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‘The Insider’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey

January 30, 2024 · The Insider (1999) · Biography · Drama · History · 1:29:55

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Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 35:15Endorses the car scene as representing Michael Mann's talent for chess match feeling-out scenes between good actors, and appreciates the exposition scene's handling of multiple characters and agendas
Chris Ryan▶ 34:33Lowell and Jeffrey in the car feeling each other out while it's raining, and the exposition scene where the 60 Minutes staff discusses legal strategy over lunch
Sean Fennessey▶ 37:07Agrees with the exposition scene where the 60 Minutes staff discusses the legal defense strategy, praising Eric Roth's ability to clarify the movie's problem in one scene

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 44:56Pacino's performance (specifically his ability to play conversations with ulterior motives) and Christopher Plummer's interpretation of Mike Wallace (now that Wallace isn't on TV anymore)
Chris Ryan▶ 44:54Pacino's performance, the cinematography and visual style, the golf scenes, and the inner workings of 60 Minutes/CBS News
Sean Fennessey▶ 46:30Agreed with the discussion about Pacino and Plummer's performances, noting Pacino's skill as a screen partner and Plummer's authentic portrayal of Wallace without doing an impression

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 53:32The slow motion ending with Pacino leaving on the street (feels like a 1981 movie and is tacky), and Wings Hauser's casting given his career trajectory from B-movies to 90210
Chris Ryan▶ 52:59The inner workings of 60 Minutes and the chauvinistic behavior suggested in interactions with Gina Gershon's lawyer character
Sean Fennessey▶ 54:14The score and Michael Mann's attempts to be singular that sometimes age his movies, straining for individuality in ways that don't work

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:03:54Wings Hauser — What if somebody had never said, hey, we should get Wings Houser
Chris Ryan▶ 1:03:14Val Kilmer — Val Kilmer was up for Wygand, which is a pretty significant what if
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:04:05Wings Hauser — Defends Wings Houser casting, saying he's good in the movie despite it being weird

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:06Jeffrey Wigand didn't want any cigarettes shown in the movie, which another host thought was a mistake since it would have been thematically appropriate
Chris Ryan▶ 1:04:20Originally called 'Man of the People'; Roth and Mann wrote first draft at Broadway Deli bar; Russell Crowe couldn't talk to Jeffrey Wigand due to confidentiality agreement; Mike Wallace detested the movie; Michael Mann lived in same building as Don Hewitt who criticized the film; Pete Hamill plays the New York Times writer
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:07:01Engaged in discussion about the research findings and added personal context about Pete Hamill being his grandmother's favorite columnist

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:11:47Bruce McGill — Bruce McGill (agrees with another host's pick)
Chris Ryan▶ 1:11:26Bruce McGill — Bruce McGill as the Mississippi judge in the courtroom scene

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Chris Ryan▶ 1:16:07How would this have played in the internet era? - believes people would dismiss it as 'no duh, everybody knows this' and the story would get lost in the noise
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:16:26Wonders how news/social media polarization would affect reception - would there be people defending cigarettes vs. condemning Jeffrey Wigand for breaking his agreement

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:21Wigand's wife turned on him too quickly after he lost his job - she wasn't supportive when he came home saying he got laid off
Bill Simmons▶ 1:19:10The movie uses 'semi-finals' when referring to NBA playoffs - nobody ever says semi-finals in the NBA, it should be conference finals
Chris Ryan▶ 1:18:54Jeffrey Wigand would be a tough hang because he'd respond to everything with 'I can't talk about that, it's my confidentiality agreement'
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:18:38Suggested the marriage may have been bad from the start, noting that Jeffrey Wigand appears to have social struggles and anger issues

Overacting Award

Chris Ryan▶ 1:20:32Al Pacino — Pacino talking about the Knicks

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 1:21:37Mike Wallace's 'We work in the same corporation doesn't mean we work in the same profession' and 'Ordinary people under extraordinary pressure' exchange
Chris Ryan▶ 1:20:36Multiple quotes including 'Fuck it. Let's go to court', 'Get on the fucking phone' exchange, 'You fucked you', and Bergman's monologue about corporate malfeasance
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:22:37'You better take a good look because I'm getting two things. Pissed off and curious' and 'Fame has a 15 minute half life. Infamy lasts a little longer'

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:24:43Bruce McGill — Not Pacino or Crowe (Crowe's is Gladiator). Bruce McGill definitely. Lindsay Crouse as a strong candidate alongside McGill.
Chris Ryan▶ 1:24:40Bruce McGill — Bruce McGill definitely. Not Christopher Plummer (Sound of Music). Calls it 'nobody's Apex Mountain' but agrees on McGill or Lindsay Crouse.
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:25:17Briefly mentions Michael Mann's achievement in getting the movie made but doesn't give a clear pick

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:29:09Al Pacino — Pacino - calls his performance in this movie so good and iconic, especially combined with Any Given Sunday in the same year

Movies Referenced (58)

Heat (1995)

23 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 2:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Proof of Life (2000)

6 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 17:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Any Given Sunday (1999)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 10:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Scarface (1983)

5 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 11:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

All the President's Men (1976)

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 22:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dick Tracy (1990)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 10:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Donnie Brasco (1997)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 10:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Forrest Gump (1994)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 1:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gladiator (2000)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 17:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Insomnia (2002)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 5:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Miami Vice (2006)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 8:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Spotlight (2015)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 31:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (8)

Michael Mann

35 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Insider, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans▶ 2:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lowell Bergman

27 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for The Insider▶ 8:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joe Roth

3 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for The Great Debaters, Maleficent▶ 6:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Luciano Pavarotti

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Man on Fire▶ 1:28:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jason Reitman

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Up in the Air, Saturday Night▶ 1:05:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Quentin Tarantino

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, From Dusk Till Dawn▶ 19:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sean Penn

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Mystic River, 21 Grams, Dead Man Walking▶ 51:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sofia Coppola

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation▶ 14:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (52)

Al Pacino

59 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Dog Day Afternoon, The Godfather▶ 3:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Christopher Plummer

24 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for The Insider▶ 7:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bruce McGill

17 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Law Abiding Citizen, National Lampoon's Animal House, My Cousin Vinny▶ 38:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Russell Crowe

14 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind▶ 4:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Don Hewitt

11 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Next Three Days▶ 24:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Val Kilmer

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Doors, The Saint, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang▶ 16:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Diane Venora

7 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Heat▶ 57:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Johnny Depp

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 10:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Philip Baker Hall

6 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Magnolia, Boogie Nights, Hard Eight▶ 10:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Cruise

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Top Gun, Minority Report▶ 50:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Daniel Sea

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 10:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gina Gershon

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Killer Joe, Bound▶ 38:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (3)

Eric Roth

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Forrest Gump, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button▶ 8:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Andy Greenwald

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 0:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Marie Brenner

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for The Insider, Richard Jewell, A Private War▶ 8:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Carlo Molinari

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 1:28:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗