A Simple Plan (film)

A Simple Plan

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Sam Raimi
Produced by
Screenplay by Scott B. Smith
Based on A Simple Plan 
by Scott B. Smith
Starring
Music by Danny Elfman
Cinematography Alar Kivilo
Edited by
  • Arthur Coburn
  • Eric L. Beason
Production
company
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release dates
  • September 11, 1998 (TIFF)
  • December 11, 1998 (limited)
Running time
 121 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $17 million[1][2][3][lower-alpha 2]
Box office $16,316,273 (domestic)[1][4]

A Simple Plan is a 1998 American neo-noir crime thriller film, and an adaptation of the 1993 novel of the same name by Scott B. Smith, who also wrote the screenplay. Directed by Sam Raimi, the film stars Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton and Bridget Fonda. Set in rural Minnesota, A Simple Plan follows Hank Mitchell (Paxton) and his brother Jacob (Thornton), who, along with Jacob's friend Lou (Brent Briscoe), discover a crashed plane containing $4.4 million in cash. Their attempts to keep the money a secret result in conflicts of greed and distrust.

Development of the film began in 1993 before the novel was published. Mike Nichols purchased the film rights, and the project was picked up by an independent film studio, Savoy Pictures. After Nichols stepped down, the film adaptation became mired in development hell; during the troubled pre-production, Ben Stiller and John Dahl turned down opportunities to direct the film. After Savoy closed in November 1995, the project was sold to Paramount Pictures. John Boorman was hired to direct, but scheduling conflicts led to his replacement by Raimi. Principal photography began in January 1998 and concluded in March after 55 days; filming took place in Wisconsin and Minnesota. The score was produced and composed by Danny Elfman.

Following its appearance at the 1998 Toronto International Film Festival, A Simple Plan received critical acclaim; reviewers praised various aspects of the film's production, including the storytelling, performances and Raimi's direction. The film earned multiple awards and nominations, among them two Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor (Thornton) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Smith). The film however undeperformed at the North American box office, grossing $16.3 million on a $17 million production budget.

Plot

Hank Mitchell and his pregnant wife, Sarah, 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, is a dim-witted fellow. When Hank, Jacob, and Jacob's friend, Lou, chase a fox into the woods, they stumble upon a crashed airplane. Inside the plane, Hank discovers a dead pilot, and a bag containing $4.4 million in $100 bills. He suggests turning the money in, but is persuaded not to by Jacob and Lou. Hank proposes that he keep the money safe at his house until winter ends and that everyone will move away after they split the money amongst themselves. When they return to their vehicle, Sheriff Carl Jenkins drives by the area and notices the three men after they hide the money. Hank nervously talks to him before Jacob mentions hearing a plane in the area. After Carl leaves, the three men decide to keep the money a secret, but Hank breaks the pact when he reveals the discovery to Sarah, who is overjoyed.

When Hank and Jacob return to the plane to put some of the money back as part of a larger plan to avoid suspicion, they come across an old man on a snowmobile. Jacob, thinking their cover is blown, bludgeons the man. When the man regains consciousness and asks for the police, Hank suffocates him, then uses the snowmobile to drive the body off a bridge, making it look like an accidental death. Jacob reneges on his promise to move away during the summer; he tells Hank about his intention to buy their late father's farm with his share of the money, despite not knowing anything about farming.

Lou drunkenly demands some of the money from Hank, because he has spent recklessly since the discovery. Hank refuses, and Lou threatens to tell the authorities about the old man's death. Hank and Jacob team up to plot against Lou, much to Jacob's dismay. The two brothers visit Lou at his home, where Jacob has him drunkely confess to the murder of the old man, while Hank records the confession with a tape recorder. Lou grows enraged when he realizes that the two conspired against him and pulls a gun on them. Jacob kills Lou to save his brother, and then Hank kills Lou's wife when she appears, firing another gun. The two brothers avoid arrest after Hank concocts a rehearsed speech for himself and Jacob to tell the police. While visiting his brother a night later, Jacob tells Hank that this whole turn of events is wearing on him and that he "feels evil".

Carl contacts Hank and tells him that an FBI agent named Neil Baxter has arrived, looking for the plane. Because Jacob mentioned that he heard a plane in the woods, the sheriff asks the brothers to assist in the search. Sarah is skeptical of Baxter and discovers that he is an impostor. She warns Hank, who decides to go with Baxter in order to protect Carl, and steals a handgun from Carl's office. Carl, Baxter, Hank and Jacob split up and head into the woods. When they find the plane, Baxter kills Carl and tells Hank that he is looking for the money. Hank manages to kill Baxter with the gun he had stolen. When Jacob arrives, Hank starts to concoct another story to tell the authorities, but Jacob announces that he does not want to live with these bad memories; he threatens to shoot himself to end it. He encourages Hank to kill him instead and frame Baxter for the crime, so that Hank can tell any story he wants. After grappling with the decision, Hank kills Jacob.

At the police station, Hank tells his story to real FBI agents. As Sarah predicted, the agents do not believe that Hank, seen as an upstanding member of the community, would be capable of such wrongdoing. Although he is ruled out as a suspect, Hank is told that the money was part of a ransom, and before it was delivered, many of the bills' serial numbers were written down to track the cash. Hank realizes he cannot use the money without being caught; he goes home and burns it all. Hank and Sarah go back to their old lives, and Hank reflects on their losses.

Cast

Production

Development

After Scott B. Smith had published a short story for The New Yorker, the magazine's fiction editor learned of his then-unpublished novel A Simple Plan before reading it and forwarding it to an agent. Shortly thereafter, Smith learned that Mike Nichols was interested in purchasing the film rights to his novel.[5] Nichols spent a weekend reading the book, before contacting Smith's agent, and finalizing a deal the following Monday morning. Nichols purchased the rights for his production company Icarus Productions[6] for $250,000, with an additional $750,000 to come later from a studio interested in pursuing the project.[7] Smith’s manuscript of A Simple Plan was optioned for development at an independent film studio, Savoy Pictures. However, due to scheduling conflicts with a planned film adaptation of All the Pretty Horses, Nichols stepped down from the project.[8][lower-alpha 3]

After learning of the film adaptation from Nichols, Ben Stiller joined the project and spent nine months working on the script with Smith. During preproduction, however, Stiller had a falling out with Savoy over budget disputes—among them was how Savoy’s reported $4 million offer to Nicolas Cage would affect the film’s budget. Stiller explained, ”The problem was Savoy. I don’t think they had a good understanding of how to make films happen.”[8] Unable to secure financing from another studio, Stiller left the production.[10] In January 1995, John Dahl was announced to helm the film, with Cage set to appear in a starring role, and filming likely to start during the following summer in the southern hemisphere or in Canada during the following winter.[11][10] In November 1995, following a series of box office failures, Savoy announced that it was retreating from the film industry.[12] Savoy was later acquired by IAC/Interactive Corporation, whose chairman, Barry Diller, put A Simple Plan up for sale.[8] This resulted in Dahl and Cage leaving the project.[8][10]

The project was purchased by Paramount Pictures, where producer Scott Rudin hired John Boorman to direct the film. Boorman cast Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton in the lead roles of Hank and Jacob Mitchell, respectively.[13] Rudin considered casting Anne Heche as Hank's wife Sarah Mitchell.[14] Boorman also took part in location scouting, and filming was set to begin during the first week of January 1998.[10] When a second investor left the project, Paramount refused to fully finance the $17 million production itself.[13][10] Although Boorman was able to secure financing, the studio feared that filming would not be finished before the end of winter.[10] Boorman ran into scheduling conflicts, which resulted in him leaving the production.[10]

Paramount then hired Sam Raimi to direct the film.[13] Raimi saw A Simple Plan as an opportunity to direct a character-driven story that differed from his earlier works, which were highly stylized or dependent on intricate camera movements. Smith said of Raimi, "I wasn't familiar with Sam's other work, but I met with him, and in talking to him I was very pleased. I felt like he understood the story. He understood the people. We grew up in the same area of the country. He knew what I was writing about and he knew how to tell the story in the right way."[5] Raimi's hiring came so late during pre-production, that he did not have to time scout locations; he relied on the previous locations visited during Boorman's involvement.[10] In December 1997, Bridget Fonda, who had previously collaborated with Raimi on Army of Darkness (1992), was cast as Sarah Mitchell.[3]

A Simple Plan was a co-production between Paramount and Mutual Film Company. The film was co-financed by Mutual and Newmarket Capital Group[2] as part of a joint venture that was formed by the two companies.[15] Mutual's international partners—the United Kingdom's BBC, Germany's Tele-München, Japan's Toho-Towa/Marubeni and France’s UGC-PH—also co-financed the film in exchange for distribution rights in their respective territories and equity stakes on the film on a worldwide basis.[16] Paramount acquired the North American distribution rights,[3] and Savoy Pictures received screen credit.

Writing

"Ben [Stiller] really taught me how to write a script. I don’t know that he ever explicitly said it, but by imagining the script as a verbal description of a movie, the movie that I wanted the book to be. That’s very simple, but it really was the key to everything for me—just imagining what was on the page. I was shortchanging the visual in my script, concentrating on dialogue, which I imagine is a very common first-time screenwriter’s mistake, and to suddenly just do it visually opened up everything for me."

—Scott B. Smith on adapting his novel into a screenplay.[17]

The original script that Smith had written for Mike Nichols was 256 pages long—the equivalent of a four-and-a-half hour film. Smith said of the experience, "I wrote a horrible, amateurish draft...which I think scared [Nichols] away from the project." Following publication of A Simple Plan, Nichols eventually turned down the project during the script's early draft stages.[5] As he continued work on the script, Smith kept Nichols's suggested story setting: Because snow plays a crucial role, the film adaptation would be shot in Minnesota, rather than in Ohio, where the book is set.[10] When Ben Stiller became involved, he and Smith spent nine months rewriting the script. Smith explained, "Ben was the one that showed me how to write a script. He worked with me and gave me the cue to visualize the movie and write down what I was picturing in my head."[5]

For the film adaptation, certain visual changes were made from the novel. Smith explained that one change involved the discovery of the crashed plane; his script had the character Lou Chambers "throwing [a] snowball to uncover the plane...In the book, they're just walking and they find it."[5] Scott Rudin wanted to change the focus of the story to Hank and Jacob; he ordered Smith to shorten the screenplay to 120 pages. Smith explained, "I had to work to make Hank a more rational character, less evil."[5] The shortening of the script also resulted in the character of Sarah having a smaller role, and Jacob getting to live longer (in the book, Jacob dies in a shootout at Lou's house). After the role was secured by Billy Bob Thornton, Smith omitted the character's overweight appearance from the novel.[5] Smith described the film adaptation as being less violent than the book: "The book is much more violent than the movie, more graphic in its violence. It was [Raimi]'s choice to be more restrained, to bring out the characters."[13]

Filming

Principal photography

Principal photography for A Simple Plan began on January 5, 1998, and concluded on March 13, 1998 after 55 days.[6][18] The Minnesota Film Board remained involved with the film's production, after Mike Nichols suggested the story be set in the state.[10] Filming was scheduled to begin in Delano, Minnesota, but due to climatic changes as the result of El Niño, the production was forced to temporarily relocate to northern Wisconsin to find the snow levels described in the script.[19] Filming began in Ashland, Wisconsin, where most of the film's exterior shots, and the road and woods near where the characters find the plane, were shot.[18] An actual plane, with one side cut open, was one of two planes used to depict the crashed aircraft.[18] Patrizia Von Brandenstein was the film's production designer, marking her second collaboration with Raimi, after The Quick and the Dead (1995). Brandenstein found the weather conditions difficult during production, as she had to await good weather to complete the necessary exterior work. Describing the overall look of the film, she said, "We created a muted black-and-white color scheme to suggest a morality tale, the choices given between right and wrong."[19]

The production team then returned to Minnesota, but still found themselves plagued by a lack of snow. To solve this problem, the production developed a "snow unit" to create a combination of real snow and fake synthetic snow that was made from shaved ice.[20] The home of Lou Chambers (Brent Briscoe) and his wife Nancy (Becky Ann Baker) was filmed in an abandoned house in Delano,[18] which cinematographer Alar Kivilo described as "a very difficult [filming] location with very low ceilings and no heating".[20] Brandenstein and the art department were tasked with designing the set inside the home.[21][20]

The interior of the crashed plane, in which Hank (Paxton) discovers a dead pilot and the $4.4 million in cash, was filmed on a soundstage at Energy Park Studios in Saint Paul, Minnesota. A second plane, designed to have frosted windows, was attached to a gimbal, about five feet off the ground. Kivilo explained, “As [Paxton] crawls to the front of the plane, it tilts down. When he moves toward the back, it tilts in that direction. Since we were using an actual plane there was a limit to how much of the plane’s walls could be removed before it became structurally unsound."[21] Kivilo described the interior of the plane as "a very small, cramped shooting space."[21] To match the interior with footage shot in Wisconsin, the art department built a set with real trees and a painted backdrop.[21] To depict Hank being attacked by a flock of crows inside the plane, puppets were used to attack Paxton as he appeared on screen, while two live crows were used to attack an animatronic replica of the actor.[21] A separate soundstage was used to create two sets depicting the interiors of the Mitchell home, where Hank and his wife Sarah (Fonda) reside. The first set was the main floor an exterior entrance way, and the second was created for the upstairs bedrooms.[21]

Cinematography

"This is a change of pace for me because the film is not about shots, but the performance within the frame. I wanted the camera work to be invisible and just allow the actors to tell this very thrilling story."

—Sam Raimi (director)[22]

Upon reading the script, director of photography Alar Kivilo contacted his agent to arrange a meeting with Raimi. Kivilo's first meeting with Raimi occurred only three weeks prior to filming. He said, "...this film was a big departure for Sam [Raimi], who is really known for his crazy camera moves and wild perspectives. We both decided early on that his usual style wouldn't be right for this story."[20] Kivilo originally wanted to shoot the film in widescreen, using the anamorphic format. "Sam and I had talked briefly in the beginning about going anamorphic," he explained, "but because of the lack of prep time, a restricted budget and lack of lenses availabile, we decided against it."[20] Kivilo used Panavision Platinum cameras with the company's Primo series of prime lenses to shoot the film.[20] He used Eastman Kodak 5246 250ASA Vision film stock for all of the daylight scenes and tungsten-balanced 5279 Vision 500T film stock for the night scenes.[20]

Kivilo's inspiration for the look of the film came from photographs that were shot during location scouting in Delano, Minnesota, which he described as being "very stark, with white snow and black trees. They were very hard-contrast, and reminded me of Japanese wood-cut prints, with very simple and graphic images."[20] Despite the intense weather conditions, Kivilo believed that the overcast skies created a "gray, somber, stark look." He also chose not to use any lighting for daytime exterior scenes.[20] For exterior scenes shot during sunnier filming days, computer-generated imagery was used to re-create the overcast skies.[20]

Regarding scenes shot in Lou's home, Kivilo said, "Because the performances were so intense, Sam wanted to shoot the scene with at least two cameras, and sometimes three. Lighting for three cameras is a significant compromise, but it was one I was willing to make to lessen the emotional load on the actors."[20] In depicting the resulting shootout, Kivilo's intent was to "keep things quite sketchy in the lighting and not be clear about exactly what was happening." The camera department lit a China ball from the ceiling to depict a dimly lit kitchen light that would reveal Nancy holding a shotgun.[20] Flash photography guns were used to depict the muzzle flashes during the shootouts. Kivilo said, "Those flash guns are great because they have a long burn time and you don't run the danger of having the flash occur between exposures. The flashes were daylight-balanced, but we put double CTO on them to give them a slightly warmer feel. This was something that we had determined through testing in preproduction."[20]

Music and soundtrack

A Simple Plan‍ '​s film score was produced and composed by Danny Elfman, who was drawn to the project after learning that Raimi would be directing the film; the film marked his third collaboration with Raimi. The instruments included alto and bass flutes, re-tuned pianos and banjos, zithers, and hand drums.[23]

Regarding the tonal quality of the score, Elfman explained, "...there are 2 thematic areas, one of them was a flute ensemble. It was a fun orchestra for me to work with because there was really no brass, no percussion. It was just stings and flutes, lots of flutes, 9 of them, mostly alto and bass. That was kind of a fun different thing, very, very simple, sparse ensemble led by alto and bass flutes. The other part of it [were] these specially tuned pianos that I prepared before I started and specially tuned banjos so I worked the music around the sounds of these micro-tuned piano chords and special banjo samples that I did myself. I tried to make the heart of it. Starting with these two odd tonal groups, I started composing the score."[23] The soundtrack album, titled A Simple Plan: Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack, was released on January 26, 1999.[24]

Release

A Simple Plan premiered at the 23rd Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 1998.[25] On December 11, 1998, the film opened in limited release at 31 theaters, before opening wide on January 22, 1999.[26]

Box office

Upon its limited release, A Simple Plan grossed $390,563 in its first week of limited release, with an average of $12,598 per theater.[26] More theaters were added during the limited run, and on January 22, 1999, the film officially entered wide release by screening in 660 theaters across North America.[26] The film ended its North American theatrical run on May 14, 1999, having grossed $16,316,273, well below its estimated production budget of $17 million.[1][4]

Criticial response

Sam Raimi was critically lauded for his direction of the film.

A Simple Plan has received mostly positive reviews from mainstream film critics. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes sampled 67 reviews, and gave the film a "Certified Fresh" score rating of 90%, with an average score of 8.2 out of 10. The website's consensus calls the film "A riveting crime thriller full of emotional tension."[27] Another review aggregator, Metacritic, assigned the film a weighted average score of 82 out of 100, based on 28 reviews from mainstream critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[28]

Reviewing the film during the Toronto International Film Festival, online film critic James Berardinelli called it "the best thriller of the festival", describing it as "a thoroughly enjoyable motion picture, with richly-textured characters, an intelligent and engaging plot line, and wonderfully-photographed scenery."[29] Another critic, Glen Lovell of Variety, compared A Simple Plan to Joel and Ethan Coen's earlier film Fargo (1996): "Both [films] are slices of life about outlandish crimes and Average Joe felons in over their heads, and both blend Grand Guignol and beautiful but foreboding snowscapes...The key differences are in emphasis and tone: Fargo is deadpan noir; A Simple Plan...is a more robust Midwestern Gothic that owes as much to Poe as Chandler."[30]

In an "early review" of the film prior to its limited release, Roger Ebert and his colleague, Gene Siskel, gave the film a "Two Thumbs Up" rating on their syndicated television program Siskel and Ebert and the Movies.[31] In a later episode, Ebert ranked A Simple Plan at number four on his list of the "Best Films of 1998".[32] In his initial review of the film, Berardinelli praised Billy Bob Thornton's performance as being "the most striking that A Simple Plan has to offer." He also praised the other performers, writing "Paxton's part is deceptively complex in the way he shows how paranoia, greed, and deception can erode the conscience of even the best-intentioned of men. Brent Briscoe plays Lou as the most untrustworthy and avaricious of souls. And Bridget Fonda offers solid support as a woman who stands by her man - when she's not taking control of his life, that is."[33]

Sam Raimi was repeatedly praised for his direction. Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly wrote that the film was "lean, elegant, and emotionally complex -- a marvel of backwoods classicism" and that it was "proof that Raimi, after the splatterific Evil Dead series and the lushly operatic Darkman, has now grown into a filmmaker of ravishing maturity and skill."[34] Siskel, writing for the Chicago Tribune, said that the film was "an exceedingly well-directed genre picture by [Raimi]...[who] does an excellent job of presaging the lethal violence that follows. From his very first images we know that bodies are going to start to pile up."[35] Janet Maslin of The New York Times called the film a "quietly devastating thriller directed by [Raimi]...who makes a flawless segue into mainstream storytelling."[36] Edward Guthmann of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote, "...for Raimi, whose mastery of visual effects has driven all of his previous films, A Simple Plan marks a tremendously successful break from the past. He's drawn lovely, complex performances from Paxton and Thornton and proven that he can work effectively -- and movingly -- in a minor emotional key."[37]

While reviews of the film were mostly positive, A Simple Plan was not without its detractors. Regarding the plot and characters, Richard Schickel of Time wrote, "There's neither intricacy nor surprise in the narrative, and these dopes are tedious, witless company."[38] Schlomo Schwartzberg of Boxoffice wrote, "Instead of unfolding as a subtle, powerful delineation of quiet desperation warping and destroying people's lives through greed, A Simple Plan clutters up the story with unnecessary acts of violence and murder, and mainly stays on the surface, offering little more than cheap jolts of melodrama."[39]

Accolades

A Simple Plan garnered awards and nominations in a variety of categories with particular praise for its screenplay by Scott B. Smith and Billy Bob Thornton's performance. At the 71st Academy Awards, Thornton received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, but lost against James Coburn, who received the award for his performance in Affliction. Smith received an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, but lost to Bill Condon, who won for Gods and Monsters.[40] In addition to the following list of awards and nominations, A Simple Plan was named one of the "Top Ten Films" of 1998 by the National Board of Review.[41]

List of awards and nominations
Award / Film Festival Category Recipient(s) and nominee(s) Result Ref(s)
71st Academy Awards Best Supporting Actor Billy Bob Thornton Nominated [40]
Best Adapted Screenplay Scott B. Smith Nominated [40]
56th Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actor Billy Bob Thornton Nominated [42]
5th Screen Actors Guild Awards Best Supporting Actor Billy Bob Thornton Nominated [43]
51st Writers Guild of America Awards Best Adapted Screenplay Scott B. Smith Nominated [44]
19th Boston Society of Film Critics Awards Best Supporting Actor Billy Bob Thornton Won [45]
4th Critics' Choice Awards Best Supporting Actor Billy Bob Thornton Won [46]
Best Screenplay, Adaptation Scott B. Smith Won [46]
11th Chicago Film Critics Association Awards Best Supporting Actor Billy Bob Thornton Won [47]
11th USC Scripter Awards Best Adapted Screenplay Scott B. Smith Nominated [48]
2nd Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards Best Score Danny Elfman Won [49]
24th Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards Best Supporting Actor Billy Bob Thornton Won [lower-alpha 4] [50]
70th National Board of Review Awards Best Adapted Screenplay Scott B. Smith Won [41]
2nd Online Film Critics Society Awards Best Adapted Screenplay Scott B. Smith Nominated [51]
Best Supporting Actor Billy Bob Thornton Won

Home video

In North America, A Simple Plan was released on VHS and DVD formats on June 22, 1999. These home video releases were undertaken by Paramount Home Entertainment.[52][53] The Region 1 DVD presents the film in widescreen with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The DVD's only special feature was the film's theatrical trailer.[53]

Notes

  1. ↑ The opening credits read, "Paramount Pictures and Mutual Film Company present in association with Savoy Pictures". The closing credits read, "Produced in association with British Broadcasting Corporation, Marubeni, TeleMünchen, Toho-Towa and UGC-PH".
  2. ↑ A conflicting source states the film's budget to be $30 million,[4] however, $17 million is the most frequently cited figure.
  3. ↑ Nichols intended to direct All The Pretty Horses (2000) after directing The Birdcage (1996), but went on to produce and direct Primary Colors (1998). Billy Bob Thornton, who co-starred in both A Simple Plan and Primary Colors, would co-produce and direct All The Pretty Horses.[9]
  4. ↑ Thornton tied with Bill Murray, who was nominated for his performance in Rushmore.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "A Simple Plan - Box Office Data, DVD and Blu-ray Sales, Movie News, Cast and Crew Information - The Numbers". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Claire Molley (February 2010). "Memento and Independent Cinema: A Seductive Business". Memento. United Kingdom: Edinburgh University Press, Ltd. p. 15. ISBN 978-0748637720.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Cox, Dan (December 20, 1997). "Fonda has ‘A Simple Plan’| Variety". Variety. Variety. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "A Simple Plan (1998)". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Anderson, Jeffrey M. (November 18, 1998). "Interview with Scott B. Smith". Combustible Celluloid. Jeffrey M. Anderson. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Simple Plan, A (1998) - Misc Notes - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies. Turner Entertainment Networks, Inc. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  7. ↑ Elias, Thomas D. (January 4, 1993). "ENTERTAINMENT WORLD PROVES ENTERTAINING | Deseret News". Deseret News. Deseret News. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Ascher-Walsh, Rebecca (April 11, 1997). "Fighting Words | EW.com". Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  9. ↑ Fleming, Michael (August 19, 1997). "Thornton holds reins of 'Horses' | Variety". Variety. Variety. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 10.8 10.9 Strickler, Jeff (December 5, 1998). "Making 'A Simple Plan' became a difficult task | Star Tribune". Star Tribune. Star Tribune. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  11. ↑ Variety Staff (January 22, 1995). "Sluggish Savoy Revs Up Production Under Fried | Variety". Variety. Variety. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  12. ↑ Times Staff and Wire Reports (November 15, 1995). "Company Town Annex - Los Angeles Times". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Fetzer, Bret (October 9, 2006). "Seattle News and Events | The Simple Complex". Seattle Weekly. Seattle Weekly. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  14. ↑ Pearlman, Cindy (October 3, 1997). "Entertainment news for October 3, 1997 | EW.com". Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  15. ↑ Carver, Benedict (May 18, 1998). "Capital building | Variety". Variety. Variety. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  16. ↑ Hindes, Andrew (February 4, 1998). "Mutual agreement | Variety". Variety. Variety. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
  17. ↑ David S. Cohen (February 2008). "Chance, Fate, and Homework: A Simple Plan: Scott Smith". Screen Plays. United States: HarperCollins. pp. 273–274. ISBN 0-06-143157-5.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 Calhoun, John (January 1, 1999). "Snow blind: DP Alar Kivilo witnesses A Simple Plan gone awry". LiveDesign. Penton. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "A SIMPLE PLAN - Movie Production Notes...CinemaReview.com". CinemaReview.com. CinemaReview. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 20.6 20.7 20.8 20.9 20.10 20.11 20.12 Holben, Jay (December 1998). "The Root of All Evil". American Cinematographer Vol. 79, No.12 (United States: American Society of Cinematographers). Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 21.5 Rogers, Pauline. "Alar Kivilo". IATSE Local 600. International Cinematographers Guild. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
  22. ↑ "A SIMPLE PLAN - Movie Production Notes...CinemaReview.com". CinemaReview.com. CinemaReview. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 "Film Music on the Web CD Reviews March 1999: Interview with Danny Elfman, composer". Film Music on the Web. Cinemedia Promotions. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  24. ↑ "A Simple Plan [Original Score] - Danny Elfman | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  25. ↑ "23rd Toronto International Film Festival Coverage". Retrieved October 11, 2013.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 "A Simple Plan (1998) - Weekend Box Office Results - Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  27. ↑ "A Simple Plan". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixter. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  28. ↑ "A Simple Plan Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  29. ↑ Berardinelli, James. "1998 Toronto International Film Festival Update #5". Reelviews. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  30. ↑ Lovell, Glenn (September 15, 1998). "A Simple Plan | Variety". Variety. Variety. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  31. ↑ Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert (December 5, 1998). Siskel and Ebert and the Movies.
  32. ↑ Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert (January 2, 1999). Siskel and Ebert and the Movies.
  33. ↑ Berardinelli, James. "A Simple Plan". Reelviews. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  34. ↑ Glieberman, Owen (December 11, 1998). "A Simple Plan". Entertainment Weekly.
  35. ↑ Siskel, Gene (February 5, 1999). "The story of a young blind man". Chicago Tribune. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
  36. ↑ Maslin, Janet. "Movie Review - A Simple Plan - FILM REVIEW; A Frozen Setting Frames a Chilling Tale - NYTimes.com". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  37. ↑ Guthmann, Edward (December 11, 1998). "Cold, `Simple' Truths / Taut, nuanced tale of greed - SFGate". San Francisco Chronicle. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  38. ↑ Schickel, Richard (December 14, 1998). "Cinema: Cold Comfort". Time Vol. 152, No. 24 (United States: Time).
  39. ↑ Schwartzberg, Shlomo (December 11, 1998). "BoxOffice® — A Simple Plan". Boxoffice. BOXOFFICE Media, LLC. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 40.2 "The 71st Academy Awards (1999) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. AMPAS. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 "1998 Archives - National Board of Review". National Board of Review. National Board of Review. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  42. ↑ "Browse Results - Golden Globe Awards Official Website". Golden Globe Awards. Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  43. ↑ "The 5th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". Screen Actors Guild Awards. SAG-AFTRA. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  44. ↑ "Showing write stuff". Variety. Variety Media, LLC. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  45. ↑ "Boston critics cite ‘Sight,’ ‘General’". Variety. Variety. February 13, 1998. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 "4th Critics' Choice Awards (1999) DigitalHit.com". Digital Hit. Digital Hit Entertainment/ Multiplex Theatre Properties Inc. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  47. ↑ "Chicago Film Critics Awards - 1998-2007". Chicago Film Critics Association. Chicago Film Critics Association. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  48. ↑ "Scripter Finalists" (PDF). USC Scripter Awards. University of Southern California. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  49. ↑ "Las Vegas Film Critics Society Sierra Award Winners". Las Vegas Film Critics Society. Las Vegas Film Critics Society. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  50. ↑ "Las Vegas Film Critics Society Sierra Award Winners". Las Vegas Film Critics Society. Las Vegas Film Critics Society. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  51. ↑ "1998 Awards (2nd Annual) Online Film Critics Society". Online Film Critics Society. Online Film Critics Society. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  52. ↑ "VHS: A Simple Plan (VHS)". Tower Video. Tower Records. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  53. ↑ 53.0 53.1 Mandel, Robert (April 12, 2000). "dOc DVD Review: A Simple Plan (1998)". DigitallyObsessed.com. Retrieved February 4, 2015.

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