The Informant! (2009)

Director:

Steven Soderbergh

Writers (WGA):

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

Release Date:

18 September 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Based on a tattle-tale

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Company | Price Fixing | Informant | Spy | Lysine

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 10 nominations

Cast

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
Nick Craig	...	Kid at Pool #1
Cody Puckett	...	Kid at Pool #2
Andrew Daly	...	Marty Allison
David Campbell	...	Budweiser Client Representative
Carolyn R. Feltner	...	Budweiser Receptionist
J.P. Gillain	...	Zurich Bank Security Officer (as Jean-Pierre Gillain)
Elena Eustache	...	Zurich Bank Receptionist
John Hans Tester	...	Peter Dreyer (as Hans Tester)
Ludger Pistor	...	Reinhard Richter
Rome Kanda	...	Hirokazu Ikeda
Yoshio Be	...	Kazutoshi Yamada
Raymond Ma	...	Kanji Mimoto
Hervé Deschamps	...	Philippe Rollier
Pascal Ifri	...	Alain Crouy
Ann Cusack	...	Robin Mann
Dann Seki	...	Joon Mo Suh
Jayden Lund	...	James Mutchnik
Chic Daniel	...	FBI Agent at Raid
Joe Chrest	...	Visiting Client
J.D. Mathein	...	Phone Agent
William Marsh	...	FBI Special Agent Ken Temples
Tom Smothers	...	Dwayne Andreas
Clancy Brown	...	Aubrey Daniel
Bob Zany	...	John Dowd
Tony Hale	...	James Epstein
Richard Steven Horvitz	...	Bob Zaideman (as Richard Horvitz)
Tara Barrett	...	Reporter #1
Tim Cain	...	Reporter #2
Ken Frye	...	Reporter #3
Huey Freeman	...	Reporter #4
Brian Gallivan	...	Ron Henkoff
Daniel Hagen	...	Scott Roberts
Patton Oswalt	...	Ed Herbst
Samantha Albert	...	Mary Spearing
Jimmy Brogan	...	Dr. Derek Miller
Paul F. Tompkins	...	FBI Special Agent Anthony D'Angelo
Adam Paul	...	FBI Special Agent Michael Bassett
Wayne Pére	...	Sheldon Zenner (as Wayne Péré)
Scott England	...	Local News Anchor (as Scot England)
Joshua Funk	...	FBI Special Agent Robert Grant
Candy Clark	...	Mark Whitacre's Mother
Frank Welker	...	Mark Whitacre's Father
Larry Clarke	...	Whitacre's Second Attorney
Dick Smothers	...	Judge Harold Baker
Steve Seagren	...	Correctional Officer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sage Adams	...	Jason Ripley (uncredited)
Roy Allen III	...	Office Manager (uncredited)
Rj Buckler	...	Extra holding boom pole in crowd of reporters (uncredited)
Emma Chandler	...	Mick Andreas' Assistant (uncredited)
Dona Ellis	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Nichole Fischer	...	Patron in airport (uncredited)
Gene Fojtik	...	Lawyer (uncredited)
James Gianoulakis	...	Airport Traveler (uncredited)
Joe Hammerstone	...	Airport Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Tabby Hanson	...	Sunt / Actress '2009' (uncredited)
Troy Hayes	...	New Home Owner (uncredited)
Richard Hoffman Jr.	...	Payroll (uncredited)
Bill Ibrahim	...	Attorney on EL (uncredited)
Jordan Kirkwood	...	European Executive (uncredited)
Don Kress	...	Lawyer (uncredited)
BJ Lange	...	Airline Passenger (uncredited)
Dan Latham	...	CTA Passenger (uncredited)
Ted LeBlang	...	Country Club Dinner Guest (uncredited)
Allen Marsh	...	Airport Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Joseph Mazurk	...	Federal Plaza Lawyer (uncredited)
Elizabeth Zephyrine McDonough	...	Sweater Girl (uncredited)
Cameron Potter	...	Businessman (uncredited)
Mallory Scott	...	Business Traveler (uncredited)
Gary Sedlock	...	Movie Goer (uncredited)
Malik Simmons	...	Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
E.J. Snyder	...	Golfer (uncredited)
Jaxon Stanford	...	Businessman Walking Thru Airport (uncredited)
Jani Vorwerk	...	Waitress (uncredited)
Erik A. Williams	...	Airport Traveler (uncredited)

Directed by
Steven Soderbergh

Writing credits (WGA)
Scott Z. Burns		(screenplay)
Kurt Eichenwald		(book)

Produced by
Howard Braunstein	....	producer
George Clooney	....	executive producer
Kurt Eichenwald	....	producer
Jennifer Fox	....	producer
Gregory Jacobs	....	producer
Michael Jaffe	....	producer
Michael London	....	executive producer
Michael Polaire	....	co-producer
Jeff Skoll	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Marvin Hamlisch

Cinematography by
Steven Soderbergh		(as Peter Andrews)

Film Editing by
Stephen Mirrione

Casting by
Carmen Cuba

Production Design by
Doug J. Meerdink

Art Direction by
Billy Hunter		(as William O. Hunter)
David Scott		(as David E. Scott)

Set Decoration by
Daniel B. Clancy
Curtis Maneno

Costume Design by
Shoshana Rubin

Makeup Department
Christine Beveridge	....	makeup artist: Matt Damon (as Chrissie Beveridge)
Barbara Cantu	....	key hairstylist
Gloria Pasqua Casny	....	hair department head (as Gloria Casny)
Latrice Edwards	....	additional makeup artist
Kay Georgiou	....	hair stylist: Matt Damon
Jules Holdren	....	hair stylist
Connie Kallos	....	hair stylist
Chris Lyons	....	special effects teeth
Elisa Marsh	....	makeup department head
Marsha Shearrill	....	key makeup artist
Vicki Vacca	....	makeup artist
Rebecca Wachtel	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Gilles Castera	....	production manager: France
Renee Confair	....	production supervisor: Hawaii
David Kirchner	....	post-production supervisor
Robin Le Chanu	....	production manager: Illinois
Mark Scoon	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gregory Jacobs	....	first assistant director
Gil Kenny	....	first assistant director: France
Lynne Martin	....	second second assistant director
Lauren Pasternack	....	dga trainee
Jody Spilkoman	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Norman Alatorre	....	propmaker
Andrew Alward	....	art staff assistant
Tim Alward	....	art staff assistant
Dawn Brown	....	set designer
Joanna Bush	....	illustrator
Gregory Byrne	....	set dresser
Robert J. Carlyle	....	construction coordinator
Genelle Ciccarelli	....	set decorating coordinator
Jeff Creath	....	assistant props
Scott Ellsworth	....	propmaker
Richard Ewan	....	painter
Jimmy Flores	....	lead propmaker foreman
Stephen Gibson	....	assistant property master
Thomas J. Glynn	....	set dresser
Martin Grimes	....	set dresser
Jeffrey Paul Johnson	....	property master
Paul Knubley	....	set dresser: St. Louis
Chris Larsen	....	set dresser
Craig K. Lewis	....	set dresser: Hawaii
Jamie Litwak	....	propmaker
James R. Lord	....	propmaker gang boss
Quentin Matthys	....	gang boss
Christopher Morente	....	greens foreman: Illinois/Montana
Timothy Mullennix	....	propmaker
Matthew J. Norskog	....	second on-set dresser
Roderick Nunnally	....	paint supervisor
Michael Okuda	....	graphic designer
Jason Perrine	....	art department assistant
Leia Pratapas	....	art department coordinator
Shane Reed	....	leadman: Los Angeles
Francis J. Roix	....	carpenter
Scott Schutzki	....	set dresser
Alex Sessing	....	greens foreman
Julie Smith	....	assistant set decorator
Gary Stel	....	propmaker foreman
Scott Troha	....	leadman
Jane Wuu	....	set designer
Jim Tudor	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Clark Woodman	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Larry Blake	....	sound re-recording mixer
Larry Blake	....	supervising sound editor
Sean Byrne	....	sound re-recordist
Matt Coby	....	sound editor
Barry Donnelly	....	adr recordist
Dawn Fintor	....	foley artist
Javier M. Hernández	....	boom operator
Steve La Fayette	....	sound utility: IL, MO
Marcus Ricaud	....	sound utility
Brian Seagrave	....	audio post-conform
Mark Shehab	....	adr recordist
Alicia Stevenson	....	foley artist
Billy Theriot	....	assistant sound editor
Dennis Towns	....	production sound mixer

Special Effects by
Jared Baker	....	special effects technician
Robert Bolanowski	....	special effects technician
Ron Bolanowski	....	special effects coordinator
Darrell Burgess	....	special effects technician
Robert Everett	....	special effects technician
Bob Shelley	....	special effects technician (as Robert Shelley)
Daniel Yates	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Gary Abrahamian	....	lead animator
Elika Burns	....	digital artist
Heather Elisa Hill	....	visual effects project manager: CIS Hollywood
Lisa Maher	....	visual effects producer: CIS-Hollywood
Kama Moiha	....	compositor
Jesse Morrow	....	visual effects artist
James P. Noon	....	tracking
Liz Radley	....	video & computer graphics supervisor
Chris Ryan	....	CG supervisor (as Christopher Ryan)
Prateep Siamwalla	....	tracking
Thomas J. Smith	....	visual effects supervisor
Xye	....	tracking
Mark Fletcher	....	screen graphics designer (uncredited)
Chris B. Schnitzer	....	director of visual effects: Warner Bros. (uncredited)

Stunts
Sean Graham	....	stunts
Tabby Hanson	....	stunts (as Tabby Hanson-Graham)
Rick Le Fevour	....	stunt coordinator (as Rick LeFevour)
Rick Le Fevour	....	stunt performer
Tom Lowell	....	stunt double
Daniel Maldonado	....	stunt driver
Scott Philyaw	....	stunt driver
John Robotham	....	stunt coordinator
Steve Schriver	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Claudette Barius	....	still photographer
Chris Dame	....	crane technician: Technocrane
Greg Fausak	....	best boy grip
John-Anthony Gargiulo	....	dolly grip
Jeroen Hendriks	....	camera technician
Nicholas Kaat	....	assistant chief lighting technician
April Kelley	....	second assistant camera
Steven Meizler	....	first assistant camera: 'b' camera
John Joseph Minardi	....	key grip
Glenn E. Moran	....	rigging gaffer
Patrick B. O'Brien	....	camera operator
Michael J. Schwartz	....	electrician
Paul Toomey	....	second assistant camera
Peter Walts	....	chief lighting technician
Mark N. Woods	....	technocrane operator

Casting Department
Shelby Cherniet	....	casting associate: Chicago
Helen Geier	....	casting associate
Mike Ketcher	....	extras casting: St. Louis
Rich King	....	extras casting
Claire Simon	....	casting: chicago
Erin Stewart	....	extras casting assistant
Teresa Thoma	....	casting associate
Jonathan Kinnas	....	extras casting: Chicago (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jessica Albertson	....	set costumer
Danielle Baker	....	costumer
Rebecca M. Graves	....	costume assistant
Brad Holtzman	....	key costumer
Sandy Kenyon	....	costume supervisor
Valerie T. O'Brien	....	costumer
Barnaby Smith	....	costumer: Matt Damon
Melissa Stinson	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Matt Absher	....	first assistant editor
Corey Bayes	....	assistant editor
Matthew Blackshear	....	colorist: dailies
Jimmy Fusil	....	digital intermediate producer
Nat Jencks	....	DI editor
Barbara Jean Kearney	....	digital intermediate producer
Tim Stipan	....	supervising digital colorist
Michael P. Whipple	....	digital intermediate engineer
Lee Wimer	....	color timer
Benjamin Sutor	....	digital intermediate editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Missy Cohen	....	music editor
Larry Hochman	....	orchestrator
John Moses	....	musician: clarinetist
Laura Sherman	....	musician: harp soloist
Tim Starnes	....	auricle programmer
Todd Whitelock	....	score mixer
Todd Whitelock	....	score recordist

Transportation Department
Jalal Aqdim	....	picture car assistant coordinator: france
Arnold Bucher	....	driver: director
David Glavin	....	driver
Shane Greedy	....	transportation coordinator
Anthony Gregorio	....	driver
Charles Heidet	....	picture vehicle coordinator: Paris Unit
Steve Lewis	....	driver
Kevin Loding	....	driver
Tony Mouradian	....	driver
Chance Robertson	....	driver
Alan Smith	....	driver
Lin C. Smith	....	driver
Chase Spitzer	....	driver: Illinois
Justin Thaler	....	g&e driver: Cinelease Chicago Grip & Electric
Alexandre Thiery	....	unit driver: Paris (uncredited)

Other crew
Dayne Ahuna	....	craft service: Hawaii
Mike Barry	....	assistant location manager
Sara Bartkiewicz	....	assistant production coordinator
Selena Carrillo	....	production coordinator
Lauren Cokeley	....	office staff assistant: Illinois
Paul Conti	....	video playback engineer
Adrian Cortes	....	set production assistant
David Cortez	....	production assistant
Rose Cox	....	craft service
Myke Dixon	....	dailies assistant
Bryan Dobrik	....	set staff assistant: Illinois
Ron Durham	....	assistant location manager: St. Louis
Emma Fletcher	....	assistant: Ms. Fox
Pablo Gambetta	....	production assistant
Liz Goldsmith	....	assistant location manager
Matt Goldstein	....	set production assistant: Hawaii
Elizabeth Grave	....	assistant to Michael London
Callie Hersheway	....	production secretary: Illinois
Al Huynh	....	location assistant
Trevor Johann	....	office production assistant
Lynn Josephson Delaney	....	executive assistant to producer
Arnaud Kaiser	....	location manager: france
Holly Kang	....	assistant: Mr Soderbergh
Holly Kang	....	assistant: Mr. Soderbergh
Sarah P. Koeppe	....	accounting clerk
Ken Lavet	....	location manager
Valerie Levitt	....	assistant: Mr. Burns
Keri Littledeer	....	key set medic
Marlene Marks	....	payroll accountant
Arnaud Mathey-Dreyfus	....	location scout: Paris
Elaine Mongeon	....	assistant: Mr. Jacobs
Guy Morrison	....	key assistant location manager
Stefan Nikolov	....	location scout
Robert O'Quinn	....	production assistant
Tim Patterson	....	production secretary
Shaunessy James Quinn	....	office staff assistant: Illinois
Paul Rathburn	....	chef
Michael Roccuzzo	....	post accounting
Taffy Schweickhardt	....	key first assistant accountant
Michael Serrano	....	set production assistant
Ashley C. Smith	....	assistant production coordinator: Hawaii
Spooky Stevens	....	unit publicist
Dane Story	....	set production assistant
Anthea Strangis	....	additional first assistant accountant
William Thompson	....	personal fitness trainer
Justin Tolley	....	key production assistant: Hawaii
Anthony Vallejo-Sanderson	....	production assistant
Bernadette Wilson	....	location aide
Jeff Winn	....	key craft service
Victoria Wong	....	third assistant accountant
Daniel Zambroni	....	medic: Illinois
Jean David Marianne	....	accountant trainee: France (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros (presents)
• Participant Media (in association with)
• Groundswell Productions (in association with)
• Section Eight
• Jaffe / Braunstein Enterprise

Distributors

• Warner Bros (2009) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2009) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2009) (Germany) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (2009) (Malaysia) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Warner Filmes de Portugal (2009) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution Sverige AB (2009) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Village Films (2009) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Entertainment Polska (2009) (Poland) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2009) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2009) (UK) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2009) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2009) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2009) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2010) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Film1 (2010) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2009) (Finland) (all media)
• Turner Network Television (TNT) (2012) (USA) (TV)
• Warner Bros. (2010) (Argentina) (all media)
• Warner Home Video (2010) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2010) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Video (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Video (2010) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Special Effects

• CIS Hollywood (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Atmosphere Casting of Chicago  extras casting
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• Direct Tools & Fasteners  expendables
• Footage Bank  thanks (as Footagebank)
• Kid Charlemane  main title sequence
• L.A. Mad Dogs  adr
• LCW Props  set equipment
• Masterwords  cutting continuity
• New Line Records  soundtrack
• Nuncle  title design
• Pacific Title  end titles
• Pivotal Post  Avid HD editing equipment
• Playback Technologies  computer playback engineering
• Red Digital Cinema  camera equipment provided by
• Rich King Casting  extras casting
• Star Waggons  cast trailers
• Star Waggons  hair and make-up trailers
• Star Waggons  wardrobe trailer
• Swelltone Labs  post-production sound services
• Technicolor Digital Intermediates  digital intermediate (as Technicolor)
• Technicolor  release printing

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for language

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #44918) | Ireland:15A | Finland:K-3 | Italy:T | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Canada:14A (Alberta/Manitoba/Ontario) | Iceland:7 | Canada:G (Québec) | Australia:M | Canada:PG (British Columbia) | Singapore:NC-16 | UK:15 | Japan:G | Portugal:M/12 | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Germany:12 (f) | Netherlands:AL | Hong Kong:IIB | Mexico:B | Sweden:Btl | South Korea:15 | Norway:A | Austria:6 | Denmark:A | France:U | Argentina:13 | Malaysia:18 | Brazil:10

Filming Locations:

Blue Mound, Illinois, USA

Company:

Warner Bros

Trivia:

The address to the Swedish bio-chem firm that Whitacre used to steal money from ADM happens to be the address to a real bio-chem firm in Lund (Novozymes Biopharma AB). Novozymes had nothing to do with the events depicted in the film though, as the company was founded in 2000.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The establishing shot for the first scene at Brian Shepard's office states that the office is in Springfield, Illinois, but shots of the door to the FBI to Shepherd's FBI field office says Decatur, Illinois, where ADM is located.

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.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert: Episode dated 12 September 2009" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Trust Me

Entertaining and engaging comic version of a true story

Reading the opinions posted on this site it appears that a lot of viewers came to this film with the expectation of big laughs throughout and, when the film didn't delivered them, walked off in a huff moaning about the film failing to deliver. In fairness to them I suspect that their complaints may be valid based on trailers and marketing suggesting this would be the case – the exclamation point in the title probably didn't help either. So I'm glad then that I came to the film without a great deal of knowledge about what the film was trying to be other than it was a slightly comic version of a true case from the 1990's.

I am glad because this is what the film is – a comic take on a real situation where the decision to do so as a light comedy appears to have paid off. With Mark Whitacre as the main character, we follow him into the case and we immediately start to get the impression that this guy really doesn't have his head in the real world – like he doesn't understand the consequences of anything he says and does, which perhaps accounts for his rather cheerful outlook and easy personality. This is true but the full extent of his actions are unveiled nicely across the whole film – leaving me at times a little like the FBI lawyer during the presentation from ADM's attorney, mouth open not quite believing it.

It is not a hilarious movie by any means but the comic air makes it easy to enjoy and the story is engaging and entertaining. Soderbergh does slightly overdo the "wacky" feel to and he probably didn't need to have as many recognisable faces from comedy in small roles, but he does make it work. A big part of this reason is Matt Damon – showing that while he may be a Hollywood action star now, he is very capable as a character actor to. He does channel William H Macy from Fargo a little bit in how he will try and make pathetic lies to get himself out of trouble but I see this as a compliment because Macy is very good at that sort of character performance. Damon nails the cheerful self-delusion and his narration keeps us "on side" with him, making the comic tone work. The support cast is perhaps a bit too full of well-known faces but everyone is good, working again with the approach.

Overall The Informant! appears to be disliked mainly by those who expected something that marketing led them to believe this was. Coming to it on its own terms however this is an engaging story told with a comic air that works and makes the film as entertaining as it is interesting. Not hilarious and one could question if it is fair to handle Whitacre's story in a light manner, but it does work and I enjoyed it for what it was.