A SIMPLE PLAN (FILM)

'''A Simple Plan''' is a 1998 film starring Bill Paxton as Hank Mitchell, Billy Bob Thornton as Jacob, Brent Briscoe as Lou, and Bridget Fonda as Sarah. The plot of this low-key thriller turns on a bag of money found in a crashed airplane. It was based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Scott Smith (who also wrote the screenplay). Several prominent critics praised the film for its complexity and taut suspense (4 stars from Roger Ebert and Critic's Choice from The New York Times).
The film was filmed in Delano, Minnesota. Billy Bob Thornton was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Scott B. Smith was nominated for the Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay.

Contents

Differences between the film and the novel

Taglines

1999 Academy Award Nominations

External links

Differences between the film and the novel

The screenplay made numerous changes to the plot, particularly to events in the second half of the novel. In the movie, after Lou and Nancy are killed, Hank does not kill Sonny or shoot Jacob; rather, he constructs a domestic dispute situation involving just Nancy and Lou, with he and Jacob walking in after Lou had killed Nancy.
The film also changes Hank's reaction to finding out Baxter isn't an FBI agent. Rather than bolting, as he does in the novel, Hank stays with the plan realizing that if he leaves Baxter will kill Carl. Jacob also accompanies the crew. The result is a bloodbath, with only Hank surviving. Jacob is killed by Hank after Jacob threatens to commit suicide because he feels he can no longer live with what he's seen; Hank didn't want him to kill himself because which guns shot whom needed to align for his alibi.
Hank's killing spree at the convenience store is also excluded from the film.
Overall, the changes make the finished story less violent and Hank's character more compassionate. Hank is also depicted protecting Carl in the film, whereas in the novel he leaves Carl for dead. Much of the dialogue and themes, however, are carefully maintained in both media.

Taglines

★ ''With four million dollars comes plenty of change.''

★ ''Sometimes, good people do evil things.''

★ ''Nobody was looking for the money. To keep it, all they had to do was wait. IT ALL SOUNDED SO EASY...''

★ ''If you can't afford the American Dream...stealing it is even better.''

1999 Academy Award Nominations

★ Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Billy Bob Thornton

★ Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium, Scott B. Smith

External links

★

★ Roger Ebert's Review

★ New York Times review