As you can see, this flick was critically acclaimed. Sometimes that doesn't mean much. I mean, Leaving Las Vegas was acclaimed, wasn't it? Oh well, I had heard a lot about this movie, and since I really like Billy Bob Thornton, I decided to rent it. It's the delightful story of Hank Mitchell, a hardworking family guy married to Sarah (Bridget Fonda), Jacob (his brother, played by BBT) and Lou (Brent Briscoe), all residents of a snowy small town reminiscent of Fargo.

One day, Hank, Jake, and Lou decide to go hunting out in the woods. They stumble across a crashed airplane and decide to investigate. Lo and behold, they find a bag just full of $100 bills (does this ever happen in real life?) Jake and Lou immediately are "man what er we gonna do with awl this money!!" while Hank is of the opinion that they should just return it and hope for a reward. The movie revolves around their "simple plan" to hold on to and divide up the money amongst themselves. Hank decides that he will hold onto it until spring, and if anyone is looking for it, he will turn it in to the authorities. If not, then they will divide it up and leave town. They have to leave, because it would be too suspicious to have these guys all of a sudden start driving Cadillacs and building 3 story mansions. It all sounds simple, and you'll find yourself saying "I would have done this, and I would have done that." Well, you know what? You wouldn't have. You would have soiled your shorts if you found 4.4 million dollars in the woods. This flick definitely shows you the corrupting power of cash on even goodhearted people. Just watch Hank's wife Sarah transform from pregnant homemaker to opportunistic and conniving pregnant homemaker. It's kind of chilling.

But the real fun is watching the interactions between Hank and the two blockheads Jake and Lou. Hank is resented a little bit by Jake and a lot by Lou for being the "college boy" of the 3. This creates some tension and makes for several good plot twists and dialogue exchanges. But Billy Bob really steals the show. How he manages to play the bumpkin with an edge is beyond me, but he makes another memorable character. It's the same one (almost) that he played in U-Turn. And I always enjoy Bill Paxton and his manic performances. You always think he's about 2 steps from going over the edge, no matter what role he's playing.

Anyway, the ending is kind of messed up, but I think if you're looking for something different with a Fargo type story, this is the one for you.

axgrinder@geocities.com