A Simple Plan

On a stretch of rural land, two brothers, Jacob and Hank Mitchell, stumble onto four million dollars after a small plane crashes nearby. The find shakes up their lives and tempts them to keep the cash rather than report it to authorities. They hatch a plan to conceal the money and avoid detection, convinced they can share it responsibly later. What begins as a practical option slowly corrodes trust as fear, guilt, and stubborn pride distort judgment. The brothers recruit their wife Sarah Mitchell and wary neighbors, and every choice to protect the money tightens the net of lies. The situation grows more dangerous as paranoia shadows the local world and threatens everything they hold dear and their futures.

Directed by Sam Raimi, A Simple Plan adapts Scott B Smith's novel for the screen. Released in 1998, the production pairs a restrained mood with a polished look, anchored by Billy Bob Thornton, Bill Paxton, and Bridget Fonda.

The film earned recognition in awards circuits, including a nomination at the Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay for Scott B Smith. Critics praised its cold mood, precise dialogue, and the way the story tightens as moral lines blur. The project is noted for avoiding genre clichés.

Even though it never became a blockbuster, the film's coolly clinical take on greed has left a mark on crime thrillers that favor character study over explosions. It is cited in discussions of adaptational restraint and is often used to illustrate how ordinary lives can fracture under pressure long after release.

Critics highlighted the performances, particularly Thornton and Paxton, and noted Raimi's shift toward restrained storytelling. The themes center on how a simple temptation exposes loyalty, trust, and the fragile ties that hold a family and a community together. The film rewards patience with a quiet, unsettling effect. It remains a reference point.