Hank, his elder brother Jacob and their friend Lou live in an American provincial town. One winter day they find a plane that has been shot down in a remote forest, with in it a dead pilot and a bag containing four million dollars. Hank is a respected citizen in the small community. His slightly simple brother Jacob dreams of buying back his dead father’s farm and restoring it to its former glory. The beer-drinking Lou only wants his share. Surrounded by the snow that covers everything, the three men agree to wait until the spring, until the plane is found. It the money is not missed, they will share it out. However in no time their relationship is under heavy pressure. For instance Hank’s wife Sarah (Bridget Fonda), who has just had a baby, tells her husband he should keep the money and flee. Hank is torn apart by feelings of loyalty towards her and his brother.In A Simple Plan Sam Raimi gives an unfaltering picture of the pitfalls of greed. He shows how a series of minor infringements can cause a destructive snowball effect and how bourgeois morals eventually lose out to honesty and respect. Country life and the people are portrayed with love and feeling for detail. The performance of Jacob by Billy Bob Thorntons deserves special mention.
