Might as well ask why does anybody do anything risky or stupid in life. This kind of crime is harder to prove or prosecute in court unless they have really good evidence. I knew a guy who committed some white collar crimes (Paper crimes) and they had some evidence, enough I thought to prosecute him, but they decided not too as they thought it was too weak of evidence. Robbing a bank or armored car is more deliberate and out in the open and easier to get caught or proved you did it.

Not sure about Jed, but Tracy was a crazy white woman! Crazy white woman in movies usually don't care about risky plans. They must get what they want, period.
Hey there, Johnny Boy, I hope you fry!

Then there's that ridiculous subplot about the rapist-killer on campus (for which they cast the creepy albino guy, good lord).
Yes, but seeing Gweneth Paltrow die was so worth it.

I would not defend the idea that they should knock over an armored car, but
this movie is still absurdly contrived.
She's married for a period of years? She loathes children but surrounds herself with little ones daily? Traci is an attractive, beautiful woman. She could have rather easily ensnared a rich guy.
Never mind the upthread-mentioned problem that her husband is legally entitled to half their assets if they divorce, the Baldwin and Kidman characters could have contrived the same scheme without the risk of a sucker-husband (and the self-denial/double-life that would bring). Instead she could have been an unmarried kindergarten teacher who gets pregnant. The settlement would not have been quite as big, but it'd be sizable, and besides they were initially "only" going for 10 million bucks.
Then there's that ridiculous subplot about the rapist-killer on campus (for which they cast the creepy albino guy, good lord).
I should add that I still liked the moved, but mostly because I'm a sucker for the genre.

I disagree it was contrived. First, armed robbery is not an "easier" way to make 20 million. Just physically getting away seems fraught with huge risk. And what bank has that much cash? Surgeons do have a high salary, but they have high expenses too, like malpractice insurance. Finally, the girl was clearly not into raising kids, and there are lots of people like that (even non-psychopaths).

The movie's absurdly contrived.

I don't think the hub would have a right to half the money unless he was named in the settlement. And I don't think they were living in a community property stateeven if so, a spouse is not entitled to inheritance, for instance, property gained before the marriage, any and all monies the spouse can not prove he/she helped to earn, improve upon etc. Also, I don't think spouse could get alimony as no children, and can not show that he sacrificed a career for her to earn the money.
She'd have got it all (after the huge legal payout) as she was the one who suffered the damage.
Of course you would think the husband would have been named in the settlement (if it had not turned out that he was sterile) as they'd not be able to have children together.
And the 10 million, which Jed and Tracy could share after the legal payout was a great deal of money in that day!

by - vcarson101 on Wed May 23 2012 09:07:00 alec's character wanted revenge on the doctor that would not hire him. it was not just for the money. revenge will make sane people do insane things.
..And that is why it is called Malice!
Another thing though, wouldn't Andy legally have a right to half the money?
I guess she could run away with it all but if they divorced, he would likely have a right to a good chunk of that money.

alec's character wanted revenge on the doctor that would not hire him. it was not just for the money. revenge will make sane people do insane things.

Well I wonder what the average salary was in 1993.
Plus I think they made it clear Jed had a huge chip on his shoulder and well that aside, 20 million is 20 million.
Wait a minute who am I here?

The plot makes a lot more sense if you do a lot of cocaine while writing the script.

I agree. He said he was board certified in Cardio Thoracic medicine. I just looked up that for salary. The LOWEST amount was more than one third of a million dollars a year, the average was half a million a year, the highest was $852,000 a year. Why would he take such a pointless risk? It makes ZERO sense!

I agree that Jed and Tracys plan was rather unconvincing. Leaving aside the law and the risks involved, the costs to the two individuals were simply too high. I believe 20 million dollars were worth a lot more in those days, but still hardly enough to justify the costs. In the film, there was one scene between Jed and Andy where they agreed that they wont be willing to lose a finger for a million dollars. But in the film, what Jed and Tracy were prepared to give up even if the scam was successful was far, far more.
In the film, Jed gave Tracy injections that caused ovarian cysts and led to her hospitalization. So we are to believe that the plan involved Tracys marrying a man she didnt really love, and then suffering pains from the drug and eventually losing both of her ovaries so that she would never be able to have children? As for Jed, he was presumably one of the nations best surgeons in his field, and in the film he was exceedingly cocky towards the other staff (for example that bespectacled doctor) and was said to have a God Complex. Even if the plan was successful, Jed had lost his reputation and was disgraced in his profession. He probably would never have been able to work as a surgeon again. I believe for a person who took so much pride in his own achievements, the costs would have been considered unacceptably high. Lastly, it was by no means certain that they could get 20 million dollars. Suppose the result was a lengthy lawsuit? What if they got only 10 million dollars, and after bribing Andy had only 5 million to share between them? What would Jed have done if Andy simply refused to sign to give permission to take out Tracy's second ovary? To me, the costs and risks of such a plan are so high and the gains are so uncertain that no sane person would consider it.

Sooner or later they would be caught.
Not necessarily. There are still places in the world where a couple of people with twenty million dollars could fly off to and the US could never extradite them. Brazil is one, if memory serves, and Rio de Janeiro is still a hot spot for the wealthy.
Never mess with a middle-aged, Bipolar queen with AIDS and an attitude problem!
roflol ><

Well I guess but there are still a lot of plot holes that make the con less believable. Sure they have the motive but they do things that they normally wouldn't do if they were going to con.

That's kind of like telling a NFL player he should have played MLB instead because there's less injuries, easier money. It's a different game, different skills, and love of that particular game. Tracy and Jed were con artists. The robbery game wasn't their style. A long con takes finesse, patience, and talent for manipulating people. And they were good at it, so for these two, there was less risk in pulling off this scam than doing something completely out of their comfort zone like a robbery. They would have also probably considered it beneath them, a low-life enterprise. There's a certain thrill in being able to fool doctors, lawyers, hospital officials amd a college professor that doesn't come with pointing a gun in someone's face.

Well a thriller can't be that thrilling when you can't buy the crime itself.

It'd be kind of a boring film though
Wait a minute who am I here?

Rob a Casino then. Rob a few banks. Still more likely to be successful then this whole crime were a few dozen more things could go wrong.

You'd probably have to rob a few banks to get anywhere near that 20 million.

I agreehe was a well paid surgeon and by committing this crime they could run but they could never hide.Sooner or later they would be caught.

They could have killed her husband and collected insurance moneyAlso I don't think this plan was in place for years.

"Why not just steal the money in an easier way?"
Like, where from? And I vehemently disagree that it's "easier" to rob a bank than to get away with a scheme like this; those weren't the pre-war Dillinger/Bonnie & Clyde times when there was an open season for banks. Hell, even a team of stone cold, dedicated professionals couldn't do it without causing a shootout in Heat, so I wouldn't give the Dream Team of Alec Baldwin/Nicole Kidman too many chances to succeed. And as far as this kinda movies go, the plan they hatched wasn't really tgat over-the-top nutty.
facts are stupid things - Ronald Reagan

Bonny and Clyde has been done so the movie wouldn't be as interesting!