It's the first day of school and Greg Kinnear, as a college engineering professor, writes the word ''ethics'' on the blackboard for his students to ponder.

Obviously, this will be important to this character and to his story. It's also just one of many examples of director Mark Abraham spelling out for the audience exactly where he's going with Flash of Genius, a bland David-and-Goliath tale of corporate greed that's based on true events.

Kinnear stars as Dr. Robert Kearns, married father of six and inventor of the intermittent windshield wiper in 1960s Detroit. Someone had to figure it out -- the guys at Ford had been tinkering for a while with little success. But then Kearns came along, the company liked his makeshift contraption so much, it stole the thing away from him and perfected it without giving him credit (or a cent).

Flash of Genius is the long, arduous story of the legal battles and family sacrifices Kearns made in the name of truth, justice and all that is right in this world. There's something quaint about how old-fashioned this little guy's fight is -- and Kinnear is often so aw-shucks in his Midwesternness, it sounds like he's doing a Jimmy Stewart impression.

Always one with a flair for comedy, Kinnear is stronger toward the end of the movie, when Kearns nervously serves as his own lawyer in court. But we know that he fought and won, and Abraham, a longtime producer directing for the first time, does little to boost suspense.

Lauren Graham is likable as always but seems miscast as Kearns' dutiful wife, Phyllis, who finds she can only tolerate his obsession for so long. But Alan Alda has a couple of standout scenes as Kearns' lawyer and, after a while, he sounds like the only person who is making any sense. As Kearns' lawsuit drags on, Ford executives just want to make it go away, and offer him increasing amounts of life-changing money. Kearns won't even begin to consider it, which is hard to fathom, and in feel-good movie fashion, his kids support him all the way.

There's a fine line between standing up for yourself and selfishness, and Flash of Genius drives right over it.

Cast: Greg Kinnear, Lauren Graham, Dermot Mulroney, Alan Alda

Director: Marc Abraham

Screenwriter: Philip Railsback, based on an article by John Seabrook

Producers: Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, Michael Lieber

A Universal Pictures release. Brief strong language. Running time: 118 minutes. Playing at area theaters.

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