds, adjustable and set by the driver.

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