I’ve always been intrigued by the stories of inventors and how they came up with the ideas for the inventions that went on to change the world (and make them very rich). You never know when inspiration might strike, and some of the world’s most important discoveries were made entirely by accident. Flash of Genius is a movie based on just such a story, starring Greg Kinnear as Robert Kearns, the guy who invented the intermittent windshield wiper. Now does that sound like a compelling subject for a major motion picture or what?

The thing about Kearns’ story that made it a bit more significant is that Ford and Chrysler stole his idea, and he sued them for patent infringement. It’s a classic tale of the little guy versus the big corporations (as emphasized by the movie’s brilliant poster), and putting everything on the line just to be recognized for his accomplishment. It’s precisely the kind of small character drama that Greg Kinnear lives for, and he is joined by Lauren Graham, Alan Alda and Dermot Mulroney, among others. Producer Marc Abraham is making his directorial debut, and while it certainly doesn’t look like a movie that will shatter any box office records, I’ll definitely check it out when I get the chance. Flash of Genius hits theatres on October 17th.