This is the fourth in a series of stories from the 2008 Telluride Film Festival
that is held over the Labor Day weekend. Offerings will include "Sneak Reviews," a quick look at a film screened the previous night; "High on Telluride," highlights of some of the group discussions and celebrity appearances; and "Festival Buzzwords," focusing on what's getting the most attention — good or bad — throughout the weekend.
Film: Flash of Genius is based on the true story of college professor and part-time inventor Robert Kearns and how his life, his wife, and their six children are affected when the Ford Motor Company steals his latest idea, the Kearns Blinking-Eye Wiper.
Director: Marc Abraham.
Scheduled release date: October 3, 2008.
Genre: Drama.
Leading roles: Greg Kinnear (Kearns), Lauren Graham (wife Phyllis Kearns).
Also appearing: Dermot Mulroney (Kearns' friend and associate Gil Privick), Alan Alda (lawyer Gregory Lawson).
What’s it all about? What happens when Kearns, an average family man trying to make an honest living in 1960s Detroit, drops everything to take on the system over ... get ready ... wait for it ... the invention of the intermittent windshield wiper? Okay, we’re really supposed to care, but this overwrought effort could have been told in made-for-TV time and it’s standard, predictable fare, with uninspired, one-note performances (particularly from a bland Graham as the dutiful wife who finally packs up and leaves) and a score (Aaron Zigman) to match. When Kearns chases after Ford cars, realizing the company has stolen his invention, the music swells ... then swells some more. But plot twists? Forget it. This doesn’t exactly need a spoiler alert — Phyllis lands in the hospital with a stress-related case of psoriasis.
Movie’s laugh line, undoubtedly unintentional: “For God’s sake, Phyllis, it’s Ford. He can’t win.” — Privick’s uppity wife, after hearing Kearns will take on the Goliath of the automobile industry in court.
What you might not know: This is Abraham's directorial debut feature. According to Wikipedia, The Flash of Genius Doctrine was a test for patentability used by the United States Federal Courts for over a decade. This is Kinnear’s second visit to Telluride, where he previously promoted Auto Focus. The story is based on an article by John Seabrook that was published in The New Yorker.
Telluride take: Kinnear (Feast of Love, Dinner With Friends), Graham (Gilmore Girls, Bad Santa), and Abraham were on hand to introduce the Sunday night sneak preview to a less-than-full house at the 500-seat Galaxy. Abraham thanked his “friends, who made me look good,” then introduced the two actors, who were in full getaway mode. Maybe they knew something the audience didn’t. The film proceeded with little reaction, no cheering, and polite applause at the end.
.jpg?t=20120527181101)
Article comments