The Insider is the suspenseful true story of a tobacco whistle blower and the fight to get his interview on 60 Minutes. The film stars Al Pacino (The Godfather trilogy) and Russell Crowe (L.A. Confidential). The film co-stars Christopher Plummer, Philip Don Baker and Diana Venora.
Dr. Jeffrey Wigand (Crowe) is the former head of Research and Development at Brown and Williamson. He had it all, a high-paying job, a big house, great medical coverage for his sickly daughter and a loving family. One day though, the company decided that they didn’t need him anymore let him go. He was forced to sign a confidentiality agreement, and in return was promised money and continued medical insurance.
Lowell Bergman (Pacino) is a top-notch producer for 60 Minutes. He goes all over the world getting the stories that attract the millions of viewers. Then one day an anonymous package arrives containing information about the burn control of cigarettes. Bergman can’t interpret the papers and contacts a friend in the FDA for help, who gives him Wigand’s name and phone number.
Bergman contacts Wigand several times but gets nowhere. He finally travels to Wigand’s home in Louisville, Ky. and meets Wigand secretly at a hotel. Wigand agrees to interpret the papers for a large sum of money but says he cannot provide additional information. Bergman agrees to the deal but senses more.
In the next several weeks Wigand starts to get more pressure from Brown & Williamson to keep quiet. They want him to sign a supplement to the original agreement, and threaten him if he doesn’t. He decides that he needs to come forward, so he contacts Bergman. Wigand and his wife, Liane, (Venore) fly to New York to talk with Bergman and reporter Mike Wallace (Plummer).
Wigand decides to go ahead and do the interview, but because of the agreement he signed with his former employer they can’t yet air it. They need to find a way to make the information that Wigand has public knowledge. Bergman contacts Mississippi Attorney General Michael Moore (played by himself), who has a lawsuit against the tobacco company, to have Wigand testify.
Wigand in the meantime, has found another job, as a teacher in a local high school. His life is finally starting to return to normal, but then he starts to receive death threats. His family is starting to fall apart. Right before he is supposed to leave for Mississippi, he is served with papers stating that if he testifies he will be arrested as soon as he comes back to Kentucky.
Wigand goes to Mississippi and decides to testify, and when he returns home his wife is gone. Bergman is ready to air the interview, but CBS is not. CBS decides that it is too much of a risk to run the interview and deciedes to do the story without the interview. Bergman turns to Wallace for help, but gets none.
Bergman fights Executive Producer Don Hewitt (Baker) to air the interview, but gets nowhere. Then he finds out about a smear campaign against Wigand, more than likely done by the tobacco company. Bergman needs to clear up the truth about Wigand while fighting CBS to get the truth on the air. Only time will tell if he is able to save a friend and also his journalistic integrity.
The Insider is a great film with great acting. Pacino provides his usual strong performance and is a very good choice for the role of Bergman. Crowe gets away from his typical tough-guy roles and is a joy to watch. Plummer not only looks, but sounds like Wallace too, and is very believable. Philip Baker Hall is a great character actor and plays his part well.
The final synopsis is two glances at the watch (close to three hours long), Al Pacino and a feel good ending.
