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38
12 Rounds Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
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Simple Plan, A
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MPAA RATING: R for violence and language
Starring Bill Paxton, Bridget Fonda, Billy Bob Thornton, Brent Briscoe, Jack Walsh, Chelcie Ross, Becky Ann Baker, and Gary Cole
Captivated by the lure of sudden wealth, the quiet rural lives of two brothers (Paxton, Thornton) erupt into conflicts of greed, paranoia and distrust when over four million dollars in cash is discovered at the remote site of a downed small airplane. (Paramount Pictures)
| GENRE(S): | Suspense/Thriller |
| WRITTEN BY: | Scott B. Smith (also novel) |
| DIRECTED BY: | Sam Raimi |
| RELEASE DATE: |
DVD: June 22, 1999 Video: February 1, 2000 Theatrical: December 11, 1998 |
| RUNNING TIME: | 121 minutes, Color |
| ORIGIN: | France / Germany / Japan / UK / USA |
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
The average user rating for this movie is 9.0 (out of 10) based on 11 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Patrick Dunne gave it a10:
This is vertainly not a "feel good" film, but it certainlly is Raimi's best. His goal for Spiderman 2 was drama, but he already achieved it here.
Gabor A. gave it a 6:
Well made film, but didn't add enough new ideas to an ancient theme of both literature and film. suspense is not as thrilling when you've experienced similar situations in other works.
Look up "cautionary tale" in the dictionary and this film should be named. The story documents what happens when honesty is not instinctive. Like a hit & run accident, once you run you can't simply return and avoid the consequences. The characters are trapped in their initially innocent indiscretion as its implications magnify into a vast and all-encompassing doom. Filmed in the gunmetal color of a lonely winter, the artistry of the film confirms that there is a moral winter as well, and both threaten to never end. In terms of implementing the storys' vision, the entire cast is on board. While the story does not need one, its breadth would be greater if a more righteous character was integral to the plot, but at face value and in its art, the presentation asserts that no such person moves in the circles these people frequent. We are abandoned with the lonely feeling that it is not only money but social corruption that falls from the sky onto the unwary. This movie suffers only in that no character ever really gets it. They are living a tragedy of Shakespearian proportions, but there is no soliloquy, no tangential admission such as "Always tell the truth - there's less to remember," just a vague and unenlightened Aw Shucks regret. One suspects, should the opportunity for aggrandizement repeat itself, that the lesson has not been learned - the decay is just too deep. It might be a more palatible film if it warned you to not stick your hand in the fire, but it simply grabs it and sticks it in there, then tip-toes away, leaving you to figure out what you should do in the future.
Pitu G. gave it a 10:
EXCELLELNT! this movie is in my all time best list. If there is a movie you need to watch is this one. superb!
Yoon C. gave it an 8:
Perhaps Raimi's best, a cautionary tale about money and how greed takes on a life of its own. Has wicked sense of irony throughout, and truly suspenseful and scary ending.
Darkmage gave it a 10:
If you missed this little known flick, you missed one of the few GOOD movies in the last 5 years. A truly dark film full of important messages about family and the true value of money. It is truly shocking to watch and learn how fast the lure of wealth can change everyone around you. Great camera work, effective sound and good use of imagery.
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