The Insider (1999)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Michael Mann

Writers (WGA):

Marie Brenner (article)
Eric Roth (written by) ...

Release Date:

5 November 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Warning: Exposing the Truth May Be Hazardous

Plot:

A research chemist comes under personal and professional attack when he decides to appear in a "60 Minutes" expose on Big Tobacco.

Plot Keywords:

Tobacco | Big Tobacco | Producer | Tobacco Industry | Interview

Awards:

Nominated for 7 Oscars. Another 21 wins & 34 nominations

Cast

Al Pacino	...	Lowell Bergman
Russell Crowe	...	Jeffrey Wigand
Christopher Plummer	...	Mike Wallace
Diane Venora	...	Liane Wigand
Philip Baker Hall	...	Don Hewitt
Lindsay Crouse	...	Sharon Tiller
Debi Mazar	...	Debbie De Luca
Stephen Tobolowsky	...	Eric Kluster
Colm Feore	...	Richard Scruggs
Bruce McGill	...	Ron Motley
Gina Gershon	...	Helen Caperelli
Michael Gambon	...	Thomas Sandefur
Rip Torn	...	John Scanlon
Lynne Thigpen	...	Mrs. Williams
Hallie Kate Eisenberg	...	Barbara Wigand

Also Known As:

60 Minutes (USA) (pre-release title)
Man of the People (USA) (working title)
The Untitled Tobacco Project (USA) (working title)
Untitled Michael Mann Film (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

157 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Japanese | Arabic

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #36775) | Iceland:L | Malaysia:U | Canada:14A (Ontario) (video rating: 2004) | South Korea:12 | Brazil:14 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Canada:14A (Alberta) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (British Columbia/Manitoba) | Chile:TE | Czech Republic:12 | Finland:K-10 | France:U | Germany:6 (bw) | Hong Kong:IIB | Mexico:B | New Zealand:M | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | Greece:K-17 | Philippines:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Abaco Island, Bahamas

Company:

Blue Lion Entertainment

Trivia:

Jeffrey Wigand, the anti-smoking subject of this movie, requested a ban on cigarettes in the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Bergman talks to Wigand on the phone outside his beach house, he goes into the sea far enough for water to touch his shorts, but they are dry when he comes back inside the house.

Quotes:

Mike Wallace: And do you wish you hadn't come forward? Do you wish you hadn't blown the whistle?
Jeffrey Wigand: There are times when I wish I hadn't done it. There are times when I feel com... compelled to do it. If you asked me, would I do it again, do I think it's worth it? Yeah I think its worth it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Eli Stone: One More Try (#1.5)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Suffocate

Smart film making.

"The Insider" in many ways reflects the golden days of American cinematography, where every scene serves a purpose, dialogue is sharp and poignant, and characters and events remain true to their emotions and nature.

The film presents certain questions throughout its duration that are intended to invoke thought in the viewer, and at the same time explores them to unprecedented depths which are by no means native to the film industry. The story is of a quick-paced nature, and demands that the viewer pay the utmost attention to every single line and image presented; it flabbergasts in its unparallelled structure of continuity and coherence to those sentient enough.

After watching this film, it became apparent why Crowe was so reluctant to play the role of Maximus in "Gladiator" after acting the part of Jeffrey Wigand. It appears more or less as if Crowe had been this character in reality, and it really inspires to see that such a talented actor is finally beginning to enjoy the prominence that he deserves.

In the past decades, there has been a progressive decline in the number of intelligent films making it onto the market, but the success of "The Insider" will hopefully serve as a shout-out to all the film companies and directors reluctant to tread on such sensitive ground. This movie could not receive a higher recommendation!