A Simple Plan (1998)

Director:

Sam Raimi

Writers (WGA):

Scott B. Smith (novel)
Scott B. Smith (screenplay)

Release Date:

11 December 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Sometimes good people do evil things.

Plot:

Two brothers and a friend find $4 million in the cockpit of a downed plane. The pilot is dead. No one is looking for the money. To keep it, all they have to do is wait. IT ALL SOUNDED SO SIMPLE...

Plot Keywords:

Money | Brother | Cash | Bag | Stolen Money

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 12 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

Bill Paxton	...	Hank
Bridget Fonda	...	Sarah
Billy Bob Thornton	...	Jacob
Brent Briscoe	...	Lou
Jack Walsh	...	Tom Butler
Chelcie Ross	...	Carl
Becky Ann Baker	...	Nancy Chambers
Gary Cole	...	Baxter
Bob Davis	...	FBI Agent Renkins
Peter Syvertsen	...	FBI Agent Freemont
Tom Carey	...	Dwight Stephanson
John Paxton	...	Mr. Schmitt
Marie Mathay	...	News Reporter
Paul Magers	...	Anchorman
Joan Steffand	...	Anchorwoman

Also Known As:

A Thousand Miles (USA) (working title)
Ein einfacher Plan (Germany)
Un plan simple (France)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

121 min

Country:

France | UK | Germany | USA | Japan

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Peru:14 | South Korea:18 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Belgium:KNT | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:16 (w) | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:M | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #36288)

Filming Locations:

Ashland, Wisconsin, USA

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

The bar scenes were shot in Delano Minnesota. The bar used in the scenes was an old bar that was changed into a private residence in combination with the apartment above. The only real bar in town did not meet filming needs so the crew used the private residence and fixed up the interior to meet the look they were going for.

Goofs:

Continuity: Damage to front of pickup truck after hitting tree.

Quotes:

Jacob Mitchell: We don't have anything in common, me and him, except maybe our last name.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 56th Annual Golden Globe Awards (1999) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Auld Lang Syne

When Simple Becomes Complex

Three guys stumble onto the wreckage of a small plane that happens to contain a stash of cash. What's "interesting" here is the men's decision-making process, as unforeseen events intervene in their "plan". As their greed overwhelms the men's ethics and common sense, their collective predicament just gets worse, and what seemed so simple at first becomes more and more complex. The plot does contain some unexpected twists and turns. But the overall story is made possible only because the men are so stupid.

Actually, I could not identify with any of them. The Jacob character is totally not consistent from one moment to the next. You get the feeling that his inconsistencies are included as a contrivance to keep the plot moving. Billy Bob's performance renders Jacob annoying and grating after about ten minutes. Bill Paxton seems to be on auto-pilot through most of the film. And the transformation of Bridget Fonda's character is not the least bit believable.

The film's cinematography is competent but conventional. Production design seems low budget to me, but maybe it's because the story takes place in a rural setting.

"A Simple Plan" renders greed a lot less glamorous than society makes it out to be. Perhaps that's the film's saving grace. But the characters are all so simple-minded, so dim-witted, and their decision-making skills so moronic, the story is just not very credible.