"The Insider"

I've just watched the movie "The Insider" for the first time, this morning. So many thoughts and emotions have been crowding my mind, that I'm not sure I can compose them succinctly ... but I'm going to try.

First of all, I was particularly interested in seeing this film due to the fact that it's based upon historical events, and that it's regarding ordinary people who perform extraordinary actions, under immense pressure, in the interest of their fellow human beings ~ us. How many people these days will make such sacrifices? When has more than a minority of the human race ever done so?

Secondly, hearing that it was regarding the tobacco industry, I was interested for two reasons ~ 1) I've been an occasional smoker for years, and 2) our family has old friends in the tobacco industry (my sister was even once engaged to be married to the son of an RJR executive, before he died in a tragic automobile accident), and our family used to grow tobacco on our family farm in NC, before it completely converted into a horse breeding farm (due to my brother's tobacco allergy).

This tale moved me to tears and beyond, on many fronts.

How many of us humans, no matter our station in life, would knowingly and willingly put our lives on the line, and those of our family members, in every way possible, for the good of others? Especially for millions we will never know? And especially if there are no guarantees that our sacrifices will ever see the light of day (except with those affected ~ us, individually, and our families)? Not many, apparently. It's easy to judge Mrs. Wigand, since most of us will never experience what this family experienced. I found myself doing so, however. I don't believe this is something I could have done (I have a deep desire for honour and justice). This is something on which I will need to 'work,' within myself, however ~ the tendency to so quickly judge others. I mean, the only person who's ever tried to kill me was my mother, before I was born. I don't know what it's like to have someone actively threatening to kill myself and/or my family. Objectively, I don't believe that we can sit in judgement upon Mrs. Wigand for her decisions regarding her family's safety and sanity. I do, however, sincerely hope that Dr. Wigand's children will forever stand firmly and with great esteem by their father's side, for his honourable actions.

I also find myself in a quandary regarding our family friends: how can one feel close to, or even respectful of, anyone who engages in such despicable and blatant destruction of one's fellow man? It's hard to imagine that anyone in such a business is ignorant of the fact that they're living off of the business of death, when the general public is so aware. And even more so, when these same companies who don't mind killing others with their products in order to feed their own greed, will also treat other human beings so violently, when they attempt to expose them? How can one sleep at night, when one knows that the very pillow upon which they rest was funded by someone else's life (in more ways than one)?

And what does that say about people who purchase these instruments/vehicles of death (in more ways than one)?

I thank God that I never have been truly addicted to such a thing ... that somehow my freakish body (one with high tolerance to substances, that is normally a problem) has withstood the carcinogens found in these death traps, and I've only submitted to them occasionally. After seeing this tale of death (in more ways than one), diabolical greed, and violence, how can I ever contribute one more cent of my money to such death mongers?

God bless Dr. Jeffrey Wigand, his family, Mr. Lowell Bergman and his family, everyone who was a part of bringing this information to light, and the actors and filmmakers who brought the story to the screen as a compact tale.

The performances by Al Pacino and Russell Crowe were so riveting that these men were lost in the characters they portrayed (which is the point, no?). The doggedness of Lowell Bergman's character was strongly portrayed by Al Pacino, and the range of depth and torn emotions within Dr. Wigand's character were remarkably portrayed by Russell Crowe (but then, that is what we've come to expect from this uniquely gifted and terribly hard-working performer, yes?). Highly recommended.