The Insider is a 1999 American drama film directed by Michael Mann, from a screenplay adapted by Eric Roth and Mann from Marie Brenner‘s 1996 Vanity Fair article “The Man Who Knew Too Much”. It stars Al Pacino and Russell Crowe, with supporting actors including Christopher Plummer, Bruce McGill, Diane Venora and Michael Gambon.

While the 1999 film is a fictionalized account of a true story, it is based on the 60 Minutes segment about Jeffrey Wigand, a whistleblower in the tobacco industry, covering his and CBS producer Lowell Bergman‘s struggles as they defend his testimony against efforts to discredit and suppress it by CBS and Wigand’s former employer, Brown & Williamson.

The film was not considered a box office success, but it didn’t matter because The Insider received acclaim from critics, who praised Crowe’s portrayal of Wigand, and Mann’s direction. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor in a Leading Role (for Russell Crowe).

The Insider is the Featured Blog for the month of January, which means you can expect a Critique of the 1996 Vanity Fair article “The Man Who Knew Too Much” by Marie Brenner, that was the basis for the 1999 film, as well as a Recommendation that looks at the history the film is centered on, Big Tobacco & Jeffrey Wigand, his position as a whistleblower and if he is protected under the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 (WPA). Whistleblower retaliation is the taking, failing to take, or threatening to take a personnel action because of an employee’s whistleblowing. There will also be a Review of the 1999 film, The Insider, along with as the Interview from 60 Minutes with Jeffrey Wigand by Mike Wallace that the film’s story is told around. Finally, as with all Featured Blogs, I commemorate the film with a Top Ten List of my favorite films from the same genre, and for The Insider, the Top Ten List is: My Top Ten Favorite Journalism Movies!

Before we get to all of that though, as always with the Featured Blog of the month, I also provide the Official Trailer from the 1999 film, The Insider.

You can watch the 1999 Official Trailer for The Insider below: