化為六月息

-----【譯文初稿】-----

電影〝靈光乍現 (Flash of Genius)〞以大學教授鮑伯‧凱恩斯 (Bob Kearns) 的故事為架構，描述隱藏在車用間歇性雨刷背後的傳奇。

至今仍在使用的汽車間歇性雨刷，是由凱恩斯所發明的，他在1964年時才取得這項專利。在凱恩斯取得專利前，他曾向美國汽車大廠福特公司 (Ford) 與克萊斯勒公司 (Chrysler) 推薦自己的發明，卻在遭到回拒不久後，發現兩家公司盜用了他的突破創舉。

為此，凱恩斯不惜循法律途徑捍衛間歇性雨刷的專利權，並且拒絕了法院裁定的高達數百萬美元的和解方案。儘管沒有任何法律經驗，在妻小的支持下，凱恩斯親自上法庭代表自己進行官司，而這場官司也耗費他超過一千萬美元的支出。

在電影〝靈光乍現〞的描繪下，凱恩斯不僅僅是個有理想抱負的人，他搏上全家人的幸福與自己的心靈健康來面對嚴峻的考驗。片中飾演凱恩斯的演員格雷戈‧金尼爾 (Greg Kinnear) 說：「你可以欽佩凱恩斯堅毅不屈的精神，但我不清楚你是否必須像凱恩斯那麼勇敢，因為你目睹整起事件對凱恩斯與他家人的傷害，不過就時間觀點來說凱恩斯的作法是對的。人們從極少數敢於挑戰不公不義的個人身上受益，而這些勇士將自己的意志貫徹到底。」(shows 2)

不過諷刺的是，當年似乎擁有無窮盡資本來拖延凱恩斯官司的汽車公司，如今卻必須請求納稅人提供貸款來幫助他們度過目前的金融危機。

電影〝靈光乍現〞於3月20日在全英國的戲院上映。

 ※ 正式定稿與影像：「 新唐人電視台 ─ 娛樂新幹線 230 」

※ The original article was taken from Reuters Website.  ( 原文取自路透社網站 )




-----【原文對照】-----

INTRO:  Star Greg Kinnear and director Marc Abraham talk about the true story of a lone inventor who took on the USA's automaker giants.  Oscar nominee Greg Kinnear stars as the inventor who took on some of America' biggest corporations in legal  David and Goliath story.

STORY: 'Flash of Genius' follows the story of university professor Bob Kearns, the man who invented the intermittent windshield wiper still used on cars today. While that might not seem like the most thrilling topic in the world, it's not Kearns' invention itself that is behind the tale, so much as the epic battle that ensued with some of the most powerful corporations in America over it's use - the Ford Motor Company and the Chrysler Corporation.

Kearns' failed to interest the automakers in licensing his invention - which he had patented in 1964 - for use on their cars, yet they still began installing intermittent windshield wipers on their vehicles shortly after seeing his breakthrough.

What followed was a legal struggle that saw him risk everything he had to get recognition for his invention. Rejecting multimillion dollar out of court settlements, Kearns seemingly had no interest in money, but challenging.

Despite the fact he had no legal experience, Kearns ended up representing himself in court, even enlisting the help of his wife children in his the ongoing case that was to eventually cost him more than 10 million US dollars.

'Flash of Genius' portrays Kearns not just as a crusading idealist, but as a man who came to be so obsessed with the his battle that he put the welfare of his family and even his mental health at risk.

"Well you can admire Bob Kearns. You admire his tenacity. I don't know that you necessarily feel that: 'Boy, I wish I were like that. I wish that I had that ability' because you see the damage that it does to him and his family, you know, but historically we benefit. People benefit from those few individuals that are out there that do stand up to injustice and who will take the battle all the way to the end," said Greg Kinnear, who portrays Kearns in the film, adding: "I mean, more and more of us are working for fewer and fewer people and Marc's right - these corporations have an obligation to not marginalise the individual and that's what happened to Kearns here. And the thing that makes him unique is not that he fought, but that he didn't stop fighting." (shows 2)

Ironically, the very same corporations that seemed to have endless funds to drag Kearns through the courts, are now the very same ones asking for taxpayer funded loans to bail them out of the current financial crisis.

Directing his first film, veteran producer Marc Abraham said that while he hadn't set out to comment on that (he bought the rights to the story long before the credit crunch), the parallels ware there to be drawn.

'Flash of Genius' opens across cinemas in the UK on March 20.