I love journalism, but sometimes I lose focus.
To get me back on track, I pop in The Insider DVD and it gives me the necessary kick-in-the-pants to re-evaluate my mood. After the movie I am motivated and refocused on why I love this business.
The real-life drama featuring actors Al Pacino and Russell Crowe is based on the whistle blower case against big tobacco. Dr. Jeffrey Wigand was the central witness in the lawsuits filed by the state of Mississippi and other states that were eventually settled for $246 billion. Wigand's interview on "60 Minutes" eventually broke the case wide open.
Without the media and gutsy people like Dr. Wigand, the American people would be without a voice. Sure, lawyers did the work, but without Wigand they had no case. The movie doesn't portray the media in the best light, in real life "60 Minutes" bungled the story, but an equally gutsy producer Lowell Bergman made sure the truth came out.
(L-R: Wigand, Crowe, Pacino, Bergman)
Al Pacino portrays Bergman, and Crowe is cast as Dr. Wigand. In the movie, Bergman's tenacity is intoxicating and Wigand's portrayal of courage is beyond definition. If you haven't seen The Insider, I recommend it.
I got a chance to sit down with Dr. Wigand after a recent interview on NBC Action News Midday. He was in town as part of an Anti-Smoking campaign.
Dr. Wigand worked as a scientist for Brown & Williamson and was hired to develop a safer cigarette, but when he found out the company wanted no part of making smokes healthier, he quit. I don’t want to give away the plot of the movie, so I will stop here.
But I did get a few insights into the movie and Dr. Wigand’s life. The Q & A follows.
Q: What was the "straw that broke the camel's back" moment for you while working for big tobacco?
A: It came in 1993 when I realized tobacco companies were smuggling Brazilian grown tobacco into the US so they could get around nicotine levels here. The companies would send tobacco to Brazil to be grown and re-imported with dangerously high levels of nicotine. I couldn't face my family. My moral compass told me to quit.
Q: When did you decide to "blow the whistle?"
A: I don't call myself a "whistle blower, but a "truth-teller". When faced with threats I felt like I had to reveal the true mission of the company. With three thousand children each day becoming addicted to cigarettes, I had to go public. I am a parent and I could not tell my children Daddy works for a company that kills people.
Q. Actor Russell Crowe played you in the movie. Was his portrayal accurate? What is he like?
A. Russell visited me while researching the movie and spent and entire day with me. He arrived at my home early and said, “Just be yourself. I’ll observe”. And he did. We talked, had lunch and played golf. Crowe is a terrible golfer. I thought he did a great job in the movie. We talked several times via phone during the filming and I was invited with the cast to the Academy Awards. Crowe is just a nice, easygoing guy.
Dr. Wigand continues to fight tobacco today and lectures around the world. He has a non-profit organization called Smoke-Free Kids, Inc. For more info, go to jeffreywigand.com.