https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rkvxi5hdbA
The movie The Insider chronicles the lives of Jeffery Wigand and Lowell Bergman as they collaborate in an effort to expose the deceit of the tobacco industry. Wigand was a former executive that worked in the research department of Brown and Williamson. He was supposedly fired for poor communication skills, after which he was approached by 60 Minutes producer Lowell Bergman. Bergman pressed Wigand to reveal the knowledge he was privy to because of his position. After long deliberation, Wigand decided to reveal information regarding nicotine and its harmful effects. His choice to expose confidential secrets was accompanied by various repercussions. Wigand’s family dissolved, he faced the prospect of jail, and received death threats. The Insider focuses on the dramatic aspects of the story as it reaches eventual exposure.
This movie is considered a docudrama, by nature it is to be grounded in fact. However, as with all movies one must be wary of what is indeed fact, and what is fiction. Since these types of movies claim to represent the truth, many viewers accept what is flashed on the screen without a healthy skepticism. This is problematic, as Hollywood tends to supplement the truth with additives. A viewer that is unaware of the account only containing partial truth is more apt to accept historical inaccuracies. This can cultivate a history that is rife with misconceptions about people, places, and events.
By analyzing the film, our primary objective was to isolate the truth from the falsities. We did so by reviewing the historical accounts of the events, while comparing them to the account purveyed through the movie. The similarities and differences category elaborates upon our findings in that regard.
After distinguishing the general facts, our group sought to determine the accuracy of the characterization. As the movie is dependent upon its characters, it was vital to discern whether or not the actors maintained personas consistent with the real Jeffery Wigand and Lowell Bergman. Such information can be found in the character bios category.
Casting aside the accuracy of the movie, we then sifted through particular scenes in search of ideologies. With attention to minute detail, we discovered the almost imperceptible ideologies that the movie substantiated. These may be found within the ideologies section.
As the movie framed the events in a certain way, so too did credible news sources such as The New York Times. By comparing both versions of the same story, we were able to see how they differed. This portion is within the section titled news coverage.
Since The Insider focuses on the journalistic process, it was important to evaluate how the movie represents ethics. By tracing Lowell Bergman’s steps in his interactions with Wigand and CBS, we were able to see whether or not he upheld the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics. He is evaluated in the journalism ethics category.
Through this research, we happened to stumble upon Jeffery Wigand’s contact information. We promptly contacted him requesting an interview. With the interview we were able to get his version of events and thoughts regarding the movie. This proved immensely beneficial, as he was able to clarify and expound upon the events in question. The recording of the interview may be found within the extras section.
Ultimately, our dissection of the movie enabled us to distill The Insider into the facts upon which it is based.
By Mason Lenches-Jhamb
By Mason Lenches-Jhamb
