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Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare, Harve Presnell ... see more see more... , John Carroll Lynch , Kristin Rudrud , Larry Brandenburg , Stephen Park , Bruce Campbell , Gary Houston , Warren Keith , Steve Reevis , Jose Feliciano , Sharon Anderson , Cliff Rakerd , John Carroll , Kristen Rudrud , Tony Denman , Steve Park

Filmmaking siblings Joel Coen and Ethan Coen both embraced and poked satirical fun at their Minnesotan roots with this comedy-drama-thriller that earned seven Oscar nominations, winning for Best Actre... read more read more...ss and Best Original Screenplay. Frances McDormand stars as Marge Gunderson, a pregnant police chief whose affable, folksy demeanor masks a whip-smart mind. When a pair of motorists are found slain not far from the corpse of a state trooper, Marge begins piecing together a case involving a pair of dopey would-be kidnappers, Carl (Steve Buscemi) and Gaear (Bergman stock player Peter Stormare). They've been hired by Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy), a car salesman under the thumb of his wealthy, overbearing boss and father-in-law, Wade (Harve Presnell). Jerry's raised some money illegally through a petty scam he's run on General Motors and he's about to get caught. When Wade sours a business deal that could save his son-in-law's hide, the desperate Jerry hires Carl and Gaear to kidnap his wife and hold her for ransom. Things go predictably wrong and a series of murders occur, with Marge, waddling along behind her enormous belly and ever-hungering for an all-you-can-eat buffet, hot on the trail of the killers. Although the credits for Fargo state that the film is loosely based on real events, the story is entirely fictional, the claim being just an ironic jibe on the part of the Coens. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

Flixster Users

91% liked it

193,104 ratings

Critics

94% liked it

67 critics

R, 1 hr. 37 min.

Directed by: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Release Date: March 8, 1996

Keywords: dark, crime, funny, brothers

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DVD Release Date: June 24, 1997

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Stats: 13,845 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (13,845)

  • fb1463751009
    March 9, 2012
    fb1463751009
    Fargo is absolutely incredible. Every scene is captured with so many layers and layers of emotion and wit. A must watch.
  • ironclad1609
    March 8, 2012
    ironclad1609
    The most absurd and crazy stories are still written by life itself. This is based on a real crime happening in Minnesota in the 1980s. Of course the Coen brothers find the right tone to tell this tale of greed, stupidity and violence. Sometimes you're not sure whether you're supp... read moreosed to laugh or shake your head and end up doing both. The cast is excellent, especially William H. Macy as a man who is in way over his head and Frances McDormand as pregnant police woman, who's a lot smarter than she seems and gives the not very flattering portrayal of the local people a lovable face. As things get more and more dire, she is the beacon of common sense and humanity in midst of a circle of crime that goes further and further down the spiral. McDorman deserved her Oscar for that, just like the brilliant, funny, realistic and gloomy script. Probably the best Coens film of the 90s.
  • thmtsang
    March 1, 2012
    thmtsang
    A pregnant cop investigates a series of murders when a kidnapping goes horribly wrong. Violent dark comedy. Good cast. Despite the opening intro, this is not a true story.
  • fb729949618
    September 24, 2011
    fb729949618
    Crazy, but my lord is it entertaining. One of the best film's of the 90's.
  • theunknownhobo
    August 24, 2011
    theunknownhobo
    Again the Coen Bros do what they do best and deliver a deliciously dark black comedy. Frances McDormand has to be one of my favourite actress' and does not fail to deliver in Fargo, which is one of my faves from the Bros.
  • brownman83
    July 10, 2011
    brownman83
    When I first heard of Fargo, I thought from all these reviews that it was a comedy. When I read the genre, it told me it was a crime-thriller. And before I watched it on Epix, I learned it was a dark comedy. Then I thought I was gonna hate this movie, for the film "A Serious Man"... read more was a dark-comedy and was also directed by the Coen brothers, was a complete and utter failure to me. But I soon came to realize something during the film; this movie is amazing. It started as a comedy, in which the laughs were very dark and enjoyable, then grew into a problematic drama, which grew into a crime film, and then quickly into a thriller. All the genres that I expected were in the film, but never was my first thought about it. Fargo is a film that surprised me completely. Winning two academy awards (Best Actress and Best Original Screenplay), Fargo is an exciting adventure to watch. Based in small cities of Minnesota, Fargo is about a car salesman who tries to buy an investment on a parking lot. He needs money, so he decides to hire two thugs to kidnap his wife and ask for ransom from her father (who is extremely wealthy) so he can get the money to invest. But not all goes as planned, and murder, lying, robbery, and much more occur in the events that happen afterwards. Joel and Ethan always seem to make me happy (besides "A Serious Man"), and not many directors can do that. The Acting was very well done, and I disagree with the Academy at not giving William H. Macy a nomination for Best Lead Actor, let alone not giving him a win for Best Supporting Actor. I believe his acting was better than Francis McDormand's, although she did deserve her win. Steve Beschumi also played his part as a villain well, as he always does. The Cinematography of this film was good. But I am also upset with the Academy for not giving this film a nomination for the score, which was excellent. It was perfect for the film, and fit the scenes well. If I heard this score again, I'd know it was from Fargo. The film really revolves around the characters alot in the film, and I give much respect for the film. The different character's lives and feelings were depicted in a very different way, with scenes that just brought happiness, terror, or humor to the eyes of the character's, and the audiences. But, there were little parts in the film that I didn't like, starting with some unnecessary scenes. There were amounts of sex in the film which didn't need to be there, and some scenes that didn't make any sense. And then there was the fact that the police officer was pregnant, which brought a few laughs to the film, but no actual meaning to the plot. That's really all. All in all, this was a film that should be viewed by any happy, mature audience, and should be praised highly by any open-minded movie goer.


    If you still didnt't understand why i gave this film the rating it got, please visit the link below:

    http://www.rottentomatoes.com/user/935623/blogs/?id=703501
  • fb100001050230219
    July 3, 2011
    fb100001050230219
    The way Fargo's plot unravels is executed masterfully by the Coen brothers. Terrific dialogue, characters and performances feature in this fantastic crime dramaedy of sorts.
  • ajv2688
    June 24, 2011
    ajv2688
    This cult classic is an hilarious black comedy full of action, suspense, and drama. I loved it, and I highly recommend it.
  • ythelastman89
    June 5, 2011
    ythelastman89
    Sometimes, a lot of the time actually, I seem to forget how good of a movie Fargo truly is. I think a lot of movies that are deemed "Cult Classics" tend to warrant high expectations. When I first saw Fargo, I didn't really know what it was that made people so nuts over it. I thin... read morek a lot of what makes Fargo great is when you aren't expecting something from it. It works a lot better as just a movie, not one with a ton of baggage. Much like The Usual Suspects, it was one of the most over-exposed movies of the 90s. Both movies have suffered over the years for being just too popular for their own good and for the wrong reasons a lot of the time. Now, I think enough time has passed that everyone can sit down and watch Fargo how it was meant to be seen.
    Fargo essentially meshes crime, comedy, and drama all into one and makes a really unique effect with it. Most of the performances here are what makes it a comedy, the plot makes it indefinitely crime and the music sets a bizarre dramatic feeling that you don't see coming. William H. Macy, Frances McDormand and the rest of the Minnesota based characters are all over-played caricatures, earning them really funny moments where there might not otherwise be any. Those accents are completely ridiculous, but somehow it just fits into the whole nutball series of events. The plot is really interesting in that the movie zigzags around it rather than the other way around. Instead of introducing us to all the principle characters first, it takes us almost forty minutes to get around to our principle character. I think that takes away any sort of predictability away from the story; what happens, happens. The Coen Brothers definitely take a very interesting approach to the music in this, it just really has an amazing effect on setting the mood and bring emotional weight to what is happening.
    Now this, like all of the Coen Brother's movies, is extremely well shot and put together flawlessly. They are extremely talented writers/directors that seem to just get movies in a way that not many others do. You can tell they know film history like the backs of their hands and have the up most respect for the process. You can see how much time and effort is put into each of their movies and this is one of the prime examples of it. Everything you feel is meant to be felt and that is a kind of control that is hard to achieve.
  • stevenecarrier
    June 1, 2011
    stevenecarrier
    The Coen Brothers' comedies (and this is very much one of their comedies) always seem a bit insignificant in comparison to their dramas (like "No Country for Old Men" and "A Serious Man"). This is because they are concerned with the stupidity of people and there is only so much o... read morene can do with that topic. "Burn After Reading" and "Intolerable Cruelty" are so fluffy that they could essentially evaporate in front of you. What saves "Fargo" from this fate is that it plays around, quite nicely, with expectation in truth and lie. That pesky "based on a true story' title card certainly mixes things up. "Fargo" also works as well as it does because of Frances McDormand, William H. Macy and Steve Buscemi's performances. They always remain real, pointed and hilarious. "Fargo" is a neat little movie that is full of wit and some interesting existential dilemmas.

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Critic Reviews

Leonard Klady
November 6, 2007
Leonard Klady, Variety

Fargo is a strikingly mature, uniqueentertainment that plays on many levels ... all satisfying. Full Review

Rita Kempley
January 18, 2002
Rita Kempley, Washington Post

Gunderson (Frances McDormand) [is] the most endearing, hilarious and wholly feminine heroine since Thelma or Louise.

Kenneth Turan
February 14, 2001
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

Chief Gunderson was created by the Coens specifically for Frances McDormand ... and they've been rewarded by a brilliant and unblinking comic performance. Full Review

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

It's easy to admire what the Coens are trying to do in Fargo, but more difficult to actually like the film. Full Review

Richard Corliss
January 1, 2000
Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine

All attitude and low aptitude. Its function is to italicize the Coens' giddy contempt toward people who talk and think Minnesotan.

Susan Stark
January 1, 2000
Susan Stark, Detroit News

With Fargo, Joel and Ethan Coen return to the glory days of 1987 and Raising Arizona. Full Review

Peter Stack
January 1, 2000
Peter Stack, San Francisco Chronicle

A crime gem that is darkly funny even when it's chilling -- and certain to become a classic. Full Review

Joe Baltake
January 1, 2000
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

Funny without really trying to be, and it proves conclusively that fact is stranger than fiction. Full Review

Keith Simanton
January 1, 2000
Keith Simanton, Film.com

Uniquely fascinating.

Shannon Gee
January 1, 2000
Shannon Gee, Film.com

Has a murder mystery, a heist gone wrong, tragedy, comedy, and well flushed out characters that are both simple and complex at the same time.

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Facts

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    • Marge Gunderson: So that was Mrs. Lundegaard on the floor in there. And I guess that was your accomplice in the wood chipper. And those three people in Brainerd. And for what? For a little bit of money. There's more to life than a little money, you know. Don'tcha know that? And here ya are, and it's a beautiful day. Well. I just don't understand it.
    • Marge Gunderson: And I guess that was your accomplice in the wood chipper?
    • Jerry Lundegaard: Ma'am, I answered your question.
    • Jerry Lundegaard: Yeah.
    • Jerry Lundegaard: You're darned tootin'!
    • Marge Gunderson: Say, Lou, didya hear the one about the guy who couldn't afford personalized plates, so he went and changed his name to J3L2404?
    • Officer Olson: Yah that's a good one.
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Fargo Trivia

  • Which of these movies is not based on a novel?  Answer »
  • He was in Reservior Dogs, Fargo, Miller's Crossing, Armageddon, and Monsters Inc.  Answer »
  • Who has starred in the following movies? - Resevoir Dogs - Con Air - Armageddon - The Big Lebowski - Fargo  Answer »
  • Frances McDormand won an Oscar for her role in Fargo ?  Answer »
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