The paper investigates a class of long-wave unstable lubrication model using Lie theory. A nonlinear self-adjoint classification of the considered equation is carried out. Without having to go into microscopic detailsof the physical aspects, non-trivial conservation laws are computed. Then, minimal set of Lie point symmetries of the discussed model is classified up to one-dimensional conjugacy classes which are further utilised one by one to construct the similarity variables to reduce the dimension of the considered model. After that, all possible phase trajectories are classified with respect to the parameters of the equation. Some travelling wave and kink-wave solutions are also showed and graphical representations are displayed to depict their propagation.