In “Flash of Genius,” Greg Kinnear plays Robert Kearns, a professor who invented intermittent windshield wipers. Based on a true story, Kearns claimed that Detroit automakers stole his idea and sued them in a long, drawn-out battle. Host Liane Hansen chats with Kinnear about his movie.
Greg Kinnear Talks to NPR about his New Movie Flash of Genius
Posted in * Culture-Watch, Movies & Television
I am interested to see how this movie goes over with the viewing public. It looks interesting, but the entire movie is about a wind shield wiper. That seems a rather benign premise for a movie.
it looks to me like it’s about greed, dishonesty etc. (I’m not commenting on its accuracy however since I don’t know enough about it).
I saw the preview of it a few weeks ago – it is about greed, dishonesty, and the power of corporations to take advantage of their size and power. A man makes an invention, tries to get a car company interested – and they steal his idea.
Capitalism has brought us many benefits – but it is far from sin-free.
[blockquote]Capitalism has brought us many benefits – but it is far from sin-free. [/blockquote]
This is a bizarre comment, given that it’s capitalism that respects property rights, including intellectual property…the focus of this movie. Plop Kearns down into a socialist system and his invention isn’t even going to be considered his, but will be expropriated as a matter of course in the name of the greater good. He wouldn’t even get the chance to sue.
Jeffersonian,
Surely its more the case that [i]some[/i] capitalists respect [i]some[/i] property rights [i]some[/i] of the time. It all depends on context and institutional and ethical constraints.
And yes, “its” should be “it’s.”
Jeremy, I understand your point but that’s not a problem with capitalism, but human nature. The free market system is the only one that even recognizes the inventor’s right to his invention. Socialism in its many flavors [i]institutionalizes[/i] the very thing everyone claims to be opposed to.
Well, I think someone said it best by describing capitalism as the worst possible economic system except for all the others.
Archer of the Forest – I believe it was [b]democracy[/b] which was described as “the worst possible form of government, except for all the others” – an unattributed quote made by Sir W. Churchill.