An insider story is one in which the protagonist gains access to a group or society that they previously lacked and uses this privilege to do good, or expose wrongdoing. This type of protagonist can be the hero of a successful novel or film, but they may also be the villain, depending on how much their world – or a portion thereof – is defined by evil and corruption.
An example of an insider story is the 1999 film The Insider, starring Russell Crowe and Al Pacino. The film is a dramatization of the 1996 Vanity Fair article by Marie Brenner about whistleblower Jeffrey Wigand and his efforts to reveal that tobacco companies knew nicotine was addictive and that smoking caused health problems. The film follows Wigand and CBS producer Lowell Bergman as they risk family safety, legal action, their careers in television and the credibility of 60 Minutes to bring this information to light.
The film’s ability to make a story about corporate morality, muckraking and news gathering so chest-convulsively taut is a testament to the skill of the performers, director Michael Mann and the restrained, mature writing. It is a model for how to create drama when your protagonist’s internal struggles are more compelling than (or at least exist alongside) the external ones surrounding them.
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