History Film / TheInsider

* {{Greed}}: Lowell quickly learns why exactly corporate branch of CBS wants to supress the segment. It's less about the fate of the network itself, but because [[spoiler: they are preparing the sell CBS to Westinghouse and everyone in the management, including people directly involved in keeping ''60 Minutes'' censored, has multi-million stakes in avoiding anything that would drop the stock price of the CBS]].

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Wigand takes his confidentiality agreement seriously, and its all but stated that he only broke it because of his former employers' heavy-handed attempts at intimidating him. [[NiceJobFixingItVillain If they'd just left him alone, he might never have talked.]]

* NaiveNewcomer: Both Jeffrey Wigand and his wife aren't fully prepared into what his got himself to. He struggles to understand why the fact he said nothing but truth is in any way bad for all of the film.

* AutobiographicalRole: Mississippi Attorney General Michael Moore ([[NamesTheSame no relation]] to the filmmaker of the same name) and private investigator Jack Palladino appear as themselves, playing the roles in the story that they played in real life. (Palladino's wife, Sandra Sutherland, did not appear as herself; the character is played by actress Megan Odebash.)

* SkewedPriorities: At one point, Lowell and his assistant are shown looking over B-roll footage for a segment on New Orleans police corruption. Lowell immediately has problems with the cameraman's obsession with mounted police:
-->'''Lowell:''' Stringer was supposed to be shooting b-roll on street cops in New Orleans. What's with all the horses?

* HollywoodNerd: Wigand gets the "timid, stuttering scientist in big glasses" treatment - the real man is known for being temperamental when pushed, something that's even invoked in one of the dialogues.

* CharacterTics: When stressed or irritated, Wigand starts to stutter. On top of that, he has a very erratic moves in such state, which leads to his glasses sliding down on his nose, so he [[AdjustingYourGlasses keeps pushing the bridge of them up with index finger]].

* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: A verbal one, but still counts. When Wigand seems to be unresponsive to pleas to get on the phone, Lowell orders the hotel clerk to get abrassive and get him "on the fucking phone", in those exact words - then he proceeds to chew him on said phone.

* ImagineSpot: After the censored interview is aired and the defeated Jeff is sitting in a hotel room, ignoring calls from Bergman, he starts to imagine his daughters playing in a garden, reminiscenting happier, better times. All while the poor hotel clerk has to deal with Lowell on the phone.

** Jeff Wigand's ultimate decision to go against B&W and start to whistle-blow is portayed not on health concerns (which was his real-life motivation, ''before'' B&W made it personal), but rather the company treating him like crap when he was employed and then using heavy-handed means to make him stick to his confidentiality agreement, something he wasn't even considering breaking before their threats.

* AdaptationalWimp: Mike Wallace had much, much bigger sway, since, you know, he was the face of the ''Series/SixtyMinutes''. And he too wasn't so easily convinced to drop the segment.

-->I'm with Don on this[[note]]"This" meaning censoring their show[[/note]].

'''Mark Stern:''' The unlimited checkbook. That's how Big Tobacco wins every time. On everything. They ''spend you to death''. $600 million a year in outside legal: Chadbourne-Parke. Uh, Ken Starr's firm, Kirkland & Ellis. Listen, GM and Ford, they get ''nailed'' after 11 or 12 pick-ups blow up, right? These clowns have never...I mean ever...\\

'''Mark Stern:''' ...not even with hundreds of thousands dying each year from an illness related to their product...have ''ever'' lost a personal-injury lawsuit. On this case, they'll issue gag orders, sue for breach, anticipatory breach, enjoin him, you, us, his pet dog, the dog's veterinarian - tie him up in litigation for 10 to 15 years. I'm telling you, they bat a thousand ''every time''. He knows that. That's why he's not gonna talk to you...

''The Insider'' is a 1999 film from Creator/TouchstonePictures starring Creator/RussellCrowe, Creator/AlPacino and Creator/ChristopherPlummer.

Directed by Creator/MichaelMann. The AllStarCast has a raft of recognizable actors in supporting roles, like Creator/GinaGershon as a weaselly network executive, Creator/MichaelGambon faking a Southern accent ([[OohMeAccentsSlipping most of the time]]) as a weaselly tobacco executive, and Creator/BruceMcGill with a pretty spectacular OneSceneWonder appearance as a lawyer who calls Wigand to testify in a lawsuit.

* {{Greed}}: Lowell quickly learns why exactly corporate branch of CBS wants to supress the segment. It's less about the fate of the network itself, but because [[spoiler: they are preparing the sell CBS to Westinghouse and everyone in the management, including people directly involved in keeping ''60 Minutes'' censored, has milti-million stakes in avoiding anything that would drop the stock price of CBS]].

* DeadpanSnarker: Bergman is this occasionally.

* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: A verbal one, but still counts. When Wigand seems to be unresponsive to pleas to get on the phone, Lowell orders the hotel clerk to get abrassive and get him "on the fucking phone".

* HeroicBSOD: Wigand has a pretty memorable one when the abridged ''Series/SixtyMinutes'' program airs.
** Bergman has one of his own when he finds out Wallace is siding with the bosses about not airing the story.

* ObstructiveBureaucrat: CBS higher-ups kill the story when confronted with the mere shadow of a possibility of a lawsuit from Brown & Williamson, and only relent when it becomes impossible for B&W to bring a tort case against them.

* WhatYouAreInTheDark: When he realises that his own network won't cover the case and duped Wigand already, Lowell Bergman goes through hell to both stand up for the guy and his own belief in journalistic integrity. All while he has nothing but benefits for dropping the entire issue.

* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: A verbal one, but still counts. When Wigand seems to be unresponsive to pleas to get on the phone, Lowell orders the hotel clerk to get abrassive.
-->'''Lowell Bergman:''' Now listen to me. I want you to tell him, in these words, "Get on the [[PrecisionFStrike fucking]] phone."
-->'''Hotel clerk:''' I can't say that.
-->'''Lowell Bergman:''' No, you can. Tell him to get on the fucking phone!
-->'''Hotel clerk:''' He told me to tell you to get o-on ({{beat}}) the [[SuddenlyShouting FUCKING PHONE]]!
-->(Wigand finally reacts, stands up and angrily runs to the door, grabbing the phone from the scared clerk)

* BrutalHonest: Lowell is perfectly aware that he's harsh, brash and often rude. But he never lies nor avoids unpleasant facts - and this is how he wins the trust of Wigand.

* CorruptCorporateExecutive: The [=CEOs=] of the Big Tobacco companies

* HollywoodNerd: Wigand gets the "timid scientist in big glasses" treatment - the real man is known for being temperamental when pushed.

* OffTheRecord: The desperate call Bergman makes to [[spoiler: the New York Times]] is entirely off-record, since he's basically trading insider knowledge abount CBS situation. He doesn't even speak on his own, simply letting the journalist on the other side following the story on his own, only stopping him when he gets details wrong - which ''he never does''.

* HollywoodNerd: Wigand gets the "timid scientist in big glasses" treatment - the real man was known for being temperamental when pushed.

* HeelFaceTurn: When Wigand and Bergman are getting ScrewedByTheNetwork, Mike Wallace is shown trying to take the high road and side with CBS. But then they start manipulating ''his'' statements as well.

* HollywoodNerd: Wigand.
* HonestCorporateExecutive: Wigand.
* IntrepidReporter: Lowell Bergman.

* OffTheRecord

* StrawmanNewsMedia: Type 1

[[BasedOnATrueStory It tells the true story]] of Jeffrey Wigand (Crowe), a senior researcher at Brown & Williamson tobacco company. After Wigand is fired from B&W, he goes to ''Series/SixtyMinutes'' and producer Lowell Bergman (Pacino) to spill the secrets he knows about the tobacco industry. Wigand's and Bergman's attempts to reveal the truth about Big Tobacco lead to resistance from B&W – and, surprisingly, from [[Creator/{{CBS}} their own network]].

Directed by Creator/MichaelMann. The AllStarCast has a raft of recognizeable actors in supporting roles, like Creator/GinaGershon as a weaselly network executive, Creator/MichaelGambon faking a Southern accent ([[OohMeAccentsSlipping most of the time]]) as a weaselly tobacco executive, and Creator/BruceMcGill with a pretty spectacular OneSceneWonder appearance as a lawyer who calls Wigand to testify in a lawsuit.

-->'''Wigand:''' You manipulated me into where I am now, staring at the Brown and Williamson building! It's all dark except for the tenth floor. That's the legal department -- that's where they fuck with my life!

'''Mark Stern:''' The unlimited checkbook. That's how Big Tobacco wins every time. On everything. They ''spend you to death''. $600 million a year in outside legal: Chadbourne-Parke. Uh, Ken Starr's firm, Kirkland & Ellis. Listen. GM and Ford, they get ''nailed'' after 11 or 12 pick-ups blow up, right? These clowns have never...I mean ever...\\

[[BasedOnATrueStory It tells the true story]] of Jeffrey Wigand (Crowe), a senior researcher at Brown & Williamson tobacco company. After Wigand is fired from B&W he goes to ''Series/SixtyMinutes'' and producer Lowell Bergman (Pacino) to spill the secrets he knows about the tobacco industry. Wigand's and Bergman's attempts to reveal the truth about Big Tobacco lead to resistance from B&W – and, surprisingly, from [[Creator/{{CBS}} their own network]].