History Film / FlashOfGenius

* ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules: Ford initially offers a $250,000 settlement with no admission of theft and Robert declines. Ford sends a man named Charlie [=DeFeo=] to offer Kearns a "take-it-or-leave-it" $30 million settlement once again with no admission of theft ''while'' their court hearing is ongoing. He rejects this, instead going to court, where he's awarded $10.1 million. In RealLife, he subverts this, as he was actually trying to obtain exclusive manufacturing rights (today, over 145 million cars use his design), not for any moral reasons, and eventually settled out of court (he was awarded damages in the suit against Chrysler).

* TitleDrop: Kearns mentions during the trial that the U.S. Supreme Court came up with the term "Flash of Genius" of how inventors come up with their inventions.

* BittersweetEnding: Kearns wins his lawsuit against Ford, the jury awarded him $10.1 million believing Ford stole his wiper design, but came after years of being estranged from his wife and kids. Doubles as PhyrricVictory.

* {{Determinator}}: Kearns tried for over a ''decade'' to get Ford in court after being obsessed with proving they stole his invention. Not to mention while his wife urging him to take Ford's initial settlement offer.

* {{Determinator}}: Kearns tried for over a ''decade'' to get Ford in court after being obsessed with proving they stole his invention.

* BittersweetEnding: Kearns wins his lawsuit against Ford, the jury awarded him $10.1 million believing Ford stole his wiper design, but came after years of being estranged from his wife and kids.

* ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules: Ford initially offers a $250,000 settlement with no admission of theft and Robert declines. Ford sends a man named Charlie DeFeo to offer Kearns a "take-it-or-leave-it" $30 million settlement once again with no admission of theft ''while'' their court hearing is ongoing. He rejects this, instead going to court, where he's awarded $10.1 million. In RealLife, he subverts this, as he was actually trying to obtain exclusive manufacturing rights (today, over 145 million cars use his design), not for any moral reasons, and eventually settled out of court (he was awarded damages in the suit against Chrysler).

* CorruptCorporateExecutive: Ford

* ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules: Ford initially offers a $250,000 settlement with no admission of theft and Robert declines. Ford later offers Kearns a $30 million settlement again with no admission of theft ''while'' their court hearing is ongoing. He rejects this, instead going to court, where he's awarded $10.1 million. In RealLife, he subverts this, as he was actually trying to obtain exclusive manufacturing rights (today, over 145 million cars use his design), not for any moral reasons, and eventually settled out of court (he was awarded damages in the suit against Chrysler).

* AmicableExes: Robert and Phyllis become this after Robert's obsession with taking Ford to court alienated him from his family.

* ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules: Ford initially offers a $250,000 settlement with no admission of theft and Robert declines. Ford later offers Kearns a $30 million settlement with no admission of theft ''while'' their court hearing is ongoing. He rejects this, instead going to court, where he's awarded $10.1 million. In RealLife, he subverts this, as he was actually trying to obtain exclusive manufacturing rights (today, over 145 million cars use his design), not for any moral reasons, and eventually settled out of court (he was awarded damages in the suit against Chrysler).

* ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules: Ford offers Kearns a $30 million settlement with no admission of wrongdoing. He rejects this, instead going to court, where he's awarded $10.1 million. In RealLife, he subverts this, as he was actually trying to obtain exclusive manufacturing rights (today, over 145 million cars use his design), not for any moral reasons, and eventually settled out of court (he was awarded damages in the suit against Chrysler).

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: Kearns did not represent himself in his suit against Ford, nor were any damages awarded; Ford made an undisclosed offer believed to be around $10 million, which Kearns accepted. However, Kearns ''did'' represent himself against Chrysler.

* BittersweetEnding: Kearns wins his lawsuit against Ford, the jury awarded him $10.1 million believing they stole his design, but came his family leaves him.
* BlatantLies: Since we know he's the true inventor of the wiper, everything Ford executives say about Kearns not being the inventor and the reason they backed out of their deal is considered this.

* {{Determinator}}: Kearns tried for over a ''decade'' to get Ford in court after being obsessed with proving them Ford.

* HowWeGotHere: The movie begins in 1963 with Robert Kearns on a Greyhound bus. The movie flashes back three years earlier on the night he comes up with the idea of the intermittent wiper. It is later revealed that he's on a HeroicBSOD from Ford stealing his invention on his way to Washington D.C.