A Simple Plan (1998)
84%RT Audience Score: 81%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 2 Oscars
16 wins & 24 nominations total
A riveting crime thriller full of emotional tension
A Simple Plan is like a game of Jenga, but instead of pulling out blocks, you’re pulling out morality. It’s a slow burn that will make you question what you would do in the same situation. Plus, it’s got Billy Bob Thornton in a mullet, so what more could you want?
Production Company(ies)
Claudie Ossard Productions, Union Générale Cinématographique Victoires Productions,
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Delano, Minnesota, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for violence and language
Year of Release
1999
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:DTS Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:2h 1m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Sep 12, 1998 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 22, 1999
Genre(s)
Drama/Crime
Keyword(s)
starring Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, Brent Briscoe, Bridget Fonda, Jack Walsh, Chelcie Ross, directed by Sam Raimi, written by Scott B Smith, drama, crime, mystery, thriller, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Owen Gleiberman, Glenn Lovell, Geoff Andrew, Jack Mathews, Andrew Collins, Janet Maslin, Jack Hawkins, David Nusair, Federico Furzan, Malcolm Johnson, Sean Axmaker, Bill Gibron, R rating, crashed plane, dead pilot, four million dollars, split fortune, greed, emotional tension, dishonor among thieves, American dream, suspenseful, strong script, human characters, forgotten gem, small town mentality, corrupting influence of money, self-destruction, pointless, taut thriller, fabulous dramatic tension, interactions between characters
Worldwide gross: $16,316,273
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $29,288,165
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,555
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 3,193,911
US/Canada gross: $16,316,273
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $29,288,165
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,283
US/Canada opening weekend: $390,563
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $701,071
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,323
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $30,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $53,850,836
Production budget ranking: 740
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $28,998,675
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$53,561,347
ROI to date (est.): -65%
ROI ranking: 1,775
Billy Bob Thornton – Jacob Mitchell
Brent Briscoe – Lou Chambers
Bridget Fonda – Sarah Mitchell
Jack Walsh – Tom Butler
Chelcie Ross – Sheriff Carl Jenkins
Director – Sam Raimi
Producer – Adam Schroeder
Writer – Scott B. Smith
Director(s)
Sam Raimi
Writer(s)
Scott B. Smith
Producer(s)
Adam Schroeder
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 2 Oscars
16 wins & 24 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (73) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (66) | Rotten (7)
A Simple Plan is lean, elegant, and emotionally complex – a marvel of backwoods classicism.
September 7, 2011 | Rating: A
Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
Perfect capers gone horribly, inexorably awry have always kept audiences squirming. But just when we think we’ve seen it all, Raimi offers a few new wrinkles.
July 22, 2008
Glenn Lovell
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Raimi takes the old story about dishonour among thieves and renders it fresh through the calm, cool, steady assurance of the telling.
June 24, 2006
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
February 14, 2001 | Rating: 4/5
Jack Mathews
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
A very special and uncompromising piece of work. Wrap up warm.
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 4/5
Andrew Collins
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 4.5/5
Janet Maslin
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
It’s a bona fide thriller that will cause your teeth to grind, your toes to curl, and your brain to consider, “What would I do?”
January 13, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
Jack Hawkins
HeyUGuys
…a slow-moving yet mostly compelling drama that benefits substantially from its stellar performances…
November 25, 2020 | Rating: 3/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
A fantastic noir thriller that stays humble in its premise, which doesn’t mean it’s not shocking in every twist and turn. [Full review in Spanish].
June 23, 2020 | Rating: 4/4
Federico Furzan
Cinelipsis
Both heartbreaking and chilling, this film explores ancient themes in a contemporary, painfully familiar way.
June 8, 2018
Malcolm Johnson
Hartford Courant
Sam Raimi, best known for wowing audiences with stylistic gymnastics and manic mayhem, directs this quietly desperate thriller with chilly restraint…
March 30, 2017
Sean Axmaker
Seanax.com
powerful, if pedestrian
July 13, 2009 | Rating: 3/5
Bill Gibron
Filmcritic.com…
Plot
Three diverse characters, for the most part intellectually challenged, find a deserted plane with a bag full of millions of dollars inside. They devise a simple plan to keep the money if no-one claims it. Ofcourse, nothing turns out simple…
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Nothing to add here about A Simple Plan.
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