So the plot in a nutshell - Patrick steals John's book, and later John is able to prove he stole it.
Is that it?
H3K
Yes. I don't see how far fetched it could be.
But here are a few other plots in a nutshell if you don't believe mine can be simple.
Citizen Kane - Man dies, last word is rosebud and a journalist tries to find out what rosebud is.
Psycho - A woman steals money, gets killed, and everybody is trying to find her.
The Birds - Birds attack.
Pacific Rim - Robots VS Monsters.
Gravity - A woman gets lost in space and must get back to Earth.
Singin' In The Rain - They're making a movie.
Transformers - Robots and explosions.
Spirited Away - A girl gets trapped in another world, must save her parents and get back.
Night Of The Living Dead - People get trapped in a house surrounded by zombies and must try to survive.
Philomena - A woman and a journalist are searching for the woman's son.
Bad Boys - Witless banter and explosions.
The Kid - A man is caring for an abandoned baby while the mother is an actor.
Tokyo Godfathers - Three homeless people find a baby and search for its parents.
My Film - A person steals someone else's book and that someone else try to get it back.
Is it really that problematic and far-fetched? I mean look at Lady In The Water.