Details
Movie Description
Poor Jerry Lundegaard. He's deep in debt. His wealthy father-in-law has no respect for him. He cheats customers at the car dealership where he works. And now he's hired a bumbling duo to kidnap his wife--a plan that goes horribly awry, leading to homicide. Enter Marge Gunderson, one of the most fabulous movie cops in film history. The very-pregnant Marge--played marvelously by Frances McDormand in an Oscar-winning and career-defining performance--just goes about her everyday business, eating (in nearly every scene), talking to the people in the community, and examining bloody corpses as if no day is different from the next. A multiple murder in the small town of Brainerd, Minnesota--home of Paul Bunyan, as the sign claims--seems to have little effect on her. Yet she has an innate cop sense--she is very, very good at her job and determined to solve the case in her offhanded manner.
FARGO is yet another offbeat, highly entertaining film from the Coen brothers (BARTON FINK, BLOOD SIMPLE). The film is nearly colorless; instead, director of photography Roger Deakins washes the screen in the blinding white of the snow, occasionally breaking for the drab grays and browns of police uniforms and winter jackets. Carter Burwell's score further enhances the slow, steady pace of this oddly funny and compelling film. The Coens have once again populated their film with a slew of bizarre characters, with outstanding performances delivered by all, particularly the edgy William H. Macy, the quietly luminous McDormand, the nearly psychotic Steve Buscemi, and the oh-so-cold Peter Stormare.
Synopsis
The Coen brothers' black comedy revolves around a crime orchestrated by a desperate, debt-ridden man--and its unexpected results. In dire need of money, Jerry Lundegaard comes up with a plan: Hire two thugs to kidnap his wife, Jean; make Jean's rich father shell out the ransom; and then use the money to pay off both the kidnappers and his creditors. But what appears to be the perfect crime goes seriously awry when the goons murder three people after abducting Jean. As a result, they soon have an intelligent--and very pregnant--police chief named Marge Gunderson investigating the clues they've carelessly left behind. The criminals must now collect the ransom before Marge puts all the pieces together...but that turns out to be a lot harder than they thought.
Film Notes
DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85
Full Frame - 1.33
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
Additional Release Material:
Featurette - 1. MINNESOTA NICE
Interviews - 1. Joel Coen - Director
2. Ethan Coen - Director
3. Frances McDormand - Star
Audio Commentary - 1. Roger Deakins - Director of Photography
Text/Galleries:
Photo Gallery - 1. Behind-the-Scenes
Theatrical release: March 8, 1996.
Filmed on location in North Dakota and Minnesota.
Although the movie begins with a written announcement appearing on the screen that says the story is based on true events, newspaper articles said the film is fictional. The Coens eventually admitted that they did make the narrative up.
FARGO is is number 84 on the American Film Institute's list of America's 100 Greatest Movies and number 93 on the American Film Institute's list of America's 100 Funniest Movies.
The name listed in the credits for editor, Roderick Jaynes, is actually a pseudonym for filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen; they edit their films in addition to writing, producing, and directing them.
Actress Frances McDormand, who starred in the Coen brothers' first film, BLOOD SIMPLE, is married to director Joel Coen.
Steve Buscemi has appeared in numerous Coen brothers films, including MILLER'S CROSSING, BARTON FINK, and THE BIG LEBOWSKI.
Bruce Campbell makes an uncredited appearance as a soap opera actor.
When the film was edited for television, the word "frozen" was dubbed in to replace many of the curses.
The poster on the back of Scott's bedroom door is for a man identified as the "Accordian King"; the word "accordion" is misspelled.
The accents used by the cast upset many people from Minnesota and North Dakota, who thought they were being made fun of. However, the Coens themselves were born in Minnesota.
Bruce Campbell makes an uncredited cameo in the film.
Industry Reviews
"...A terrific, twisted comedy....A dazzling mix of mirth and malice....McDormand wins your heart..."
Rolling Stone - p.104 - Peter Travers (03/21/1996)
"...The Coens prove themselves masters of orchestrating cross-purposes plots....FARGO is a further demonstration of Joel Coen's remarkable ability to mix comedy with horror..."
Sight and Sound - p.40-1 - Kim Newman (06/01/1996)
"...McDormand's uproariously sly-spry performance connects with Roger Deakins' bleakly beautiful photography to create one of the Coens' most consistently successful outings..." -- 3 out of 4 stars
USA Today - p.7D - Mike Clark
"...FARGO is a strikingly mature, unique entertainment that plays on many levels...all satisfying..."
Variety - Leonard Klady (02/12/1996)
"...With the perfect assist from their actors, all of whom are well in on the joke, this affectionate look at the frozen North brings the Coens back in from the cold..."
Los Angeles Times - Kenneth Turan (03/08/1996)
"...A great movie....FARGO is true toe the rhythms of small-town life....William H. Macy's performance is an implosion of fear and frustration..."
Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert (04/15/2001)
Quotations
"Yah?" "Yah."--just about every character in the film, at one time or another
"Oh--I just, I think I'm gonna barf."--Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand)
"Geez, you okay, Margie?"--Lou (Bruce Bohne)
"I'm fine--it's just morning sickness....Well, that passed."--Marge
"Yah?"--Lou
"Yah. Now I'm hungry again."--Marge
"Say, Lou, ya hear the one about the guy who couldn't afford personalized license plates so he went and changed his name to J2L 4685?"--Marge
"Yah, that's a good one."--Lou
"Okay, so we got a trooper pulls someone over, we got a shooting, these folks drive
by, there's a high-speed pursuit, ends here, and then this execution-type deal."--Marge
"Just keep it still back there, lady, or we're going to have to, you know, shoot you."--Carl Showalter (Steve Buscemi)
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