The Informant! (2009)

About The Informant!

The Informant!, directed by Steven Soderbergh and released in 2009, is an intriguing and true story revolving around the life of Mark Whitacre, an executive at Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), a bioprocessing firm. After Mark becomes involved in a price-fixing scandal, he turns into an informant for the FBI, leading to a series of unexpected revelations and consequences.

Making / Production

The Informant! is based on a true story and is adapted from a 2000 nonfiction book of the same name by journalist Kurt Eichenwald. The film was produced by Warner Bros., Section Eight, Groundswell Productions, and Participant Media, and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Steven Soderbergh.

Actors

• Matt Damon plays Mark Whitacre, the original whistleblower for the scandal. His performance portrays a blend of naivety, ambition, and instability that greatly enhances the chief character's complexity.
• Scott Bakula portrays Special Agent Brian Shepard, one of the FBI agents handling Whitacre. He provides a grounded, pragmatic counterpoint to Whitacre's unpredictable nature.
• Joel McHale is seen as FBI Special Agent Bob Herndon, the other half of the FBI team tracking the scandal, who struggles to make sense of Whitacre's contradictory behaviors.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• Most of the internal corporate scenes were actually shot in Decatur, Illinois, where ADM is headquartered.
• The cornfield scene at the beginning of the movie was shot at the edge of a housing development, not in the middle of a field as it appears in the film.
• Matt Damon wore a prosthetic nose and was 30 pounds heavier for his role in the film to more closely resemble Mark Whitacre.

Awards

The film was well-received in several quarters and granted Matt Damon a nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy at the 67th Golden Globe Awards.

Quotes

• "When they put me in jail – jail's gonna be lucky to have me." - Mark Whitacre
• "You know why Polaroid pictures are so in demand? You take the picture and see what you got right away." - Mark Whitacre
• "I cannot keep doing this. I am not 007." - Mark Whitacre

Music, Soundtrack

• The music for The Informant! was composed by Marvin Hamlisch, whose lively and retro-flavored score significantly contributes to the film's unique atmospheric tone.
• The soundtrack contains tracks such as "The Informant", "Polygraph", "Car Meeting", and "Trifecta of Mischief" that perfectly accompany the film's blend of drama and dark humor.