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Fargo (8-Mar-1996)

Director: Joel Coen

Writers: Ethan Coen; Joel Coen

Music by: Carter Burwell

Producer: Ethan Coen

Keywords: Dark Comedy, Kidnapping

A used car salesman, his life and finances in disarray, hires two dullwits to kidnap his wife in expectation of a ransom from his wealthy father-in-law. Superb dark comedy, among the best from the Coen Brothers. Won Oscars for Best Actress and Best Screenplay; received nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Supporting Actor and Best Editing. Entered 2006 into the National Film Registry.

NameOccupationBirthDeathKnown for
Steve Buscemi
Actor
13-Dec-1957   Reservoir Dogs
José Feliciano
Singer
10-Sep-1945   Feliz Navidad
John Carroll Lynch
Actor
1-Aug-1963   The Drew Carey Show
William H. Macy
Actor
13-Mar-1950   Fargo
Frances McDormand
Actor
23-Jun-1957   Fargo and Wonder Boys
Melissa Peterman
Actor
1-Jul-1970   Barbra Jean on Reba
Harve Presnell
Actor
14-Sep-1933 30-Jun-2009 When the Boys Meet the Girls
Peter Stormare
Actor
27-Aug-1953   Ran the woodchipper in Fargo

CAST

Frances McDormand   ...   Marge Gunderson
William H. Macy   ...   Jerry Lundegaard
Steve Buscemi   ...   Carl Showalter
Harve Presnell   ...   Wade Gustafson
Peter Stormare   ...   Gaear Grimsrud
Kristin Rudrüd   ...   Jean Lundegaard
Tony Denman   ...   Scotty Lundegaard
Gary Houston   ...   Irate Customer
Sally Wingert   ...   Irate Customer's Wife
Kurt Schweickhardt   ...   Car Salesman
Larissa Kokernot   ...   Hooker #1
Melissa Peterman   ...   Hooker #2
Steven Reevis   ...   Shep Proudfoot
Warren Keith   ...   Reilly Diefenbach
Steve Edelman   ...   Morning Show Host
Sharon Anderson   ...   Morning Show Hostess
Larry Brandenburg   ...   Stan Grossman
James Gaulke   ...   Trooper
J. Todd Anderson   ...   Victim in Field
Michelle Suzanne LeDoux   ...   Victim in Car
John Carroll Lynch   ...   Norm Gunderson
Bruce Bohne   ...   Lou
Petra Boden   ...   Cashier
Steve Park   ...   Mike Yanagita
Wayne Evenson   ...   Customer
Cliff Rakerd   ...   Officer Olson
Jessica Shepherd   ...   Hotel Clerk
Peter Schmitz   ...   Airport Lot Attendant
Steve Schaefer   ...   Mechanic
Michelle Hutchinson   ...   Escort
David Lomax   ...   Man in Hallway
José Feliciano   ...   Himself
Don William Skahill   ...   Night Parking Attendant
Bain Boehlke   ...   Mr. Mohra
Rose Stockton   ...   Valerie
Robert Ozasky   ...   Bismarck Cop #1
John Bandemer   ...   Bismarck Cop #2
Don Wescott   ...   Bark Beetle Narrator

REVIEWS

Review by anonymous (posted on 30-Dec-2006)

I'm a little biased because I'm from Minnesota and a fan of the Cohen brothers work. On that note, I really enjoyed Fargo. Many people up north had a problem with the dialect because they felt that it made us look stupid, but I thought that it was dead on. The movie is based on a true story and to say that truth is stranger than fiction would be an understatement. This show is a dark comedy that kept me entertained from beginning to end. The story is of an ambitious, unscrupulous car salesman, Jerry Lundegard (Macy) who is of less than average intelligence. He works for his father-in-law's dealership and while the father-in-law is quite wealthy, Jerry's gotten himself into substantial financial hardship and is looking for an easy way out. He hires two criminals to kidnap his wife and all hell breaks loose. To make a long story short, the kidnapping is botched, the father-in-law and one of the kidnappers get killed along with a cop and several innocent victims and Lundegard ends up doing hard time for his role in the affair. One of the most famous moments from the scene is when Francis McDormand comes upon Peter Storemare running Steve Buscemi through a wood chipper. "Is that your buddy in the woodchippa?" The show is hilarious in parts and it makes for a great viewing, I'd recommend it to anyone that enjoys dark comedy and Minnesotan accents.


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