A Simple Plan (1998)

My pick for top film of 1998 plays one of the classic mind games with its characters: what would you do if you found a bunch of cash? You could leave it...you could turn it over to the police….you could keep it…

Films that deal with fantastic circumstances usually leave me cold because of the incredibly ridiculous ways in which the characters behave. Granted, a bag full of money is a fantastic occurrence—but the behavior of those in this film never seemed anything but inevitable.

After I saw Twister, I wouldn’t have believed I’d say this, but I’m becoming a Bill Paxton fan. Tom Hanks is extolled by the film community and the public alike as America’s “everyman,” but I think Paxton is more the real deal. His talent is deceptively subtle; He never seems to be portraying a made-up guy. For example, he feels really married here. See what I mean? Hard to put a finger on, but extremely real.

A+