The Informant! (2009)

The U.S. government decides to go after an agro-business giant with a price-fixing accusation, based on the evidence submitted by their star witness, vice president-turned-informant Mark Whitacre.

Director:

Steven Soderbergh

Writers:

Scott Z. Burns (screenplay), Kurt Eichenwald (book)

Stars:

Matt Damon, Tony Hale, Patton Oswalt

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 1 win & 18 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Matt Damon	...	Mark Whitacre
Lucas McHugh Carroll	...	Alexander Whitacre (as Lucas Carroll)
Eddie Jemison	...	Kirk Schmidt
Rusty Schwimmer	...	Liz Taylor
Craig Ricci Shaynak	...	Discouraged Foreman
Tom Papa	...	Mick Andreas
Rick Overton	...	Terry Wilson
Melanie Lynskey	...	Ginger Whitacre
Thomas F. Wilson	...	Mark Cheviron (as Tom Wilson)
Scott Bakula	...	FBI Special Agent Brian Shepard
Scott Adsit	...	Sid Hulse
Ann Dowd	...	FBI Special Agent Kate Medford
Allan Havey	...	FBI Special Agent Dean Paisley
Howie Johnson	...	Rusty Williams
Joel McHale	...	FBI Special Agent Bob Herndon

Storyline

Mark Whitacre has worked for lysine developing company ADM for many years and has even found his way into upper management. But nothing has prepared him for the job he is about to undertake - being a spy for the FBI. Unwillingly pressured into working as an informant against the illegal price-fixing activities of his company, Whitacre gradually adopts the idea that he's a true secret agent. But as his incessant lies keep piling up, his world begins crashing down around him.

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Plot Keywords:

fbi | spy | informant | compulsive liar | investigation | 

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Taglines:

un-believ-able

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Germany]

Country:

USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

18 September 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

El desinformante

Filming Locations:

Blue Mound, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$22,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$10,464,314 (USA) (18 September 2009)

Gross:

$33,313,582 (USA) (11 December 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Participant Media, Groundswell Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Whitacre's internal monologue about a great idea for a TV show where a man calls his house and hears himself answer the phone is part of the plot of Steven Soderbergh's own movie Schizopolis (1996).

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Goofs

At the scene where Whitacre is in his BMW outside an Econo Lodge, the logo on the top of the motel is one that was introduced in 2008, well after this movie takes place.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Mark Whitacre: [voiceover] You know that orange juice you have every morning? You know what's in that? Corn. And you know what's in the maple syrup you put on your pancakes? You know what makes it taste so good? Corn. And when you're good and help with the trash, you know what makes the big, green bags biodegradable?
Mark Whitacre: [to his son] Do you?
Alexander Whitacre: Uh-huh. Corn.
Mark Whitacre: Corn *starch*. But Daddy's company didn't come up with that one. DuPont did.

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Crazy Credits

Prologue: "While this motion picture is based on real events, certain incidents and characters are composites, and dialog has been dramatized. So there."

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Connections

Featured in Angela and Friends: Episode #1.9 (2009)

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Soundtracks

Agent Dan
Performed by 'Agent Provocateur'
Written by 'Cleo Matthews', 'John Gosling', Danny Saber and Daniel Peppe
Copyright Sony Music Entertainment

User Reviews

No Spoilers! Favorite movie of the week.

I watch a lot of movies and besides "Inglorious Basterds", i would have to say this movie is next in line for best movies in recent months.

I love when a movie can surprise you and make you feel different about your life. This is one of those flicks. The narrating is slick and believable.. hilarious at times. The story line has fantastic segways that catch you off guard and make you feel blundered but in complete understanding of the main character.

Matt Damon is a great actor and this will probably be his proof for future castings in "not so ordinary" roles.

The movie is not as corky as the commercials seem. It gets dark and darker (and funnier) as the movie moves. It's like eating salt and sweets.. a feeling of apathy and love builds for the main character.

Reasons to watch = the cynical dialog from Matt Damon pays for the price of your movie ticket itself. Damon owns this movie! You'll see what i mean ;)

WTF moment = Casting was a bit blah. (they casted the short loser guy from king of queens to play a lawyer) that was weird. lmao

HAVE FUN