Film Snail

7.9

Fargo

R·1996·98m

Crime

Drama

Thriller

Crime

Drama

Thriller

Summary

Jerry, a small-town Minnesota car salesman is bursting at the seams with debt... but he's got a plan. He's going to hire two thugs to kidnap his wife in a scheme to collect a hefty ransom from his wealthy father-in-law. It's going to be a snap and nobody's going to get hurt... until people start dying. Enter Police Chief Marge, a coffee-drinking, parka-wearing - and extremely pregnant - investigator who'll stop at nothing to get her man. And if you think her small-time investigative skills will give the crooks a run for their ransom... you betcha!

Cast

Frances McDormand

Marge Gunderson

William H. Macy

Jerry Lundegaard

Steve Buscemi

Carl Showalter

Peter Stormare

Gaear Grimsrud

Harve Presnell

Wade Gustafson

John Carroll Lynch

Norm Gunderson

Kristin Rudrüd

Jean Lundegaard

Bruce Bohne

Lou

Steve Reevis

Shep Proudfoot

Steve Park

Mike Yanagita

Gary Houston

Irate Customer

Sally Wingert

Irate Customer's Wife

Larissa Kokernot

Hooker #1

Melissa Peterman

Hooker #2

Tony Denman

Scotty Lundegaard

Larry Brandenburg

Stan Grossman

Michelle Hutchison

Escort

Bain Boehlke

Mr. Mohra

Warren Keith

Reilly Diefenbach (voice)

Michelle LeDoux

Victim In Car

Steve Edelman

Morning Show Host

Sharon Anderson

Morning Show Hostess

Kurt Schweickhardt

Car Salesman

James Gaulke

State Trooper

J. Todd Anderson

Victim in the Field

Michelle Suzanne LeDoux

Victim in Car

Petra Boden

Cashier

Wayne A. Evenson

Customer

Cliff Rakerd

Officer Olson

Jessica Shepherd

Hotel Clerk

Peter Schmitz

Airport Lot Attendant

Steven I. Schafer

Mechanic

David S. Lomax

Man in Hallway

José Feliciano

Bix Skahill

Night Parking Attendant

Rose Stockton

Valerie (voice)

Robert Ozasky

Bismarck Cop #1

John Bandemer

Bismarck Cop #2

Don Wescott

Bark Beetle Narrator (voice)

Bruce Campbell

Soap Opera Actor on TV (uncredited)

Crew

Director, Screenplay

Joel Coen

Screenplay

Ethan Coen

Reviews

Kamurai

October 18, 2020

Great watch, could watch again, and can recommend.

It is very sad that this happened to people, but the way the story is told is so good that I felt like that sadness melted away fairly quickly.

This movie holds up after 25 years, and it is dated, but with cellphones the story would change dramatically, and that would be a good alternative history subject for a different movie.

A great cast, excellent deliveries, an amazing story, and the cinematography is a favorite on this one. The setting of a snowy Minnesota really allows for some great isolation scenes and highlights the "coldness" of the motivations in the story.

I think they even summarize the events at one point as "all over a little money", and it's spot on.

I can't say that any one thing is spectacular, but everything is done so well, I honestly think this is a great example of how to shoot a movie.