Oscar campaigns ramp up quickly these days, often leaving plenty of fine performances in the dust.
Didn’t Anil Kapoor, the actor who played the game show host in “Slumdog Millionaire,” deserve at least a shot at a Best Supporting Actor nod? How ’bout Jeff Bridges for “Iron Man?”
Add Greg Kinnear to the list of those whose brilliance got snubbed. The former “Talk Soup” host delivered an intense performance last year in “Flash of Genius,” the true tale of the man who invented intermittent windshield wipers. The film, set for a Feb. 17 release on DVD, couldn’t attract much Oscar buzz during its brief theatrical run.
Maybe voters need to watch E! Entertainment to scope out the next wave of fine actors.
Kinnear plays Dr. Robert Kearns, a college professor who fancied himself an occasional inventor. His flash of genius arrived when he created an intermittent windshield wiper device in his basement. Surely, the fine folks at Ford would be itching to add this doohickey to their cars.
But Ford Motor Company had other ideas. They examined Robert’s handiwork and then told him they weren’t interested in his product. By sheer coincidence the company introduces its own version of the intermittent wipers shortly thereafter.
The neighborly inventor loses his mind at the snub. And quickly his seemingly perfect family life starts to crumble.
What follows is one man’s obsession toward righting a wrong and the latest example of the common man striking back against a corporate bully.
Kinnear is terrific in a complicated role, making Robert a hero with a serious dark side. His mixture of ego and self-righteousness never lets one side dominate the other.
Alan Alda adds a believable layer of greed as the laywer who takes on Robert’s case, but Lauren Graham is given precious little to do as Robert’s wife. The latter is hardly a shock. How many movies today short shrift actresses stuck in the loyal/aggrieved/outraged wife role?
Analyzing “Flash of Genius” ultimately comes down to a single bullet point. What does your gut tell you when Robert finally gets his day in court against Ford?
Hard to imagine anyone not rooting hard for the bespectacled inventor.
“Flash of Genius” got ignored during its theatrical release, just like Robert’s protestations went unanswered at first. Time proved him right, and audiences will offer up a similar reward for “Genius” on DVD.
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This guy is one of my favorites. I think he’s one of the few actors who came out of a comedy situation (Talk Soup) and was able to move forward and not get typecast for more comedy situations, even though he does it well continually. Bill Murray, I think, didn’t make that transition. The Razor’s Edge?
I like Greg’s parts in Fast Food Nation and Little Miss Sunshine. I felt like I was waiting for the schtick to show up but a rather cool surprise role (dare I say dramatic?) showed up instead.
Didn’t see the movie, but did they make it clear that Ford and a couple of other companies settled generously, but he demanded instead the exclusive right to manufacture the windshield wiper, that the auto companies stop making intermittent wipers and wait for him to manufacture them and supply them?
Carlos, don’t wanna give away too much, but from what you said and what I’ve read about it, some liberties were clearly taken with the true story. It’s always the way.
AKJ, yeah, he’s always surprising us with his performances and the roles he picks. Don’t forget Stuck on You … or maybe we should forget that one