The Insider (1999)

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

Director:

Michael Mann

Writers:

Marie Brenner (article), Eric Roth

Stars:

Russell Crowe, Al Pacino, Christopher Plummer

Nominated for 7 Oscars. Another 23 wins & 50 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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 Eisenberg	...	Barbara Wigand

Storyline

Balls-out "60 Minutes" producer Lowell Bergman sniffs a story when a former research biologist for Brown & Williamson, Jeff Wigand, won't talk to him. When the company leans hard on Wigand to honor a confidentiality agreement, he gets his back up. Trusting Bergman and despite a crumbling marriage, he goes on camera for a Mike Wallace interview and risks arrest for contempt of court. Westinghouse is negotiating to buy CBS, so CBS attorneys advise CBS News to shelve the interview and avoid a lawsuit. "60 Minutes" and CBS News bosses cave, Wigand is hung out to dry, Bergman is compromised, and the CEOs of Big Tobacco may get away with perjury. Will the truth come out?

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Plot Keywords:

whistleblower | tortuous interference | 1990s | tobacco | cbs news | 

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Taglines:

Warning: Exposing the Truth May Be Hazardous

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Japanese Arabic Persian

Release Date:

5 November 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

60 Minutes

Filming Locations:

Long Beach Polytechnic High School - 1600 Atlantic Avenue, Long Beach, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$90,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,712,361, 7 November 1999

Gross USA:

$29,089,912

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$60,289,912

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures, Forward Pass, Blue Lion Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

157 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Based on the "Vanity Fair" article "Then man who knew too much" by Marie Brenner.

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Goofs

When Lowell Bergman has an argument with Jeffrey Wigand outside of his house in the rain, the amount of wetness on the back of Wigand's suit jacket varies from soaked to almost completely dry.

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Quotes

Sharon Tiller: You won.
Lowell Bergman: Yeah? What did I win?

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Alternate Versions

The TV version is actually longer than the theatrical version and was extended over two nights. The edit was supervised by director Michael Mann.

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Connections

Featured in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #18.30 (2010)

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Soundtracks

Sacrifice
Written and Performed by Lisa Gerrard and Pieter Bourke
Courtesy of 4 AD Limited/Warner Bros. Records Inc.

User Reviews

An absorbing film-drama

From scene one, this film delivers a long slow burn as the tale of power and corruption unfolds. There is little action, but the film is steeped in an atmosphere of tension and high drama. The direction by Michael Mann is masterful, an object lesson in how to frame shots and let silence, as well as words - and music - work for the story. Al Pacino is once more the great actor of early films such as 'Scarecrow', instead of the theatrical performer of recent films. Russell Crowe shows his solid 'ordinary guy'character as more tortured through losing his family than any of the macho scenes he portrayed in 'Gladiator.' A superb film.