Rating: 
Summary: GRIPPING ¿ ¿ ¿ UNTIL THE FINALE
Review: I jumped into this movie cold, not knowing anything beforehand about it other than Billy Bob Thornton is in it .... and he's been growing on me as an actor (writer and director). I last saw him in PUSHING TIN in which he was good (but not great) as an offbeat air traffic controller, playing opposite John Cusack. It was a fun, entertaining movie, but not memorable.Three rural guys discover a snow covered single engine airplane that crashed without anyone knowing about it. There's a decomposing pilot and duffle bag containing millions of dollars in the crashed plane. The trio argues about what to do with the money, and decide to hide it and see if after some time they will be able to divide it up later, or turn it in, or burn it to get rid of the evidence of their possible wrong doing. They're not really sure what to do. A SIMPLE PLAN in many ways reminded me of FARGO: northern blinding snows of Minnesota and North Dakota, nearly casual murders in the snow, the complications of money and greed among rural folks who stumble they way through a growing series of unintended crimes as the hapless hunters become the hunted. Jacob (Billy Bob Thornton) is the stereotypical down and out hayseed who seems almost mentally retarded, at first. Bill Paxton, playing Jacob's younger brother Hank seems incongruous: he is a college educated family man living a lower middle class life as an accountant/manager for the local feed store. Tension is kept going by Jacob's friend and alter ego Lou (Brent Briscoe). Jacob and Lou mainly vegetate through life, both broke and living off their families. As the central plot becomes more and more complicated and dangerous for everyone, a life-and-death competition ensues for loyalty and trust among Lou, Jacob and Hank. Hank's young wife (Briget Fonda) is adequate as the little woman with a fragile morality that disintegrates when lots of ill gotten money comes within her grasp. Billy Bob Thornton was absolutely incredible. Thornton's dysfunctional rural guy traumatized by life and now having to cope with a waterfall of complications and dilemmas involving his brother and best friend is stunning. His character Jacob very much reminded me of Lennie in OF MICE AND MEN; and indeed so to some small extent did Jacob's relationship with his brother Hank. After it was all over and I could stop cowering in my chair, I wondered: had Alfred Hitchcock begun making movies only ten years ago couldn't A SIMPLE PLAN have been made by him? Spellbinding!
Rating:
Summary: very good
Review: The year of 1998 brought us only three good movies: Saving Private Ryan, American History X, and A simple Plan. A simple plan is a great movie about what money can do to people. This is highly recomended for movie lovers.
Rating: 
Summary: An interesting movie that deals with people emotions!
Review: Three men discover a lot of money in a plane in the woods. They promise to spilt the money in the spring when the plane is found. This movie deals with the emotions of people and money!The people in this movie has to make decisions that will affect their lives forever! If you like a movie not loaded with special effects, or tire of the mainstream eye candy movies fom Hollywood watch this movie! This movie should be considerd a suspense,action and thriller movie ! If you like Bill Paxton(U-571),Bridget Fonda(Lake Placid) and Billy Bob Thorton(Armeggedon,Sling Blade) you might enjoy this movie! also co-starring is Gary Cole(In The Line of Fire,The Brady Bunch Movie,A Very Brady Sequel) in tense thriller from director Sam Rami(For the Love of the Game)! But rent this movie first to see if you like it!
Rating:
Summary: Stephen King couldn't be wrong!
Review: The master of Writing with a capital W already said about this movie that's it's not one to be missed. And he's correct as ever; twists in the story, characters changing from greedy to deadly. There are some similarities with Stephen's books (it has got the atmosphere of Misery), and also the fast moving and thrilling scenes like in Shallow Grave can be awaited. In brief: money, finders keepers, finders weepers...
Rating: 
Summary: Go see SHALLOW GRAVE instead!
Review: I went to see this film with great expexctations, after all the premise of the film is fantastic and the cast (Thornton, Paxton & Fonda) are usually dependable.But i wish i didn't - the film is exceptionally boring and all of the characters are unlikeable - there is no one to empathise with (not even Billy Bob Thornton , who is the best actor in the piece) - i didn't care if they all died. Hopefully Raimi will improve for SpiderMan! Watch Shallow Grave instead which has a similar plot but is far more stylish, clever and with much better acting.
Rating:
Summary: Trust Leonard Maltin on this one
Review: Unbelievable characters in an unbelievable situation act in unbelievable ways. By the middle of the movie, I really wanted them all to die. Go watch Sling Blade or Fargo. There is a reason Fargo is on the AFI list.
Rating:
Summary: Billy Bob, Why?
Review: The only way I can understand why Billy Bob Thornton wasted his time in this piece of schlock is that he didn't read the script first, or they paid him beaucoup bucks. I have never seen a film I believed less - the "lure of wealth" can not "tear at kinship and friendship" since there isn't any to begin with. I really wanted to like this film, but these characters were so unbelievably stupid and fake that I couldn't care for any of them. If you want moral dilemma, with a much better dose of Billy Bob (who is completely wasted in this mess of a film) go get "Sling Blade."
Rating: 
Summary: Can't Ever Compare a Movie with the Book!
Review: Generally I wouldn't have never seen this movie as I didn't know who the Director was or certainly would never had seen the movies he did. I was compelled to see the movie via suggestion and chose to read the book first! The movie was good, however, you can never grasp the desperation of the characters, and how evil Hank did become. Too many changes occurred. In the end, Hank was made to look caring & loving toward his brother, but in the book, what he did to his brother was true evil, to save his own soul. A minor blooper: The BOOK said old man was done in with scarf, MOVIE doesn't show that, MOVIE confession mentions scarf. Bridget Fonda was just there, Billy Bob was convincing, and the character of Lou was what I had pictured. Paxton did good job. If you are only into the "movies", it was good, if you read the book, it was better!
Rating:
Summary: Is this Sam Raimi?
Review: My God. Sam Raimi did some bizzare stuff in the 80s that I loved: Evil Dead and it's sequel, the pesudo-sequel Army of Darkness in the early 90s. Then there's this. Grown men cry through movies like this. Brilliance, sheer brilliance. The film cuts you like swallowing a straight razor it's so excellent. Now, this isn't a Fargo rip-off like some think. In fact, I think this is far, far better that Fargo but that's me. And I'm usually right...
Rating:
Summary: The ending makes the entire flick worthwhile!
Review: A Simple Plan was a decent story about what would probably happen between friends who were to find that kind of cash. A real dilema. Bridget Fonda was not that impressive in this film but Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton were incredible. Even though this movie feels a bit long at times, the ending makes you so glad you kept the tape rolling. The ending is both incredible and gut wrenching. A must see.
| 
