''Best Laid Plans'' is a 1999 American

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definit ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by Mike Barker and written by

Ted Griffin Ted Griffin (born December 21, 1970) is an American screenwriter whose credits include '' Ravenous'', ''Matchstick Men'', and ''Ocean's Eleven''. Born in Pasadena, California, Griffin graduated from Colgate University in 1993. He was schedule ...

. The film stars

Reese Witherspoon Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon (born March 22, 1976) is an American actress and producer. The recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards, she ...

Alessandro Nivola Alessandro Antine Nivola (born June 28, 1972) is an American actor. He has been nominated for a Tony Award and an Independent Spirit Award and has won a Screen Actors Guild Award, a British Independent Film Award (BIFA), and the Best Actor Award ...

, and

Josh Brolin Joshua James Brolin (; born February 12, 1968) is an American actor. He has appeared in films such as ''The Goonies'' (1985), ''Mimic'' (1997), ''Hollow Man'' (2000), ''Grindhouse'' (2007), ''No Country for Old Men'' (2007), '' American Gangste ...

Plot

Bryce is a successful man who returns to his tiny hometown for a visit. While there, he runs into his old friend Nick. The two decide to go out for the night. When they enter a bar, Bryce encounters Kathy, a blonde temptress whom he eventually takes home for the night. When he awakens, Kathy informs him that she is underage and threatens to tell the police that Bryce has committed

statutory rape In common law jurisdictions, statutory rape is nonforcible sexual activity in which one of the individuals is below the age of consent (the age required to legally consent to the behavior). Although it usually refers to adults engaging in sexual ...

. Bryce panics and decides to tie her up and hide her away in the basement. He then makes a call to Nick. Unbeknownst to Bryce, Kathy is actually Nick's girlfriend Lissa. The two had schemed to use Bryce's money to pay off a $15,000 debt they owe small-time hood Jimmy.

Cast

as Lissa/Kathy *

as Nick *

as Bryce *

Terrence Howard Terrence Dashon Howard (born March 11, 1969) is an American actor. Having his first major roles in the 1995 films ''Dead Presidents'' and '' Mr. Holland's Opus'', Howard broke into the mainstream with a succession of television and cinema roles ...

as Jimmy *

Jamie Marsh Jamie Marsh is an American theatre, television and film actor. Jamie was born in New York City. In 1981 while living in Stockholm, Sweden Jamie was cast in his first movie, ''Montenegro''. From 1987–1991 Jamie studied with Uta Hagen and Herb ...

as Barry *

Rocky Carroll Roscoe "Rocky" Carroll (born July 8, 1963) is an American actor and director. He is known for his roles as Joey Emerson on the Fox comedy-drama '' Roc'' (1991–94), as Dr. Keith Wilkes on the CBS medical drama ''Chicago Hope'', and as NCIS Direc ...

as Bad Ass Dude *

Gene Wolande Gene Wolande (born September 3, 1956) is an American character actor, writer, and director who has appeared in many mainstream film and television projects. He is best known as Ray Pinker in the Academy Award-winning film ''L.A. Confidential'' ...

as Lawyer *

Owen Bush Owen Bush (November 10, 1921 – June 12, 2001) was an American actor. Born in Savannah, Missouri, he went on to have a lengthy career in television and film. He portrayed the pivotal character "Benson January" in the season 4 ''Maverick'' e ...

as Vagrant * Sean Nepita as Freddie * José Mendoza as Renaldo * Michael G. Hagerty as Charlie *

David Mandel David Mandel (born ) is writer, actor, director, and producer. He was an executive producer and showrunner of ''Veep'', and was also an executive producer and director of ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' and ''Seinfeld''. He is also a comedian, and on ...

as Evangelist *

Alec Berg Alec Berg is an American television writer, director and executive producer. He wrote for the sitcom ''Seinfeld'' and is co-creator and executive producer of ''Barry Barry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barry (name), including ...

as Phone Guy No. 1 *

Jeff Schaffer Jeff Schaffer (born ) is an American film and television director, writer, and producer. Early life and education Schaffer and his brother Greg (also a film and TV writer and producer) were raised in the Warren–Howland, Ohio area, about east ...

as Phone Guy No. 2

Reception

''Best Laid Plans'' received mixed reviews.

Awards and nominations

California on Location Awards *1998: Won "Location Professional of the Year - Features" - Diane Friedman

References

External links

* * * {{Mike Barker 1999 films 1999 independent films 1999 crime films 1999 crime drama films 1999 drama films 1999 crime thriller films 1990s American films 1990s English-language films 1990s heist films American crime drama films American crime thriller films American heist films American neo-noir films Films directed by Mike Barker Films scored by Craig Armstrong (composer) Films with screenplays by Ted Griffin Fox Searchlight Pictures films