# The Informant! - color me unimpressed **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 21, 2009, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-informant-color-me-unimpressed/510947 "2009-09-21T14:34:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-informant-color-me-unimpressed/510947/21 "2009-09-24T15:13:28Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > There was an article in today’s Chicago Trib about Whiteacre’s attorney and his association with the book/film. One thing I found curious is it had 2 references to W being medicated - said at the time he was not taking his meds, and that now he is taking his meds and doing well. So at least to some extent it suggests a diagnosable and treatable pathology. The _This American Life_ episode mentions bipolar disorder. Considering that Whitacre mentions in the show that he had trouble sleeping to the point where he’d go outside and use the leafblower on his driveway, at some ungodly hour of the morning, **while it was raining** , I have no trouble believing that diagnosis. People in huge manic phases of bipolar disorder can get feelings of “grandiosity”, that they’re super-important, infalliable, destined for greatness, etc., and that also fits his own accounts of his behavior and those of the FBI agents. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-informant-color-me-unimpressed/510947/22 "2009-09-24T16:16:16Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > The _This American Life_ episode mentions bipolar disorder. Yeah, I thought of that, but they sure didn’t seem to portray any depressive episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-informant-color-me-unimpressed/510947/23 "2009-09-24T16:38:28Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Yeah, I thought of that, but they sure didn’t seem to portray any depressive episodes. He tried to commit suicide multiple times. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-informant-color-me-unimpressed/510947/24 "2009-09-24T16:58:19Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > He tried to commit suicide multiple times. not even shown or referenced in the movie from what I recall. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-informant-color-me-unimpressed/510947/25 "2009-09-24T17:09:55Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > He tried to commit suicide multiple times. Did he actually try, or did he just tell someone that he did! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-informant-color-me-unimpressed/510947/26 "2009-09-24T18:55:33Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Yeah, I thought of that, but they sure didn’t seem to portray any depressive episodes. From experience with my unmedicated bipolar father-in-law as well as what I’ve read on the subject, some people have strong mania and minor depression, or vice versa. I don’t know if that’s Whitacre’s situation - or if he’s lying about bipolar disorder. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-informant-color-me-unimpressed/510947/27 "2009-09-24T19:29:49Z")
Right, but there are also other folk who are simply one or the other. I’m regularly surprised to see files where someone is described as bipolar, when the record lacks evidence of one or the other phase. ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-informant-color-me-unimpressed/510947/28 "2009-09-24T23:31:54Z")
This movie bored the hell out of me and my wife. The marketing was definitely pointing towards comedy but it ended up not being funny at all. All of the bits that were funny in the trailer weren’t funny in the context of the movie. Dull. Dud. Typical September release. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-informant-color-me-unimpressed/510947/29 "2009-09-25T01:52:13Z")
Did they make fun of Damon’s wig in the movie? Because Marv Albert has better toups. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-informant-color-me-unimpressed/510947/30 "2009-09-25T02:23:25Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Did they make fun of Damon’s wig in the movie? Yes. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-informant-color-me-unimpressed/510947/31 "2009-09-27T04:45:30Z")
In case anyone is interested, [this site](http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/features/informant/evidenceroom.php) has links to the actual FBI video of the movie’s events. I was surprised at how accurately they portrayed some of it - including MW attempting to fix his hidden tape recorder in the middle of the meeting! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-informant-color-me-unimpressed/510947.md?page=1)