History Film / ASimplePlan

* {{Expy}}: Gary Cole as Agent Baxter is [[Series/AmericanGothic Lucas Buck]] in a different branch of law enforcement.

* CainAndAbel : [[spoiler: Hanks kills Jacob after they discuss it as [[ShootTheDog something necessary]]]].

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler: Hank kills Jacob because the latter doesn't want to live with the guilt of his and his brother's crimes. Dually, Hank learns from real FBI agents that the money from the plane is marked, meaning he can't use any of it without the FBI learning he stole it; subsequently, Hank burns the money - much to his wife's chagrin. Ultimately, taking the money cost him the life of his brother, caused the deaths of five other people, and cursed him with the guilt of sins to which he can't confess without jeapordizing the future of his wife and daughter.]]

* TooDumbToLive: [[spoiler: Sheriff Carl Jenkins assumes that Neil Baxter is an FBI agent without asking to see his badge. This is [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] [[PlayedForLaughs comically]] as Hank searches for ammunition to the sheriff's gun amongst his disorganized desk.

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler: Hank has to kill his own brother (Jacob) because he can't live with the guilt and wants to die. Add to the fact Hank finds out in the end from real FBI agents that the money from the plane is marked, which mean he can't use any of the money without the FBI finding out about him having it. Hank burns the money much to his wife's chagrin and carry's out with his average life only now he has to live with the guilt of all of the terrible things he has done. Essentially finding that money was all for nothing and he is worse off for having found it.]]

* TooDumbToLive: [[spoiler: Sheriff Carl Jenkins blindly assuming that Neil Baxter was a FBI agent without truly checking it out really falls under this trope. Especially when Hank and his wife could instantly tell that something was off about Baxter. Go figure Carl gets killed by Baxter at the end even as Hank was trying to tell him that Baxter is really not a agent.]]

** Telling Hank that their Father's death was really a suicide.
** When Hank ask about a girl that went out with Jacob in high school and what had happen, Jacob reveals that it had just been a cruel bet to see if the girl could actually date him for a month.

* TooDumbToLive: [[spoiler: Sheriff Carl Jenkins blindly assuming that Neil Baxter was a FBI agent without truly checking it out really falls under this trope. Especially when Hank and his wife could instantly tell that something was off about Baxter. Go figure Carl gets killed by Baxter in the end even as Hank tries to tell him that Baxter is really not a agent.]]

%%* DownerEnding

''A Simple Plan'' is a 1998 Neo-Noir thriller film directed by Creator/SamRaimi starring Creator/BillPaxton, Creator/BillyBobThornton, and Bridget Fonda. It is based on the novel of the same name by Scott Smith, who also wrote the screenplay.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/A_Simple_Plan_916.jpg]]


''A Simple Plan'' is a 1998 film directed by Creator/SamRaimi starring Creator/BillPaxton, Creator/BillyBobThornton, and Bridget Fonda. It is based on the novel of the same name by Scott Smith, who also wrote the screenplay of the film,

''A Simple Plan'' is a 1998 film directed by Creator/SamRaimi starring Bill Paxton, Creator/BillyBobThornton, and Bridget Fonda. It is based on the novel of the same name by Scott Smith, who also wrote the screenplay of the film,

* [[spoiler: CainAndAbel : Hanks kills Jacob after they discuss it as [[ShootTheDog something necessary]]]].

* [[spoiler: DownerEnding]]

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* {{Expy}}: Gary Cole as Agent Baxter is pretty much [[Series/AmericanGothic Lucas Buck]] in a different branch of law enforcement.

[[quoteright:280:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/A_Simple_Plan_916.jpg]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/A_Simple_Plan_916.jpg]]

''A Simple Plan'' is a 1998 film directed by Creator/SamRaimi starring Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, and Bridget Fonda. It is based on the novel of the same name by Scott Smith, who also wrote the screenplay of the film,

* [[spoiler: DownerEnding]]* DownOnTheFarm: Hank lives on rural Minnesota and is one of the few college graduates of his town. Jacob wants to buy a farm with his share, but Hank thinks he is being ridiculous as neither of them know anything about farming.

* [[spoiler: CainAndAbel : Hanks kills Jacob after they discuss it as [[ShootTheDog something necesary]]]].

* [[spoiler: DownerEnding]]
* DownOnTheFarm: Hank lives on rural Minnesota and is one of the few college graduates of his town. Jacob wants to buy a farm with his share, but Hank thinks he is being ridiculous as neither of them know anything about farming.

* IdiotPlot: Everyone seems to do the stupidest thing possible at every turn.

* BlackComedy

* ShaggyDogStory: [[spoiler: The money is marked and has to be burnt]].

Hank Mitchell (Paxton) and his pregnant wife, Sarah (Fonda), live in rural Minnesota. Hank, one of the town's few college graduates, works in a feed mill, while his wife is a librarian. Hank's brother, Jacob (Thornton), is a dim-witted but good-hearted fellow. The story begins with Hank, Jacob, and Jacob's friend, Lou (Briscoe), chasing a fox into the woods, where they find a crashed airplane. The pilot is dead and the only cargo is a bag full of unmarked bills totaling $4.4 million.

''A Simple Plan'' is a 1999 film directed by Creator/SamRaimi starring Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, and Bridget Fonda. It is based on the novel of the same name by Scott Smith, who also wrote the screenplay of the film,

''A Simple Plan'' is a 1999 film directed by Creator/SamRaimi, based on the novel of the same name by Scott Smith, who also wrote the screenplay of the film, starring Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton and Bridget Fonda.

NeedsWikiMagicLove

* [[spoiler: CainAndAbel : Hanks kills Jacob after discussing it as [[ShootTheDog neccesary]]]].
* CassandraTruth: [[spoiler: Hank confesses, but as Sarah predicts, he's not believed because he's an upstanding member of the community]].

* FBIAgent: Agents Baxter shows up when the local sheriff seeks out help from the Bureau. Hank is debriefed by Renkins and Freemont later.

* GoldFever: Two brothers find a downed airplane with a dead pilot and 4.4 million dollars. They attempt to keep the feds from finding the money.

* HeKnowsTooMuch: The old man on the snowmobile who untimely comes across to the protagonists.

* SnowMeansDeath: Among several other things. Most of the deaths occur outdoors in snowy landscapes.

''A Simple Plan'' is a 1999 film directed by Creator/SamRaimi, based on the novel of the same name by Scott Smith, who also wrote the screenplay of the film, starring Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, Bridget Fonda.

* FBIAgent: Agents Renkins and Freemont show up when the local sheriff seeks out help from the Bureau.

''A Simple Plan'' is a 1999 film directed by Creator/SamRaimi, based on the novel of the same name by Scott Smith, who also wrote the screenplay of the film. Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, Bridget Fonda.

* [[spoiler: CainAndAbel : Hanks kills Jacob after discussing it as [[ShootTheDog neccesary]]]]

* LadyMacBeth: Sarah plays this role for Hank

* PlotTriggeringDeath: The dead pilot who is carrying the 4.4 million dollars.
* ShaggyDogStory: [[spoiler: The money is marked and has to be burnt]]

* ThickerThanWater: Hank is very protective of Jacob. [[spoiler: But it's ultimately subverted]]

* PlotTriggeringDeath: The dead pilot

* TheFilmOfTheBook: