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IMDbPro

Best Laid Plans

  • 19991999
  • RR
  • 1h 32m
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
7.9K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
14,513
3,061
Reese Witherspoon, Josh Brolin, and Alessandro Nivola in Best Laid Plans (1999)
A botched robbery leads two crooks and an unwitting buddy into a web of passion, crime and murder in this twist-laden film noir.
Play trailer1:59
1 Video
16 Photos
CrimeDramaThriller
A botched robbery leads two crooks and an unwitting buddy into a web of passion, crime and murder in this twist-laden film noir.A botched robbery leads two crooks and an unwitting buddy into a web of passion, crime and murder in this twist-laden film noir.A botched robbery leads two crooks and an unwitting buddy into a web of passion, crime and murder in this twist-laden film noir.
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
7.9K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
14,513
3,061
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Mike Barker
    • Writer
      • Ted Griffin
    • Stars
      • Alessandro Nivola
      • Reese Witherspoon
      • Josh Brolin
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Mike Barker
    • Writer
      • Ted Griffin
    • Stars
      • Alessandro Nivola
      • Reese Witherspoon
      • Josh Brolin
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 79User reviews
    • 53Critic reviews
    • 40Metascore
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 1:59
    Trailer

    Photos16

    Alessandro Nivola in Best Laid Plans (1999)
    Reese Witherspoon in Best Laid Plans (1999)
    Reese Witherspoon and Alessandro Nivola in Best Laid Plans (1999)
    Reese Witherspoon, Josh Brolin, and Alessandro Nivola in Best Laid Plans (1999)
    Reese Witherspoon, Josh Brolin, and Alessandro Nivola in Best Laid Plans (1999)
    Reese Witherspoon, Josh Brolin, and Alessandro Nivola in Best Laid Plans (1999)
    Josh Brolin and Alessandro Nivola in Best Laid Plans (1999)
    Reese Witherspoon, Josh Brolin, and Alessandro Nivola in Best Laid Plans (1999)
    Reese Witherspoon, Josh Brolin, and Alessandro Nivola in Best Laid Plans (1999)
    Reese Witherspoon, Josh Brolin, and Alessandro Nivola in Best Laid Plans (1999)
    Reese Witherspoon, Josh Brolin, and Alessandro Nivola in Best Laid Plans (1999)
    Reese Witherspoon, Josh Brolin, and Alessandro Nivola in Best Laid Plans (1999)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Alessandro Nivola
    Alessandro Nivola
    • Nick
    Reese Witherspoon
    Reese Witherspoon
    • Lissa
    Josh Brolin
    Josh Brolin
    • Bryce
    Gene Wolande
    Gene Wolande
    • Lawyer
    Jonathan McMurtry
    • Vet
    Terrance Sweeney
    Terrance Sweeney
    • Priest
    • (as Father Terrance Sweeney)
    Rebecca Klingler
    Rebecca Klingler
    • Diner Waitress
    Rocky Carroll
    Rocky Carroll
    • Bad Ass Dude
    Kate Hendrickson
    Kate Hendrickson
    • Bar Waitress
    Owen Bush
    Owen Bush
    • Vagrant
    Jesse Woodrow
    Jesse Woodrow
    • Roach Coach Clerk
    Jamie Marsh
    • Barry
    Michael McCleery
    • Recycling Owner
    Terrence Howard
    Terrence Howard
    • Jimmy
    • (as Terrence Dashon Howard)
    Sean Nepita
    • Freddie
    Jody Wood
    • Bruhfire Cop
    Teddy Vincent
    Teddy Vincent
    • Lawyer Secretary
    José Mendoza
    • Renaldo
    • Director
      • Mike Barker
    • Writer
      • Ted Griffin
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    5.7
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    5.6
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    5.8
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    The Deep End
    6.5
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    Before and After
    6.1
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    Freeway
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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The opening shot of the film showing the bar and neon sign and then the bar's interior is an homage to Orson Welles and Citizen Kane (1941), with the camera appearing to pass through the glass window in one continuous movement.
    • Goofs
      Brice rings Nick to ask him to come straight round to the house that he's looking after. Nick says ok and arrives at the house without asking for or been given the address or directions,
    • Quotes

      Bad Ass Dude: Boy, you got a funny idea about chivalry. When me and my lady go driving, she always rides up front with me.

    • Alternate versions
      The DVD contains some deleted scenes:
      • Alternate Opening Titles featuring a vagrant named Cal, riding a bicycle decorated with recycling goods.
      • At the pool Nick and Bryce discuss what to do with Lissa.
      • Cal collects some tins.
      • Nick and Lissa sell the belongings of Nicks's deceased father.
      • An extended version of the scene where Nick and Lissa plan to leave Tropico. Here Lissa tells Nick that she wants to get out at all cost.
      • A longer version of the scene on the roof of the hotel which fleshes out Lissa's devotion to Nick.
      • An extended version of the scene where Nick and Lissa plan the robbery.
      • Nick kills some time, buys some cigarettes and inadvertently starts the bush fire.
      • An alternate ending which is not as clearly positive as in the final film, but is instead "hopeful".
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Stir of Echoes/The Minus Man/Suger Town/Best Laid Plans/On the Ropes (1999)
    • Soundtracks
      Why Can't He Be You
      Written by Hank Cochran

      Performed by Patsy Cline

      Courtesy of MCA Records

      Under license from Universal Music Special Markets

    User reviews79

    Review
    Review
    Top review
    5/10
    Middle of the Road
    The only reason I watched this is because my girlfriend threatened me to. This is movie is sooo desperate to be a post modern crime thriller that it looks and feels so relentlessly superficial.

    Most scenes are decked out in unpleasant pastel colors and interiors are always lit with warm lights. It's nice to look at but has a student filmmaking feel to it that distracts me.

    Something else that is quite unreal is the scene in which Nivola and Witherspoon discuss their forthcoming crime...on a roof in front of a neon sign on a sofa. Yeah...like people keep sofas on roofs in front of neon signs. This was obviously an attempt by the director to add a little sparkle to an otherwise BORING scene. Which is also the reason he throws in some cliched camera angles. It's a "film noir" you see...so diagonal shots on an ordinary scene are standard.

    Composer Craig Armstrong was obviously hired at the last minute when the director heard the score for Romeo and Juliet to provide a superficial (that word again) soundtrack. It sounds like it belongs in a totally different movie. But perhaps this is a good thing. There isn't much theme but the music does evoke some weird feelings from us. Much like the feelings the characters have. It's cool and I wish more scores were this way.

    The "twist" wasn't too obvious to me. Once it occurs it takes away all the tension and stress right away and will relieve you big time. It even manages to change the tone of the whole movie to light-hearted.

    In case your wondering my girlfriend lists this as number 2 in her top 3 movies. Number 1 is Devils Advocate and 3 is Moonwalker...ugh!
    helpful•4
    1
    • CuriosityKilledShawn
    • Jun 19, 2001

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 14, 1999 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • El engaño
    • Filming locations
      • Bakersfield, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Dogstar Films
      • Fox 2000 Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $7,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $27,816
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $14,872
      • Sep 12, 1999
    • Gross worldwide
      • $27,816
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 32 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

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