A SIMPLE PLAN
US, 1998, 121 minutes, Colour.
Bill Paxton, Bridget Fonda, Billy Bob Thornton, Brent Briscoe, Chelcie Ross, Becky Ann Baker, Gary Cole.
Directed by Sam Raimi.
A Simple Plan is an ironic title for a story of three men who chance upon a treasure and think that they know an easy way to keep it. Almost immediately the unforeseen occurs. The simple plan becomes a desperate attempt at survival.
The film was one of the most critically acclaimed movies of 1998. The versatile writer and actor (Sling Blade) Billy Bob Thornton received an Oscar nomination for his performance as the slow-witted Jacob who gradually develops a conscience as the simple plan goes awry. Bill Paxton has one of his best roles as the decent man who makes one evil decision and opens up his own way to perdition. Bridget Fonda as his wife is something of a Lady Macbeth avariciously urging her husband on to further evil.
For movie buffs, the surprise is the director, Sam Raimi. He is best known for his horror movies, The Evil Dead series, and for his thriller, Darkman, and his western, The Quick and the Dead). This is an austere and wintry movie, without the fancy flair of his thrillers. It derives its power from its atmosphere, Danny Elfman's moody score, its performances and the insight into character.
Perhaps even more extraordinary is that Raimi's next movie was the sentimental baseball portrait, For Love of the Game, with Kevin Costner. He then returned to more eerie drama with The Gift.
1.The impact of the film? Critical acclaim? A crime film, a psychological drama, thriller?
2.Sam Raimey and his films, the background of horror, dramas, his later comic strip films?
3.The title and its irony, a simple plan as a story, as a fable? The moral perspective?
4.Hank and his voice-over, his comment on the action, his assessment of himself and the others?
5.The Minnesota settings, winter, bleak, the snow, the forest? The town, the workplaces, the homes? An atmosphere of realism? The atmospheric score?
6.Hank at work, his relationship with Sarah, her pregnancy? His relationship with Jacob, his brother, the memories of their father, the farm? Jacob’s friendship with Lou? Their being unemployed – and perhaps unemployable? Their reputations?
7.The drive, the chatter in the car, the fox and the chicken, the crows on the bare branches? Their joking, issues of education, Hank’s vocabulary? The snow, hitting the plane, the discovery? The bag with the money, the dead pilot? The police passing by, Jacob talking about the plane, Hank improvising?
8.The discussions about the money, the morality issues, the American dream? The American dream to be earned rather than stolen? The speculation about drug money? Hank and his stances, the counting of the money, his keeping the money? The details of the plan to keep the money hidden, quiet? The possibilities with the money? Hank and his discussions with Sarah, her cooking the meal and seeming calm, yet her mind ticking over and thinking about the repercussions?
9.Sarah, the idea of putting some of the money back in the plane and keeping the rest? Hank and Jacob and their return? Jacob and his fight with the farmer, the discussion about the fox? Jacob and his violence, killing the man? Hank discovering he was still alive, smothering him? The body, throwing it off the bridge? The information on the TV news – and the celebration of New Year’s Day? Lou and his being informed by Jacob, coming to Hank, trying to blackmail him with his information to get money, Hank giving him forty dollars? Sarah and her idea of taping Lou confessing?
10.Lou and his demands, the pressure from Nancy? The plan to trick Lou, getting him to drink, going to his home, talking with him, Lou and his joke, pretending that he had killed the farmer? Hank taping it? His getting the gun, the threats, Jacob shooting him? Nancy and the angry confrontation, Hank shooting her? Getting the stories right, the interrogation by Carl? The questions, Jacob’s version, Hank improvising again?
11.Sarah and the birth of the baby? Jacob’s gift? Sarah’s demands, her finding the article, the truth about the agent? Her speech about the need for money, her materialistic approach to life? Hank going to the plane, her phone call, trying to get him to come back?
12.Hank and Jacob as brothers, their stories about their father, Jacob talking about their father killing himself? The farm, the inheritance? Hank using this as a motivation for Jacob to trick Lou into coming to make the confession? Jacob and his talk about relationships, a girl, hopes for the future? Joining in the search for the plane, the deaths? His final plea to Hank, the end of his life, wanting him to be shot?
13.The agent, his arrival, his pretence? With Carl, Hank asking about the badge? Carl and his jokes about Hank’s enthusiasm for police matters? The search, the agent and the face-off with Hank, his acknowledging the truth? The confrontation with Carl, Hank trying to warn him, his death? Hank shooting the agent?
14.The pathos of the aftermath, Hank and Jacob, the brothers, Hank’s grief in killing his brother?
15.Hank, going home, Sarah? The dominance of Sarah over Hank, his finally burning the money – free from the situation, free from Sarah’s dominance?
16.The moral issues of the film, in an American context? The theme of gaining the whole world and losing one’s soul?
