History Film / ASimplePlan

** As Hank and Jacob get Leo incredibly drunk, they both ridicule him and reveal just how much the two of them have always hated his behavior and intelligence. Hank is equally hurt as he is angered by this revelation.

* BaitAndSwitch: When Hank is interrogated by Sheriff Jenkins, the sheriff asks Hank to clarify one point. When Hank lies, Jenkins takes off his glasses and looks upset, implying that Hank has just unwittingly implicated himself. Shortly thereafter, Jenkins shows up at Hank's door looking upset and says, "I hate to do this to you, Hank..." implying that he's there to arrest Hank. But then it's revealed that [[spoiler:Jenkins is just there to drop of Jacob, who is too drunk to drive home]].

* ShootTheShaggyDogStory: [[spoiler:The money is traceable has to be burnt. This whole time, the money was never usable]].

* BlownAcrossTheRoom: [[spoiler:Nancy]] gets blown against the kitchen sink window when shot with a shotgun.

* GoldFever: Two brothers find a downed airplane with a dead pilot and 4.4 million dollars and attempt to keep the feds from finding the money. Greed and crime ensue.
* {{Greed}}: Pretty much every main character's FatalFlaw in this movie. The main characters could have avoided a hell of a lot of trouble and misery had they just been honest about finding the plane crash and turned their back on the money.

* ToxicFriendInfluence: Sarah continues to encourage Hank to continue to do awful things to keep the money. [[spoiler: Every idea she throws ends up leading to people dying as Hank points out.]]

* TheAlcoholic: Lou, the drunken friend who kickstarts the conflict.

* BothSidesHaveAPoint: Sarah wants Hank to take the money because she's tired of living poor and unable to afford what they would consider luxuries that are considered trivial matters to middle-class and above people. Hank, of course, is reluctant about doing it because one, he didn't get this money honestly, and two, he doesn't want to get caught by the feds. [[spoiler:In the end, Hank is right about the feds going after them if they did use the money.]]

* DirtyCop: It turns out [[spoiler:the alleged FBI Agent Baxter]] is after the money too.

* 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, destroyed his marriage, caused the deaths of five other people, and cursed him with the guilt of sins to which he can't confess without jeopardizing the future of his wife and daughter, and left him with absolutely nothing to show for it.]]

** Hank cheerfully states how much he loves his life. Sarah, however, later reveals in a bid to [[BreakThemByTalking stop Hank from destroying the money,]] reveals that she actually is infuriated by her life and wants a better one that the money can bring them.

%%* LadyMacBeth: Sarah plays this role for Hank.

%%* PlethoraOfMistakes
* PlotTriggeringDeath: The dead pilot who was carrying the 4.4 million dollars.

* ShootTheShaggyDogStory: [[spoiler:The money is marked and has to be burnt.]]
* ASimplePlan: Played straight: what starts as a plan to split up a huge sack of money found in the woods ends up leaving a trail of bodies, including [[spoiler:two of the three guys who found the money, and at the end of it all, the money is marked anyway, and has to be burnt]].

* WhatYouAreInTheDark: Sarah pointedly states to Hank at one point, that no one will believe that he was capable of the things he has done.

* 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 jeopardizing the future of his wife and daughter, and left him with absolutely nothing to show for it.]]

'''Hank:''' No, just me. ''[BoomHeadshot]''

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 money totaling $4.4 million. The three decide to take the money and hide it for six months, enough time to see if anyone is looking for it. Of course, this simple plan unravels over that time, and everyone comes to regret ever finding the money.

* 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 jeopardizing the future of his wife and daughter.]]

* BlackComedy: At some points.

* LadyMacBeth: Sarah plays this role for Hank.

* PlethoraOfMistakes

I StealingFromThieves: The film explores this trope and its many, many drawbacks.

I StealingFromThieves: The film explores this trope and its [[RealityEnsues many, many drawbacks]].

* {{Expy}}: Creator/GaryCole as Agent Baxter is [[Series/AmericanGothic1995 Lucas Buck]] in a different branch of law enforcement.

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

''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.

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

-->'''[[apoiler:Baxter]]: You're not the cold-blooded type, are you, Mr. Mitchell? ''[slowly pulls out gun]'' I guess we both got a lot of explaining to do.\\

* DirtyCop: It turns out [[spoiler:the alleged FBI agent Baxter]] is after the money too.

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. The three decide to take the money and hide it for six months, enough time to see if anyone is looking for it. Of course, this simple plan unravels over that time, and everyone comes to regret ever finding the money.

* CassandraTruth: [[spoiler:Hank confesses, but as Sarah predicted, he's not believed because he's an upstanding member of the community]].

* 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 jeopardizing the future of his wife and daughter.]]
* 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.

* CainAndAbel : [[spoiler: Hank kills Jacob after they discuss it as [[ShootTheDog something necessary]]]].
* CassandraTruth: [[spoiler: Hank confesses, but as Sarah predicted, he's not believed because he's an upstanding member of the community]].
* DirtyCop: It turns out [[spoiler: the alleged FBI agent Baxter]] is after the money too.
* 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 jeopardizing the future of his wife and daughter.]]

* GuiltRiddenAccomplice: [[spoiler: Jacob]] eventually begins to crack.
* HeKnowsTooMuch: The old man on the snowmobile who untimely comes across the protagonists.

* ShootTheShaggyDogStory: [[spoiler: The money is marked and has to be burnt]].
* ASimplePlan: Played straight, what starts as a plan to split up a huge sack of money found in the woods ends up leaving a trail of bodies including [[spoiler: two of the three guys who found the money, and at the end of it all, the money is marked anyway, and has to be burnt]].

* ThickerThanWater: Hank is very protective of Jacob. [[spoiler: But it's ultimately subverted]].
* 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.
* WhamLine: Jacob has a couple of these lines to Hank through out the movie
** Revealing to Hank that their Father losing the farm was not because he as a bad business man, but because he was paying for Hank's college