The Insider
Biography, Drama, Thriller
Disney / Buena Vista  (1999) 157 mins R

7.9 (56,683 votes)
"An edge-of-your-seat thriller!" - Newsweek

The Insider recounts the chain of events that pitted an ordinary man against the tobacco industry, and dragged two people into the fight of their lives.

Academy Award Winner Al Pacino (Any Given Sunday, The Devil's Advocate) gives a powerful performance as veteran 60 Minutes producer Lowell Bergman, and Russell Crowe (L.A. Confidential, Mystery, Alaska) 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.

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Cast and Crew
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
Director  .....  Michael Mann
Producer  .....  Pieter Jan Brugge; Michael Mann
Writer  .....  Marie Brenner; Eric Roth; Michael Mann
Notes
Goofs:
Anachronisms: Jeffrey Wigand was fired in March 1993. In the movie he is driving an Audi A4. Audi didn't have a model called A4 until 1995. Further, the model shown is a 1998. (more)

Trivia:
The scenes at the Pascagoula mansion, on the Gulf of Mexico, were filmed at the home of the real Richard Scruggs (the attorney portrayed in the film) in Pascagoula. Hurricane Katrina destroyed the home in 2005. (more)

Filming Locations:
Abaco Island, Bahamas (more)

Quotes:
Mike Wallace: Did I get you up?
Lowell Bergman: No, I usually sit around my hotel room dressed like this at 5:30 in the morning, sleepy look on my face.
(more)

Awards:
Nominated for 7 Oscars. Another 21 wins & 34 nominations (more)