This week I watched all the bits and pieces in the movie “A flash of Genius” which is about the long and hard battle Robert Kearns had to be put through trying to prove the Ford motor company stole his invention. My first impression of the film was just how boring it felt, the film was long and felt like it went on forever. For the first 20 minutes all I wanted was to see the conflict which would take the film into the second act, it’s what you expect from all films.
As the movie started to reach the third act in where Robert Kearns would finally be confronting the Ford Company in court, I was irritated enough by the whole situation that I finally started to feel something for the film. Obviously the Ford Motor Company portrayed the big bad company who’s out to get all the little people in the world that matter. But the reason this film eventually managed to work for is because, this is what it is.
Compared to Erin Brockovich and its feel good, sharp dialogue, and quick victory, this movie felt more realistic. The fact is Erin Brockovich is more of the feel good film with some exceptional dialogue. So there for the whole court case and the conflict in that film felt like a MacGuffin. This movie on the other hand had a more realistic feel to it. It had more weight, and the film was you can even say the opposite of being entertaining. It was frustrating to watch even till the end where of course the good guy wins, and the bad bad billion dollar Ford motor company gets its come-up-ins.
Truth is Robert Kearns just felt more real, down to earth, boring, annoying to watch, and exactly what I would expect dealing with patent issues and major money grubbing corporations feels like. Because the truth of the matter is, most people aren’t even so lucky as Robert Kearns to win the case and have a mediocre film made about him. So Erin Brockovich in some sense is a lie, even though it is based on the true story. Chances are if I ever get caught up in a case similar to what Robert Kearns went through; I won’t have a lovely red head with a Double D figure winning me a 30 million dollar case.
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