A Simple Plan is a 1998 neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Sam Raimi and written by Scott B. Smith, based on Smith's 1993 novel. The film stars Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, and Bridget Fonda. Set in rural Minnesota, the story follows brothers Hank (Paxton) and Jacob Mitchell (Thornton), who, along with Jacob's friend Lou (Brent Briscoe), discover a crashed plane containing $4.4 million in cash. The three men and Hank's wife Sarah (Fonda) go to great lengths to keep the money a secret but begin to doubt each other's trust, resulting in lies, deceit, and murder.

Plot

Hank is an accountant at a feed mill in Wright County, Minnesota with a pregnant wife, Sarah. After visiting their parents graves on New Year's Eve, Hank, his simpleminded brother Jacob, and Jacob's friend Lou Chambers stumble upon a crashed airplane in the woods. Inside is a dead man and a bag containing $4.4 million in $100 bills. Lou and Jacob persuade Hank not to turn the money in, so he proposes keeping the money at his house until the snow melts and the plane is found. If the missing money goes unnoticed, they will split it between them and leave town. Seeing their truck on the side of the road, Sheriff Carl Jenkins stops by to help, and Jacob blurts out a mention of the plane. When Carl leaves, the three men make a pact to keep the secret, but Hank later tells Sarah.

Awards