Fargo

Fargo, American dark comedy crime thriller, released in 1996 and set mostly in the dead of winter in Minnesota, that revolves around a debt-ridden car salesman, a botched kidnapping, a triple homicide, and the pregnant small-town police chief who investigates the murders. Written, directed, and produced by brothers Joel and Ethan Coen, the award-winning film came to be regarded as a classic neo-noir and one of the finest movies made by the Coen brothers.

Summary and characters

In the opening scene a sedan towing a new tan Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera through a blinding blizzard is seen approaching a bar in Fargo, North Dakota. The driver, Minneapolis car salesman Jerry Lundegaard (played by William H. Macy), enters the bar to meet with two men, Carl Showalter (Steve Buscemi) and Gaear Grimsrud (Peter Stormare). The meeting has been arranged by a mechanic at Lundegaard’s car dealership, which is owned by his father-in-law, Wade Gustafson (Harve Presnell). Immediately, Lundegaard’s lateness and his Midwestern earnestness annoy the disgruntled motormouth Showalter and the menacingly quiet Grimsrud.

Lundegaard shares his plan to have the two men kidnap his wife, Jean (Kristin Rudrüd), in exchange for the tan Ciera and half of the $80,000 in ransom money to be demanded from Gustafson for the safe return of his daughter. Without elaborating on the reason, Lundegaard reveals that he is in debt and that his father-in-law is a wealthy man. Showalter and Grimsrud agree to the deal.

The next day Lundegaard returns home to find his father-in-law there with Jean and their son, Scotty (Tony Denman). During dinner, it is clear that the older man is used to being in charge of all situations. Nevertheless, Lundegaard proposes a business deal involving a parking lot and requiring a $750,000 loan. Gustafson scoffs at the idea, telling Lundegaard that his associate Stan Grossman (Larry Brandenberg) reviews all his deals. Later, Lundegaard finds out that Gustafson and Grossman are pursuing the deal without him, which furthers his determination to proceed with the kidnapping, even though he had had second thoughts.

After the kidnapping, Showalter and Grimsrud drive the tan Ciera to a secluded cabin at night through the snow, having tied up Jean and covered her with a tarp in the backseat. On the way, they are stopped by a state trooper for driving without registration tags. They order Jean to keep quiet, and Showalter assures Grimsrud that he will take care of the situation. He then tries to bribe the officer. Meanwhile, Jean begins moaning, further arousing the officer’s suspicions. Much to Showalter’s shock, Grimsrud suddenly shoots the officer. This leads to Grimsrud killing two more people who happen to drive by and witness Showalter dragging the officer’s body off the road.

After this string of horrific events, Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand), the cheerful and heavily pregnant chief of police of Brainerd, Minnesota, near where the murders occurred, is tasked with investigating the triple homicide. Leaving the crime scene, she deduces that the abbreviation DLR in the tag number section of the dead trooper’s citation book indicates that the killers’ car had dealer plates. She later gets a tip about two men driving a Ciera who checked into a truckers motel. This leads her to the Gustafson dealership, where she is told by a panicking and dumbstruck Lundegaard that no new vehicles are missing from the lot.

Meanwhile, Showalter and Grimsrud decide to double their fee for the kidnapping because of the circumstances that have arisen from the murders. Not trusting Lundegaard, Gustafson tells his son-in-law that he will deliver the ransom money to retrieve Jean himself. When he goes to meet Showalter, he refuses to pay until Showalter hands over his daughter, who has been left behind in the cabin with Grimsrud. A shoot-out ensues, resulting in Gustafson shooting Showalter in the face and the agitated Showalter killing Gustafson.

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Showalter flees the scene and discovers $1 million in Gustafson’s briefcase, the amount Lundegaard had dishonestly told his father-in-law was the kidnappers’ demand. Showalter keeps $80,000 and buries the rest in the snow on the side of the highway. When he returns to the cabin, he finds that Grimsrud has killed Jean. He offers Grimsrud half of the $80,000 but says he is keeping the Ciera. Before Showalter can leave, Grimsrud kills him with an axe.

In the end Gunderson finds the cabin after spotting the tan Ciera and she arrests Grimsrud. After apprehending him, she expresses dismay that anyone would commit such heinous crimes “for a little bit of money,” adding, “There’s more to life than a little money, you know. Don’t you know that?”

Lundegaard is arrested later at a cheap motel. Back home, Gunderson’s husband tells her that his painting of a mallard was selected to appear on a new postage stamp, and the two happily anticipate the arrival of their baby.

Reception and awards

Fargo had a limited release in U.S. theaters in March 1996 before a widespread release the following month. In May it premiered at the Cannes film festival, where Joel Coen won the award for best director. In 1997 the film received seven Academy Award nominations, including best picture. It won the Oscars for best original screenplay (Joel and Ethan Coen) and best actress (McDormand).

The movie was acclaimed by critics for its intricate plot exploring the dark side of the human psyche, juxtaposed against the humor and warmth of its quirky characters, in particular Marge Gunderson. Also notable is the film’s pitch-perfect Midwestern-inflected dialogue, much of it spoken in a chipper Minnesota dialect. Further, Fargo’s cinematography was praised for reflecting the bleakness of northern winters and incorporating shots that deepen viewers’ understanding of the film’s characters. Additionally, the movie’s musical theme, which is based on a Scandinavian melody, was singled out by critics for adding an appropriately ominous and mournful undertone. A commercial as well as critical success, the film grossed more than $50 million worldwide.

Legacy and TV series

In 2006 the Library of Congress added Fargo to its National Film Registry, a film preservation program that recognizes works of cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance. The film spawned a successful television series, which debuted in 2014 and ran through 2024 for five nonconsecutive seasons. Among the actors who have appeared in the series are Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, Jesse Plemons, Kirsten Dunst, Chris Rock, Ewan McGregor, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Jon Hamm. The series garnered many Emmy Awards, including the award for outstanding miniseries in 2014.