'Flash of Genius'

McClatchy Newspapers (MCT) - Windshield wipers can create an almost hypnotic effect as they slide monotonously back and forth, back and forth. "Flash of Genius" creates the same effect. A wishy-washy main character who tells a sing-song story makes this effort little more than ho-hum.

"Flash of Genius," based on one of the most lifeless true stories in recent memory, chronicles the efforts of Robert Kearns (Greg Kinnear) to get the Ford Motor Co. to admit it stole his plans for the intermittent windshield wiper blades. He didn't invite wipers, just a way for them to pause between swipes.

The inventor's battle against the automotive giant went on for years and took a toll on his personal life. These are good elements for a movie. But they have to be utilized with at least a little flair to make that movie interesting.

Director Marc Abraham tries to paint this as a David and Goliath story. He has no trouble with his Goliath. Everyone loves to root against big business _ be it cigarettes or cars _ in films.

It's his David that's the problem.

Kearns is described by friends as being quirky and a pain as a co-worker. Someone should have told Kinnear to play Kearns as a man committed to a cause who at times comes across as heroic as he stands up to big business. It might have been easier to understand his tenacity if the character had been less likable. It would have explained why an intelligent man would not have reached a point where he would finally put family ahead of pride.

Even the departure of Kearns' wife (Lauren Graham) seems like a fictional plot twist rather than the natural occurrence of events. All Graham's departure does is eliminate the one interesting person in the relationship.

There is no tension in anything Kinnear's character does. The movie just plods along as Kearns continues his fight. This eventually leads to a courtroom sequence that should have been the most stirring moment in a long and desperate battle. Emotions should have exploded. Instead, Kinnear's performance just thuds along at the same ho-hum level.

"Flash of Genius" has neither flash nor much genius. Even stories that are based on true events need a central figure who is larger than life. Kearns is neither large nor does he have any life.

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FLASH OF GENIUS

Grade: C

Rated PG-13 for language and adult situations. Stars Greg Kinnear, Lauren Graham, Dermot Mulroney, Alan Alda. Directed by Marc Abraham. Running time: 1 hour, 57 minutes.

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© 2008, The Fresno Bee (Fresno, Calif.).