The Short List of Things to Do

Week of Oct. 3

Flash of Genius

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Greg Kinnear plays the kind of mildly obsessive guy who might invent the intermittent windshield wiper. And then sue, claiming the Ford Motor Co. stole it from him. And insist on representing himself in court. This is an intelligent, if long, fact-based tale of the pitfalls and pinnacles that meet a genuinely independent thinker.

Grade: B

November 28

The new Elvis Costello television series, Stephen Colbert's Christmas Special and Chungking Express on DVD

November 21

The Monty Python Holy Grail on DVD, Gears of War 2 for the gamers, Bolt in movie theaters, and more

October 10

The good cheer of Happy-Go-Lucky, reliving the amazing life of John Lennon, cathing up with The Starter Wife on TV, and more

October 3

Greg Kinnear, in Flash of Genius, Richard Jenkins in The Visitor, Anne Hathaway in Rachel Getting Married, and more

September 26

Jenny Lewis in the record stores, Dennis Lehane's The Given Day in bookstores, The Lucky Ones in movie theaters, and more