- Michael Mann's The Insider is the first film that comes to mind whenever I think about the complicated relationship between real events and their "based on a true story" portrayals. The film makes for a great case study in fictionalization because, despite the fact that the people it represents all remember slightly different versions of what really happened, it nevertheless conveys some essential truths about censorship, the risks of corporate confidentiality, and the shamelessly unethical practices employed by tobacco companies. Although the real people involved might disagree, sometimes it is enough to be approximately true.
- The story, adapted from a Vanity Fair article by Marie Brenner, focuses on Big Tobacco whistleblower Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe) and Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino), the 60 Minutes producer who urged him to come forward. One detail that the movie captures with complete accuracy is how difficult both men must have been to work with. Wigand is a research scientist whose noble aspirations are constantly undermined by his short temper and poor communication skills. Bergman is a producer whose admirable pursuit of the truth doesn't come paired with patience. The two men have an overabundance of self-righteousness and an underabundance of caution, and yet the audience quickly finds itself rooting for them both.
- Of course, the primary reason we sympathize with these two flawed characters is that they are up against one of the least respectable industries that has ever existed. As Wigand tells 60 Minutes anchor Mike Wallace (Christopher Plummer), the tobacco industry has long recognized the hazards of nicotine addiction and commonly regards the cigarette as little more than a "nicotine delivery device." This position forms a stark contrast with sworn statements by Brown & Williamson CEO Thomas Sandefor (Michael Gambon) and others, but Wigand's confidentiality agreement exposes him to severe legal penalties for coming forward. That's in addition to the threats implied by e-mails, mailbox bullets, and even Sandefor himself. But it turns out that is only half of the problem with getting Wigand's story on TV.
- The other, even more insidious hurdle to showing Wigand's story on 60 Minutes is that it could expose CBS to a multi-billion dollar lawsuit from Brown & Williamson via the concept of "tortious interference," which implies that "the more truth he tells, the worse it gets." The station management (Philip Baker Hall) and legal team (Stephen Tobolowsky, Gina Gershon) push for the story to be delayed, if not killed. Bergman and Wigand want the interview to air as soon as possible. The character of Mike Wallace (much to the vocal consternation of the real Mike Wallace!) initially sides with corporate concerns before experiencing a last-minute change of heart. As significant as these details must have been to those involved, the bigger picture is that tobacco companies found a way to kill people, hamstring the legal system, and even profit from news reports that should have buried them.
- As Wigand gets dragged through conflicts with his increasingly estranged wife Liane (Diane Venora) and various tugs-of-war between lawyers (Colm Feore, Bruce McGill, Mike Moore, Gary Sandy, Wings Hauser), the film does an excellent job capturing his deteriorating mental state. In the film's best scene, a haggard Wigand sits brooding in his hotel room, as the back wall morphs into a happy life his children (Renee Olstead, Hallie Kate Eisenberg) could have had. The film also gets a lot of mileage out of Wigand's dramatic uncensored interview, which Crowe and Plummer recreate with such mastery that watching the real interview becomes an uncanny experience. Add in Mann's skills at combining images and music that make men yelling over the phone seem much cooler than it should be, and The Insider becomes essential viewing for people interested in something like the truth about Big Tobacco.
- Also featuring Lindsay Crouse, Debi Mazar, Rip Torn, Lynne Thigpen, Michael Paul Chan, and Sayed Badreya.
- Mike Moore was actually the Attorney General of Mississippi and played himself.
