Academy Award Winner Al Pacino, gives a powerful performance as veteran 60 minutes producer Lowell Bergman, and Russell Crowe co-stars as the ultimate insider, former tobacco executive Dr. Jeffery Wigand. When Wigand is fired by his employer - one of the largest tobacco companies in America - he agrees to become a paid consultant for a story Bergman is working on regarding alleged unethical practices within the tobacco industry. But what begins as a temporary alliance leads to a lengthy battle for both men to save their reputations, and much, much more.As they soon find out, Corporate America will use all legal means at their disposal to save a billion dollar a year habit. And as the corporate giants soon find out, Bergman and Wigand are honorable men, driven to smoke out the evidence. Also starring Christopher Plummer as anchor Mike Wallace and Gina Gershon, The Insider will chill you with its cold, hard edge thrill you with its unbelievable twists and turns.
Directed by
Michael Mann
Written by
Marie Brenner (article The Man Who Knew Too Much) Eric Roth (written by) & Michael Mann (written by)
Starring
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). Please contact SFC to add other cast members and characters.
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A True-life Tale of Courage and Honesty
Mark Banks (United Kingdom)
Opinion: Recommended
Al Pacino and Russell Crowe turn in fine performances in this true-life tale of courage and honesty. Crowe seems to have a fondness for movies with some kind of moral message in them, and the honesty of his character Jeffrey Wigand in The Insider has some parallels to his character Det. Richie Roberts in his more recent American Gangster. Whether Wigand was driven by faith to profess the truth is not stated in this film, but either way his stance provides a fine example of the way every Christian should act in the face of corruption. If he didn’t have a faith to base his convictions upon his actions prove all the more commendable. Society needs people like this.
