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{{Short description|1996 film by the Coen Brothers}}
{{Infobox Film
{{Good article}}
| name = Fargo
{{Use American English|date=February 2024}}
| image = Fargo.jpg
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
| caption = The theatrical poster.
{{Infobox film
| director = [[Coen Brothers|Joel Coen]] <br /> [[Ethan Coen]] (uncredited)
| name = Fargo
| producer = [[Coen Brothers|Ethan Coen]] <br /> [[Joel Coen]] (uncredited)
| image = Fargo.jpg
| writer = [[Coen Brothers|Joel Coen]] <br /> [[Ethan Coen]]
| alt = A man lies face down in snow in a pool of blood, presumably his own. A upside down vehicle can be seen in the distance. Above the man, the words "Fargo" and "a homespun murder story" can be seen in red. The image has the appearance of being crafted by cross-stitch.
| narrator =
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| starring = [[Frances McDormand]]<br />[[William H. Macy]]<br />[[Steve Buscemi]]<br />[[Peter Stormare]]<br />[[Harve Presnell]]
| director = [[Coen brothers|Joel Coen]]<ref name="BFI"/><ref name="AFI"/>
| music = [[Carter Burwell]]
| writer = {{plainlist|
* Joel Coen
* Ethan Coen
}}
| producer = Ethan Coen<ref name="BFI"/><ref name="AFI"/>
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Frances McDormand]]
* [[William H. Macy]]
* [[Steve Buscemi]]
* [[Harve Presnell]]
* [[Peter Stormare]]
}}
| cinematography = [[Roger Deakins]]
| cinematography = [[Roger Deakins]]
| editing = [[Coen Brothers|Roderick Jaynes]]
| editing = [[Roderick Jaynes]]{{efn|Roderick Jaynes is the shared pseudonym used by the Coen brothers for their editing.}}
| distributor = [[Gramercy Pictures]]
| music = [[Carter Burwell]]
| studio = [[Working Title Films]]
| released = '''[[United States]]''':<br />[[March 8]], [[1996]]<br />'''[[Canada]]''':<br />[[April 5]], [[1996]]<br />'''[[United Kingdom]]''':<br /> [[May 31]], [[1996]]<br />'''[[Australia]]''':<br />[[June 6]], [[1996]]
| runtime = 98 min.
| distributor = {{Plainlist|
* [[PolyGram Filmed Entertainment]] (International)<ref name=bbfc/>
| country = [[Cinema of the United Kingdom|UK]]<br />[[Cinema of the United States|US]]
* [[Gramercy Pictures]] (United States and Canada)
| language = [[English language|English]]
}}<!-- Original theatrical distributors only -->
| budget = [[United States dollar|$]]7 million <small>(est.)</small>
| released = {{Film date|1996|3|8|United States|1996|5|31|United Kingdom}}
| preceded_by =
| runtime = 98 minutes<ref name=bbfc>{{cite web |title=Fargo |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/fargo-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zmtkynjq |website=[[British Board of Film Classification]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731072503/https://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/fargo-1970-9|archive-date=July 31, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>
| followed_by =
| website =
| country = {{Plainlist|
* United Kingdom<ref name="BFI">{{cite web |title=Fargo (1995) |url=http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b7deca58c |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120714060722/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b7deca58c |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 14, 2012 |publisher=[[British Film Institute]]}}</ref><ref name="AFI">{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/60219|title=Fargo|publisher=[[American Film Institute]]|access-date=June 19, 2020|archive-date=December 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201224132801/https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/60219|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://lumiere.obs.coe.int/web/film_info/?id=67|title=Fargo|publisher=[[Lumiere (database)|Lumiere]]|access-date= June 24, 2021}}</ref>
| amg_id = 1:135867
* United States
| imdb_id = 0116282
}}
| language = English
| budget = $7 million<ref name="Mojo">{{cite web |title=Fargo (1996) |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0116282/|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201013130115/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0116282/|archive-date=October 13, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>
| gross = $60.6 million<ref name="Mojo"/>
}}
}}
'''''Fargo''''' is a [[1996]] [[United States|American]] [[thriller (genre)|thriller]] [[film]] produced, directed, and written by brothers [[Coen Brothers|Ethan and Joel Coen]]. Set in the [[Upper Midwest]] [[United States]], it is the tale of a car salesman who hires two men to kidnap his wife for a ransom of $80,000. The crime sets off a chain of murders, which in turn are investigated by pregnant police chief Marge Gunderson. The film stars [[Frances McDormand]], [[William H. Macy]], [[Steve Buscemi]], [[Peter Stormare]], and [[Harve Presnell]].


'''''Fargo''''' is a 1996 [[black comedy]] [[crime film]] written, directed, produced and edited by [[Coen brothers|Joel and Ethan Coen]]. [[Frances McDormand]] stars as Marge Gunderson, a pregnant [[Minnesota]] [[chief of police|police chief]] investigating a triple homicide that takes place after a desperate car salesman ([[William H. Macy]]) hires two dim-witted criminals ([[Steve Buscemi]] and [[Peter Stormare]]) to kidnap his wife in order to extort a hefty [[ransom]] from her wealthy father ([[Harve Presnell]]). The film was an American and British co-production.
''Fargo'' earned seven [[Academy Award]] nominations, winning two for [[Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]] for the Coens, and [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress in a Leading Role]] for McDormand.<ref>http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/DisplayMain.jsp?curTime=1218757523251</ref> The film also won the British [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA Award]] and the Award for Best Director for Joel Coen at the 1996 [[Cannes Film Festival]].


Filmed in the United States in late 1995, ''Fargo'' premiered at the [[1996 Cannes Film Festival]], where Joel Coen won the festival's ''[[Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Director|Prix De La Mise En Scène]]'' (Best Director Award) and the film was nominated for the [[Palme d'Or]]. The film was both a critical and commercial success, earning particular acclaim for the Coens' direction and script and the performances of McDormand, Macy and Buscemi. ''Fargo'' received seven [[Academy Awards|Oscar]] nominations at the [[69th Academy Awards]], including [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]], [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]], and [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]] for Macy, winning two: [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]] for McDormand and [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]] for the Coens.
==Plot summary==
In [[1987]], Jerry Lundegaard ([[William H. Macy]]), an [[Oldsmobile]] car salesman from [[Minneapolis, Minnesota|Minneapolis]], hatches a plan to end unspecified but severe financial troubles. Through a mechanic at the car dealership, a [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] ex-convict named Shep Proudfoot, he enlists the service of Swedish ex-convict Gaear Grimsrud ([[Peter Stormare]]) and his partner, Carl Showalter ([[Steve Buscemi]]). At a bar in [[Fargo, North Dakota|Fargo]], [[North Dakota]], the three discuss Jerry's plan to kidnap his wife, Jean, who will be returned unharmed for a [[ransom]] of $80,000, half of which is to go to Jerry. Jerry's greater plan is to tell his wealthy but antagonistic father-in-law and boss, Wade Gustafson, that the ransom is $1 million intending to use the large difference to settle the debts he has accrued.


In 1998, the [[American Film Institute]] named it one of the [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies|100 greatest American films in history]] (the most recent film on the list up to that point) but it was subsequently de-listed in 2007. In 2006, the film was selected for preservation in the United States [[National Film Registry]] by the [[Library of Congress]] as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=2754999|title='Fargo,' 'Blazing Saddles' Added to National Film Registry|date=December 27, 2006|website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201014121659/https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=2754999|archive-date=October 14, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="National Film Registry"/> A Coen-produced [[FX (TV channel)|FX]] [[Fargo (TV series)|television series of the same name]], inspired by the film and taking place in the same [[fictional universe]], premiered in 2014 and received widespread critical acclaim.<ref>{{cite web |last=Goldberg |first=Lesley |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/fxs-fargo-cast-eps-film-671050 |title=FX's 'Fargo' Cast, EPs on Film Comparisons, Anthology Format, Courting Billy Bob Thornton |magazine=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=January 14, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201014121935/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/fxs-fargo-cast-eps-film-671050|archive-date=October 14, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>
Initially, Jerry attempts to get the money from his father-in-law legitimately, as an investment in a parking lot business plan. When Wade shows interest in the deal, Jerry contacts Shep Proudfoot, attempting to have the kidnapping plan called off, but he quickly relents once Shep tells him he has no contact with the two. Meanwhile, Wade, refusing to trust Jerry with the investment principal, refuses Jerry's deal and instead announces plans to finance the carpark plan independently of Jerry.


==Plot==
Jerry's half-hearted attempt to abort the kidnapping plan being unsuccessful, Jean is kidnapped from her home while Jerry is at work. When Jerry returns to his ransacked house, he calls and tells Wade about the situation. Jerry claims that the kidnappers insist that the police not be contacted or they will harm Jean. Wade relunctantly takes his advice, but only after the concurrence of his business partner Stan Grossman.
In 1987, Jerry Lundegaard is the executive sales manager of a [[Minneapolis]] car dealership owned by his father-in-law, Wade Gustafson. Desperate for money, he plans to have his wife Jean kidnapped so he can [[extortion|extort]] $80,000 from Wade. On the recommendation of dealership mechanic and parolee Shep Proudfoot, Jerry meets Gaear Grimsrud and Carl Showalter at a bar in [[Fargo, North Dakota]]. Gaear and Carl agree to kidnap Jean in exchange for a new [[Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera]] and $40,000 of the [[ransom]].


Believing he has secured a $750,000 loan from Wade for a lucrative real estate deal, Jerry tries to call off the kidnapping. However, Wade and his accountant Stan Grossman inform Jerry that Wade will handle the deal himself, offering Jerry only a modest finder's fee. Carl and Gaear kidnap Jean and transport her to a remote cabin in [[Moose Lake Township, Cass County, Minnesota|Moose Lake]]. A [[Minnesota State Patrol|state trooper]] stops them near [[Brainerd, Minnesota|Brainerd]] for not displaying temporary registration tags. The trooper rejects Carl's clumsy bribe attempt and orders Carl out of the car. When the trooper hears Jean whimpering in the back seat, Gaear shoots him dead, then kills two passers-by who witnessed the scene.
Later that night, the kidnapping plan takes a dramatic turn for the worse when a [[Minnesota State Patrol|state trooper]] pulls over the two kidnappers on [[Minnesota State Highway 371]] near [[Brainerd, Minnesota|Brainerd]], [[Minnesota]], as Carl has forgotten to replace the temporary car-dealership [[license plates]] on the car. After Carl botches an attempt at a bribe, Grimsrud pulls a pistol out of the glove compartment and kills the trooper. Two witnesses happen to drive by the crime scene and Grimsrud pursues and kills them as well.


Brainerd police chief Marge Gunderson, who is seven months pregnant, begins investigating. She correctly deduces that the dead trooper was ticketing a car with [[vehicle registration plates of the United States#General registration license plates|dealer plates]]. She later learns that two men driving a dealership vehicle checked into a nearby motel with two [[prostitutes|call girls]] and placed a call to Shep. Marge visits Wade's dealership, where Shep feigns ignorance and Jerry nervously insists no cars are missing. While in Minneapolis, Marge reconnects with Mike Yanagita, a high school classmate. Mike awkwardly tries to romance her before breaking down and telling her his wife has died.
The deaths are investigated the next morning by the local police chief and seven-month-[[pregnancy|pregnant]] Marge Gunderson ([[Frances McDormand]]). She quickly figures out the chain of events and follows leads such as the dealer tags in place of license plates on the murderers' vehicle and an interview of two dim-witted prostitutes with whom the kidnappers had sex earlier. She discovers that Shep is linked to the murderers through phone records from a truck stop where the kidnappers met with the hookers. Marge decides to take a trip to Minneapolis for investigations and to get together with an old friend from high school named Mike Yanagita who tells her he is now a widower and awkwardly tries to flirt with her, before breaking down in tears.


Marge interviews Shep and Jerry who both claim not to be involved in the situation. Shep later goes after Carl (who has come to Minneapolis to collect the money from Jerry), interrupts him having sex with a hooker and beats him up for getting him in trouble and threatening his freedom on parole. Recovered, but humiliated and angry, Carl demands Jerry deliver him the money atop a parking garage; Wade, mistrustful of his son-in-law, decides to deliver the ransom himself but attempts to bully Carl, refusing to hand over the money until his daughter is returned. Carl and Wade exchange gunfire, leaving Wade dead and Carl bleeding heavily from a bullet wound to the jaw. Leaving the parking garage, Carl also shoots and kills the lot attendant when the attendant does not open the gate.
In light of the three murders, Carl demands Jerry hand over the entire $80,000. Jerry tells Wade the kidnappers have demanded $1 million and will deal only through him. Shep finds Carl with a call girl in Shep's Minneapolis apartment and beats him for bringing Shep to the police's attention. Carl angrily calls Jerry and demands that he bring the money immediately. Wade insists on delivering the ransom himself and meets Carl at a parking garage. Wade refuses to hand over the money without seeing his daughter, so Carl shoots him. Wade fires back, wounding Carl in the jaw. Carl kills Wade and a garage attendant, then drives away with the cash.


On the way to Moose Lake, Carl discovers the briefcase contains $1 million. He takes out $80,000 to split with Gaear and buries the rest in the snow alongside the highway. Marge learns from a friend that Yanagita lied; he has no wife and is mentally ill. Reflecting on this, Marge returns to Wade's dealership. An agitated Jerry again insists no cars are missing and tells Marge he will double-check the inventory. Marge sees Jerry driving off the lot and calls the state police.
Meanwhile, Jerry must field phone calls from a GMAC representative from whom he has obtained a fraudulent loan, ostensibly for the purchase of cars for the dealership. The GMAC rep complains that he cannot read the [[vehicle identification number]]s on the financing documents he faxed, and therefore cannot correlate the money ($320,000) with actual vehicles. The GMAC rep threatens legal action and an anxious Jerry sees his schemes collapsing around him.


At the cabin, Carl finds that Gaear killed Jean because she would not be quiet. Carl says they should split up and leave immediately, and they argue over who will keep the Ciera. Carl insults Gaear and attempts to leave with the car, but Gaear kills Carl with an axe. Marge drives to Moose Lake, tipped off by a local bartender who overheard a customer brag about killing someone. She sees the Ciera, then discovers Gaear feeding Carl's body into a [[woodchipper]]. Gaear attempts to flee, but Marge shoots him in the leg and arrests him. Shortly after, Jerry is arrested at a motel outside [[Bismarck, North Dakota]].
Discovering that the case contains a million dollars, Carl buries most of the money by the side of a remote, snowy prairie highway and crudely marks the location with an ice scraper so he can find it later. Carl returns to their backwoods hideout on [[Moose Lake, Minnesota|Moose Lake]] (with the expected $80,000). Grimsrud has murdered Jerry's wife for simply annoying him. Carl initiates a dispute over who gets the car, and Grimsrud kills him with an axe.


Marge's husband Norm tells her the [[United States Postal Service|Postal Service]] has selected his painting of a [[mallard]] for a three-cent [[postage stamp]] and complains that his friend's painting won the competition for a twenty-nine cent stamp. Marge reminds him that smaller denomination stamps are used to make up the difference between the face value of old stamps and the new cost of first-class postage. Norm is reassured, and the couple happily anticipates the birth of their child.
Before leaving Minneapolis on her way back to Brainerd, Marge learns that her friend Mike lied to her about being a widower (he was really stalking the woman he claimed to be his late wife and now has a restraining order). After hearing this, Marge returns to the car dealership and questions Jerry again because she suspects he too lied to her. Thinking he has been caught when Marge asks to see Wade, Jerry panics and flees the interview. Following up on a tip, she discovers where the kidnappers are hiding and comes on the property just in time to see Grimsrud pushing the last of Carl into a [[woodchipper|wood chipper]]. As Grimsrud flees, Marge shoots him in the leg and arrests him. On the drive back to the station, Marge talks to Grimsrud, unable to comprehend how he can do what he does "for a little bit of money."


==Cast==
Jerry is later arrested in a motel outside [[Bismarck, North Dakota|Bismarck]], [[North Dakota]] while on the run. In the final scene, Marge and her husband, Norm, sit in bed together watching television, and they discuss his mallard artwork winning the three-cent-stamp award. The fate of the hidden $920,000 remains unknown.
{{Cast listing|

* [[Frances McDormand]] as Marge Gunderson
== Cast and characters ==
* [[William H. Macy]] as Jerry Lundegaard
[[Image:Fargo Marge.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Frances McDormand as Marge Gunderson.]]
* [[Steve Buscemi]] as Carl Showalter
* [[Frances McDormand]] as Marge Olmstead-Gunderson, the [[Pregnancy|pregnant]] chief of police in [[Brainerd, Minnesota|Brainerd]], [[Minnesota]], investigating the murder of three people near her city. While seemingly a simpleton in character, she is not naive and demonstrates significant police-work and intelligence. She is very polite, likable, and intelligent.
* [[Harve Presnell]] as Wade Gustafson
* [[William H. Macy]] as Jerome "Jerry" Lundegaard, a [[Minneapolis-Saint Paul|Twin Cities]] car dealer who is heavily in debt and hires two men to kidnap his wife so he can collect the ransom from his wealthy father in law.
* [[Peter Stormare]] as Gaear Grimsrud
* [[Steve Buscemi]] as Carl Showalter, a talkative small-time crook who is hired by Lundegaard to kidnap Lundegaard's wife. The people who run into him invariably describe him as "kinda funny-lookin'" in a "general kinda' way."
* [[Kristin Rudrüd]] as Jean Lundegaard
* [[Peter Stormare]] as Gaear Grimsrud, Showalter's sociopathic partner. He is mostly silent and is capable of extreme violence. He is a heavy [[smoking|smoker]] of [[Marlboro (cigarette)|Marlboro]]s.
* [[Tony Denman]] as Scotty Lundegaard
* [[Harve Presnell]] as Wade Gustafson, the wealthy owner of the [[Oldsmobile]] dealership where Jerry Lundegaard works and the father of Jerry's wife.
* [[Steve Reevis]] as Shep Proudfoot
* Kristin Rudrüd as Jean Lundegaard, Jerry Lundegaard's wife, who is kidnapped.
* [[Larry Brandenburg]] as Stan Grossman
* [[Tony Denman]] as Scotty Lundegaard, Jerry and Jean's son.
* [[John Carroll Lynch]] as Norm Gunderson
* Larry Brandenburg as Stan Grossman, accountant and business partner of Wade Gustafson.
* [[Steve Park (comedian)|Steve Park]] as Mike Yanagita
* Steve Reevis as Shep Proudfoot, an ex-convict and mechanic at the car dealership. He puts Jerry in contact with Carl and Gaear.
* Bruce Bohne as Officer Lou Getchell
* [[John Carroll Lynch]] as Norm Gunderson, husband of Police Chief Marge Gunderson, and a wildlife artist vying to have his work selected for use on a [[postage stamp]].
* Larissa Kokernot as Hooker #1
* [[Steve Park (comedian)|Steve Park]] as Mike Yanagita, a high-school classmate of Marge Gunderson.
* David S. Lomax as Man in Hallway
* In the credits the [[Prince (musician)#Name change|modified symbol]] for [[Prince (musician)|Prince]]—a native of Minneapolis—is cited as playing the role of "Victim in Field". In fact the actor was J. Todd Anderson.
* [[Melissa Peterman]] as Hooker #2
* [[J. Todd Anderson]] as Victim in Field
* Michelle Suzanne LeDoux as Victim in Car
* [[Bain Boehlke]] as Mr. Mohra
* [[Warren Keith]] as Reilly Diefenbach
* James Gaulke as State Trooper
* [[José Feliciano]] as Himself
* Cliff Rakerd as Officer Olson
* Gary Houston as Irate Customer
* Steve Edelman as Morning Show Host
* Sally Wingert as Irate Customer's Wife
* [[Bruce Campbell]] (uncredited) as Soap Opera Actor on TV screen<ref>{{cite news |url=http://tvline.com/2015/03/24/bruce-campbell-ronald-reagan-fargo-season-2-cast/ |title=Fargo Elects Bruce Campbell to Play Ronald Reagan in Season 2 |work=TVLine |last=Ausiello |first=Michael |date=March 24, 2015 |access-date=March 25, 2015 |archive-date=February 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170222130736/http://tvline.com/2015/03/24/bruce-campbell-ronald-reagan-fargo-season-2-cast/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
}}


==Production==
==Production==
=== Fact vs. fiction ===
===Casting===
The Coens initially considered [[William H. Macy]] for a smaller role, but they were so impressed by his reading that they asked him to come back in and read for the role of Jerry. According to Macy, he was very persistent in getting the role, saying: "I found out that they [the Coen brothers] were auditioning in [[New York City|New York]] still, so I got my jolly, jolly [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]] ass on an airplane and walked in and said, 'I want to read again because I'm scared you're going to screw this up and hire someone else.' I actually said that. You know, you can't play that card too often as an actor. Sometimes it just blows up in your face, but I said, 'Guys, this is my role. I want this.{{'"}}<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Sullivan |first=Kevin P. |date=March 8, 2016 |title=Fargo at 20: William H. Macy recalls his wonderful wintry freakout |url=https://www.ew.com/article/2016/03/08/fargo-20th-anniversary-william-h-macy |url-status=live |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805185304/https://ew.com/article/2016/03/08/fargo-20th-anniversary-william-h-macy/ |archive-date=August 5, 2020}}</ref> Ethan Coen later remarked, "I don't think either of us [Coen brothers] realised what a tough acting challenge we were handing Bill Macy with this part. Jerry's a fascinating mix of the completely ingenuous and the utterly deceitful. Yet he's also guileless; even though he set these horrible events in motion, he's surprised when they go wrong."<ref>{{cite web |author=Floyd |first=Nigel |date=May 31, 1996 |title=Snow blind |url=https://archive.list.co.uk/the-list/1996-05-31/21/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201014123543/https://archive.list.co.uk/the-list/1996-05-31/21/ |archive-date=October 14, 2020 |access-date=July 7, 2019 |website=The List}}</ref>
''Fargo'' opens with the following text:


[[Frances McDormand]] learned how to use and fire a gun, spent days talking with a pregnant police officer and developed a backstory for her character along with [[John Carroll Lynch]]. After seeing the movie, McDormand noted that much of Marge was modeled on her sister Dorothy, who is a [[Disciples of Christ]] minister and chaplain.<ref>{{cite web |author=Fuller |first=Graham |date=March 17, 1996 |title=How Frances McDormand Got Into 'Minnesota Nice' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/17/movies/how-frances-mcdormand-got-into-minnesota-nice.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922233820/https://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/17/movies/how-frances-mcdormand-got-into-minnesota-nice.html |archive-date=September 22, 2020 |website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>
{{cquote|THIS IS A TRUE STORY. The events depicted in this film took place in Minnesota in 1987. At the request of the survivors, the names have been changed. Out of respect for the dead, the rest has been told exactly as it occurred.}}


===Filming===
Although the film itself is completely fictional, the Coen brothers claim that many of the events that take place in the movie were actually based on true events from other cases that they threw together to make one story. Joel Coen said, "We weren't interested in that kind of fidelity. The basic events are the same as in the real case, but the characterizations are fully imagined." He later noted, "If an audience believes that something's based on a real event, it gives you permission to do things they might otherwise not accept."
''Fargo'' was filmed during the winter of 1995, mainly in the [[Minneapolis-St. Paul area]] and around [[Pembina County, North Dakota]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dwyer |first=Michael |date=May 31, 1996 |title=Lepage Leaps Into the Limelight |page=11 |newspaper=[[The Irish Times]] |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/lepage-leaps-into-the-limelight-1.54276 |url-status=live |access-date=May 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230514004232/https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/lepage-leaps-into-the-limelight-1.54276 |archive-date=May 14, 2023}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite magazine |last=Probst |first=Christopher |date=March 1996 |title=Fargo: Cold-Blooded Scheming |url=https://theasc.com/articles/fargo-cold-blooded-scheming |access-date=2023-05-14 |magazine=[[American Cinematographer]] |archive-date=May 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230514011251/https://theasc.com/articles/fargo-cold-blooded-scheming |url-status=live }}</ref> Due to unusually low snowfall totals in central and southern Minnesota that winter, scenes requiring snow-covered landscapes had to be shot in northern Minnesota and northeastern North Dakota, though not in or near the actual towns of [[Fargo, North Dakota|Fargo]] and [[Brainerd, Minnesota|Brainerd]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ebert |first=Roger |date=October 18, 1996 |title='Sleepers' Casts Faith to Wind |page=23 |work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]}}</ref> Cinematographer [[Roger Deakins]] shot the film on an [[Arriflex 35BL|Arriflex 35 BL-4]] camera.<ref name=":0" />


[[File:Movie Fargo Paul Bunyan.jpg|thumb|Original [[Paul Bunyan]] sculpture created by [[Rick Heinrichs]]]]
The Coens claim the actual murders took place, but not in Minnesota.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brainerddispatch.com/fargo/fargoacdmynom.shtml|title=Mike O'Rourke, "Reaction to 'Fargo' nomination", Brainerd Dispatch, February 11, 1997}}</ref> The main reason for the film's [[Minnesota]] setting was based on the fact that the Coens were born and raised in [[St. Louis Park, Minnesota|St. Louis Park]], a suburb of Minneapolis.<ref name="We're ready for our close-up, Mr. Coen(s)">{{cite news
Jerry's initial meeting with Carl and Gaear was shot at a pool hall and bar called The King of Clubs in the northeast section of Minneapolis.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cgstock.com/894 |title=Stock photo with location |publisher=Cgstock.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201014125924/http://www.cgstock.com/894|archive-date=October 14, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> It was demolished in 2003, along with most other buildings on that block of Central Avenue, and replaced by [[low-income housing]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Peterson |first=Susan |date=September 24, 2005 |title=At last, a real home |url=http://www.ccht.org/At_last_a_real_home.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927094703/http://www.ccht.org/At_last_a_real_home.html |archive-date=September 27, 2007 |access-date=February 28, 2010 |website=[[Star Tribune]] |via=Ccht.org}}</ref> Wade's car dealership was actually Wally McCarthy Oldsmobile in [[Richfield, Minnesota]], a southern suburb of Minneapolis. The site is now occupied by [[Best Buy]]'s national corporate headquarters. The 24-foot [[Paul Bunyan]] statue was built for the film (and subsequently dismantled) on Pembina County Highway 1, four miles west of [[Bathgate, North Dakota]], near the Canadian border.<ref name="loc" /> The Blue Ox motel/truckstop was Stockmen's Truck Stop in [[South St. Paul, Minnesota|South St. Paul]], which is still in business. Ember's, the restaurant where Jerry discusses the ransom drop with Gustafson, was located in [[St. Louis Park, Minnesota|St. Louis Park]], the Coens' hometown; the building now houses a medical outpatient treatment center.<ref name="loc" />
| last = Smetanka
| first = Mary Jane
| title = We're ready for our close-up, Mr. Coen(s)
| publisher = Minneapolis Star Tribune
| date = August 8, 2008 - 11:11 PM
| url = http://www.startribune.com/local/west/26437374.html?elr=KArks7PYDiaK7DUvDE7aL_V_BD77:DiiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU
| accessdate = 2008-09-05}}</ref>


The [[strip club]] where Marge interviews the two call girls was two separate locations; its exterior was the Lakeside Club in [[Mahtomedi, Minnesota]], and interior the Loch Ness Lounge in [[Houlton, Wisconsin]]. The kidnappers' Moose Lake hideout actually stood on the shore of [[Square Lake (Washington County, Minnesota)|Square Lake]], near [[May Township, Cass County, Minnesota|May, Minnesota]]. The cabin was relocated to [[Barnes, Wisconsin]], in 2002. The [[Edina, Minnesota|Edina]] police station where the interior police headquarters scenes were filmed is still in operation but has been completely rebuilt. The Carlton Celebrity Room was an actual venue in [[Bloomington, Minnesota]], and [[José Feliciano]] did once appear there, but it had been closed for almost ten years when filming began. The Feliciano scene was shot at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre in [[Chanhassen, Minnesota|Chanhassen]], near Minneapolis.<ref name="loc">{{cite web|url=http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/f/Fargo.html|title=Fargo|website=movie-locations.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161006063408/http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/f/Fargo.html|archive-date=October 6, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> The ransom drop was filmed in two adjacent parking garages on South 8th Street in downtown Minneapolis. Scenes in the Lundegaards' kitchen were shot in a private home on Pillsbury Avenue in Minneapolis,<ref>{{cite web |author=Pinkley |first=J. |date=April 28, 2003 |title=Kitchen of Kemp, Melroe home |url=http://www.startribune.com/1641/story/70938.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071014084018/http://www.startribune.com/1641/story/70938.html |archive-date=October 14, 2007 |access-date=February 28, 2011 |newspaper=[[Star Tribune]]}}</ref> and the house where Mr. Mohra describes the "funny looking little guy" to police is in [[Hallock, Minnesota|Hallock]], in northwest Minnesota. The motel "outside of Bismarck", where the police finally catch up with Jerry, is the Hitching Post Motel in [[Forest Lake, Minnesota|Forest Lake]], north of Minneapolis.<ref name="loc"/>
On the special edition DVD's trivia track for ''Fargo'', (SPOILERS STARTING HERE)it is revealed that the main case for the movie's inspiration was based on the infamous 1986 murder of [[Helle Crafts]] from [[Connecticut]] at the hands of her husband, Richard, who killed her and disposed of her body through a wood chipper.<ref>[http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/family/woodchipper_murder/index.html All about the Woodchipper Murder Case, by Mark Gado <!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>(SPOILERS ENDING HERE)


While none of ''Fargo'' was actually filmed in Fargo, the Fargo-Moorhead Convention & Visitors Bureau exhibits original script copies and several props used in the film, including the wood chipper prop.<ref name="loc"/>
There was a rumor going around that a Japanese woman, [[Takako Konishi (office worker)|Takako Konishi]], died while searching for the missing money in the film, but the death was actually ruled a suicide and the media had invented the Fargo motive.<ref name="Death in the snow">{{cite news
| last = Berczeller
| first = Paul
| title = Death in the snow
| publisher = The Guardian
| date = Friday June 6 2003
| url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2003/jun/06/artsfeatures1
| accessdate = 2008-09-05}}</ref>
The end credits to ''Fargo'' bear the standard "[[all persons fictitious disclaimer|all persons fictitious]]" disclaimer for a work of fiction.<ref name=snopes>[http://www.snopes.com/movies/films/fargo.htm ''Fargo''] from the [[Urban Legends Reference Pages]]</ref>


=== Title ===
===Music===
As with all the Coen brothers' films, except ''[[Inside Llewyn Davis]]'', the score to ''Fargo'' is by [[Carter Burwell]].<ref name="Soundtrack Collector">{{cite web|url=http://www.soundtrackcollector.com/catalog/soundtrackdetail.php?movieid=45147|title=Fargo - Soundtrack details|website=SoundtrackCollector.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731040852/http://www.soundtrackcollector.com/catalog/soundtrackdetail.php?movieid=45147|archive-date=July 31, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The main musical [[motif (music)|motif]] is based on a Norwegian folk song, "The Lost Sheep" ({{langx|no|Den bortkomne sauen}}).<ref>{{cite web |author=Braxton |first=Jonathan |title=Fargo/Barton Fink |url=http://www.moviemusicuk.us/fargocd.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928000011/http://www.moviemusicuk.us/fargocd.htm |archive-date=September 28, 2007 |access-date=October 11, 2007 |website=www.moviemusicuk.us}}</ref>
The title to the film, "Fargo," is taken from the [[North Dakota]] city of [[Fargo, North Dakota|Fargo]], which plays a small role in the beginning of the film seen only in a wideshot for only a few seconds following a short scene set in a bar. Although a subtitle states the scene is set in Fargo, the actual shooting location for the bar was in central Minneapolis. The rest of the film is completely set around [[Minnesota]], mostly in [[Minneapolis, Minnesota|Minneapolis]] and [[Brainerd, Minnesota|Brainerd]]. However, due to the mild winter of Minnesota during production, much of the film was, in fact, shot in [[North Dakota]]. On an interview on the special edition DVD, the Coens stated that they titled the movie "Fargo" because it sounded more interesting than "Brainerd".


Other songs featured in the film include: "[[Big City (Merle Haggard song)|Big City]]" by [[Merle Haggard]], heard in the King of Clubs while Jerry meets with Carl and Gaear; "[[These Boots Are Made for Walkin']]" by [[Boy George]], which plays in the [[Automobile repair shop|garage]] as Shep works, and "Let's Find Each Other Tonight", a live nightclub performance by [[José Feliciano]] that is viewed by Carl and a female escort at such a far distance without a close-up that the viewer might deem it's a lip synched stand-in.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fargo Soundtrack (1996) & Complete List of Songs |url=https://www.what-song.com/Movies/Soundtrack/101/Fargo |access-date=2023-05-14 |website=WhatSong |language=en}}</ref> In the diner, when Jerry is urging Wade not to get police involved in his wife's kidnapping, [[Chuck Mangione]]'s "[[Feels So Good (Chuck Mangione song)|Feels So Good]]" can be heard faintly in the background. An instrumental version of "[[Do You Know the Way to San Jose]]" plays during the scene where Marge and Norm are eating at a buffet. The restaurant scene with Mike Yanagita is accompanied by a piano arrangement of "[[Blood, Sweat & Tears (Blood, Sweat & Tears album)|Sometimes in Winter]]" by [[Blood, Sweat & Tears]]. All the songs heard in the film are featured only as background music, usually on a radio, and do not appear on the soundtrack album.
=== Locations ===
The unseasonably mild winter weather of early 1995 forced the crew to move locations frequently to find suitable snow-covered landscapes. Fake snow had to be used for many scenes. Pools and streams of meltwater are visible in many scenes. ''Fargo'' was also shot very cheaply after the Coens' recent box office failure, ''[[The Hudsucker Proxy]]''.


The soundtrack was released in 1996 on [[TVT Records]], combined with selections from the score to ''[[Barton Fink]]''.<ref name="Soundtrack Collector"/>
Locations used during production include:
* King of Clubs, a bar shown at the beginning of the film was located in [[Northeast Minneapolis]] on Central Avenue.<ref>http://www.cgstock.com/894 (stock photo with location)</ref> It has since been razed to make way for housing for people who are HIV-positive.<ref>[http://www.ccht.org/At_last_a_real_home.html At last, a real home<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
* The Pillsbury Ave. Minneapolis home of Doug Melroe and Denny Kemp includes the kitchen of the Lundegaards' house.<ref>http://startribune.com/1641/story/70938.html</ref>
* The "Wally McCarthy Oldsmobile" car dealership located in the Minneapolis suburb of [[Richfield, Minnesota|Richfield]], located off of [[Interstate 494]] and Penn Avenue. It has since been razed, and the site is currently home to [[Best Buy]]'s corporate headquarters. The two other Wally McCarthy dealerships still exist; the [http://www.wallymccarthyschevcad.net Wally McCarthy's Chevrolet Cadillac] dealership in [[Forest Lake, Minnesota|Forest Lake]], and the [http://www.wallymccarthycadillachummer.com Wally McCarthy Cadillac Hummer] dealership in [[Roseville, Minnesota|Roseville]].
* Ember's, a restaurant just west of the Louisiana [[exit ramp|exit]] on the frontage road (Wayzata Blvd.) of [[Interstate 394]] in [[St. Louis Park, Minnesota|St. Louis Park]]. The location is now out of business and the building has been razed. It is now the location of an office building.
* The kidnappers' hideout cabin is located north of [[Stillwater, Minnesota]].
* The [[Edina, Minnesota]] Police Station was used for interior shots of the Brainerd Police Station.<ref name="autogenerated1">[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116282/locations Fargo (1996) - Filming locations<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
* Carl steals a license plate from the parking lot of the [[Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport]].
* [http://www.chanhassentheatres.com Chanhassen Dinner Theatres] was used for the [[José Feliciano]] concert.
* The Minneapolis Club Parking Ramp (located on 8th St. and 3rd Ave, Minneapolis, Minnesota) was used for the scene where Wade delivers the money to Carl.
* Lakeside Club (located 10 Old Wildwood Rd, Mahtomedi, Minnesota) was used for the scene where Marge questions the hookers who were apparently hired to service the hired goons (one who was "funny-lookin'", and the other who was older and "looked like the Marlboro man").
* West of [[Bathgate, North Dakota]] on [[Pembina County, North Dakota|Pembina County]] Highway 1 was the location of the statue of [[Paul Bunyan]].<ref name="autogenerated1" />
* The scene where the old bartender is shoveling his driveway as he describes to the police officer the story of the man "goin' crazy out there at the lake" was filmed in the small town of [[Hallock, Minnesota]] (one of the town's grain elevators is visible in the background).<ref name="autogenerated1" />


===Claims of factual basis===
==Reception==
The film opens with the following text:
{{Infobox movie certificates|Argentina=16|Australia =MA|Belgium=KT|Chile=18 |Canada (Alberta) = 14A|Canada (Manitoba) = R|Canada (Nova Scotia) = 18|Canada (Ontario) = R|Canada (Quebec) = 16+|Denmark = 15|Finland = K-15|France = -12|Germany = 16|Hong_Kong=III|Iceland=16|Ireland=18|Italy= VM14|Japan=R-15|Netherlands = 16 | New_Zealand = R18 | Singapore = M18 | South Korea = 18 | Spain = 18 | Sweden = 15 | United_Kingdom = 18 | United_States = R}}
{{blockquote|This is a true story. The events depicted in this film took place in Minnesota in 1987. At the request of the survivors, the names have been changed. Out of respect for the dead, the rest has been told exactly as it occurred.}}
===Critical response===
The Coen brothers said that they based their script on an actual criminal event, but wrote a fictional story around it. "We weren't interested in that kind of fidelity", said Joel Coen. "The basic events are the same as in the real case, but the characterizations are fully imagined&nbsp;... If an audience believes that something's based on a real event, it gives you permission to do things they might otherwise not accept."<ref>{{cite web |author=Heitmueller |first=Karl |date=April 11, 2005 |title=Rewind: What Part Of 'Based On' Don't You Understand? |url=https://www.mtv.com/news/1499898/rewind-what-part-of-based-on-dont-you-understand/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201014122542/https://www.mtv.com/news/1499898/rewind-what-part-of-based-on-dont-you-understand/ |archive-date=October 14, 2020 |website=[[MTV]]}}</ref>
''Fargo'' was met with universal critical acclaim.<ref>[http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/fargo/ Fargo Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.metacritic.com/video/titles/fargo?q=fargo Fargo (1996): Reviews<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Film critic [[Roger Ebert]] named ''Fargo'' as his fourth favorite film of the 1990s (he also named it 'best of 1996'). In his original review Ebert called it "one of the best films I've ever seen" and explained that "films like ''Fargo'' are why I love the movies." Many prominent critics named it 'best of the year' including [[Joel Siegel]], Lisa Schwartzbaum of [[Entertainment Weekly]], [[Gene Siskel]], and [[Leonard Maltin]]. ''Fargo'' has the honor of being one of the very few films to ever receive a unanimous 'A' rating from the critical mass of ratings at [[Entertainment Weekly]].


The brothers have modified their explanation more than once. In 1996, Joel Coen told a reporter that—contrary to the opening graphic—the actual murders were not committed in Minnesota.<ref>{{cite news |author=O'Rourke |first=Mike |date=February 11, 1997 |title=Reaction to 'Fargo' nomination |newspaper=[[Brainerd Dispatch]] |url=http://www.brainerddispatch.com/fargo/fargoacdmynom.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021231145342/http://www.brainerddispatch.com/fargo/fargoacdmynom.shtml |archive-date=December 31, 2002}}</ref><ref name="We're ready for our close-up, Mr. Coen(s)">{{cite news |author=Smetanka |first=Mary Jane |date=August 8, 2008 |title=We're ready for our close-up, Mr. Coen(s) |newspaper=[[Star Tribune]] |url=http://www.startribune.com/local/west/26437374.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201014122840/https://www.startribune.com/we-re-ready-for-our-close-up-mr-coen-s/26437374/ |archive-date=October 14, 2020}}</ref> Many Minnesotans speculated that the story was inspired by [[T. Eugene Thompson]], a [[Saint Paul, Minnesota|St. Paul]] attorney who was convicted of hiring a man to murder his wife in 1963, near the Coens' hometown of [[St. Louis Park, Minnesota|St. Louis Park]]; but the Coens said that they had never heard of Thompson. After Thompson's death in 2015, Joel Coen changed the explanation again: "[The story was] completely made up. Or, as we like to say, the only thing true about it is that it's a story."<ref>{{cite news |author=Roberts |first=Sam |date=September 6, 2015 |title=T. Eugene Thompson Dies at 88; Crime Stunned St. Paul |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/06/us/t-eugene-thompson-dies-at-88-crime-stunned-st-paul.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201014123107/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/06/us/t-eugene-thompson-dies-at-88-crime-stunned-st-paul.html |archive-date=October 14, 2020}}</ref>
The film was ranked #84 on the [[American Film Institute|American Film Institute's]] "[[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies|100 Years...100 Movies]]" list in 1998, although it was removed from the 2007 version, and #93 on its "[[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs|100 Years...100 Laughs]]" list. The character Marge Gunderson was ranked #33 on [[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains]]. In 2006, this film was selected for preservation in the United States [[National Film Registry]] as being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and is one of the leading examples of the neo-noir and comedy genre.


The film's special edition DVD contains yet another account, that the film was inspired by the 1986 [[murder of Helle Crafts]], a Danish–American flight attendant from [[Connecticut]] at the hands of her husband, Richard, who disposed of her body through a wood chipper.<ref>{{cite web |author=Gado |first=Mark |date=November 18, 1986 |title=All about the Woodchipper Murder Case |url=http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/family/woodchipper_murder/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512005217/http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/family/woodchipper_murder/index.html |archive-date=May 12, 2008 |website=[[Crime Library]]}}</ref>
===Popular reaction===
The film's use of "[[Minnesota nice]]" and a "singsong" regional accent are remembered years later, with locals fielding requests to say "Yah, you betcha", and other lines from the movie.<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://www.sptimes.com/2004/05/09/Travel/North_Dakota__Where_t.shtml
|title=North Dakota: Where the accent is on friendship
|author=Robin McMacken
|date=[[May 9]] [[2004]]
|publisher=[[St. Petersburg Times]]
|accessdate=2008-02-22}}</ref> According to the film's dialect coach, Liz Himelstein, "the accent was another character." She coached the cast using audio tapes and field trips.<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0326/p13s03-almo.html
|title=She Accentuates Film Performances
|author=Laura Randall
|date=[[March 26]] [[2004]]
|publisher=[[Christian Science Monitor]]
|accessdate=2008-02-22}}</ref> Another dialog coach, Larissa Kokernot (who appeared onscreen playing a [[prostitute]]), notes that the "small-town, Minnesota accent is close to the sound of the Nords and the Swedes," which is "where the musicality comes from." She also helped McDormand understand [[Minnesota nice]] and the practice of head-nodding to show agreement.<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-31663962_ITM
|title=Forget `Fargo' -- actors put accent on Minnesota realism
|author=Chris Hewitt
|date=[[October 19]] [[2005]]
|publisher=[[Saint Paul Pioneer Press]]
|accessdate=2008-02-22}}</ref> Critic [[James Lileks]], who grew up in Fargo and works in the Twin Cities, reacted by "scowling". He pointed out that very little of the film takes place in Fargo, and claimed he didn't know "a single Fargoan" who liked the film. He admits that "People in Minnesota do talk that way, ya know," but took umbrage at people asking him since, "Did you like that ''Fargo'' movie, then? Ya?" To him, familiarity means the accent isn't "inherently funny". He was also displeased with the amount of grisly violence.<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/review96/ffargo.htm
|title=So, Should Oscar Forgo 'Fargo'? Ya?
|author=[[James Lileks]]
|date=[[March 23]] [[1996]]
|publisher=[[Washington Post]]
|accessdate=2008-02-22}}</ref>


In a 1998 article on the film's "true story" claim, the fact-checking website [[Snopes]] concluded that it was a prank of the kind the Coen brothers often inserted in their films, without "a word of truth to it." Snopes said that doubters should note that a [[all persons fictitious disclaimer|fictitious persons disclaimer]], used in works of fiction, is at the end of the film.<ref>{{cite web |date=June 8, 1998 |title=Was 'Fargo' Based on a True Story? |url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/fargo/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117164329/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/fargo/ |archive-date=November 17, 2020 |access-date=October 14, 2020 |website=[[Snopes]]}}</ref>
===Film festivals===
''Fargo'' was screened at many film festivals. It was in the main competition at the 1996 [[Cannes Film Festival]], where it won the prize for best director. Other festival screenings included the [[Pusan International Film Festival]], the [[Karlovy Vary International Film Festival]] and the [[Naples]] Film Festival. On [[March 1]], [[2006]], for the film's tenth anniversary, the annual [[Fargo Theatre|Fargo Film Festival]] showed ''Fargo'' by projecting the film on the side of the Radisson Hotel (the city's tallest building) in downtown Fargo.


=== Awards ===
===Accent===
The film's illustrations of "[[Minnesota nice]]" and distinctive [[North-Central American English|regional accents]] and expressions made a lasting impression on audiences; years later, locals reported continuing to field tourist requests to say "Yah, you betcha", and other tag lines from the movie.<ref name="ND">{{cite news |author=McMacken |first=Robin |date=May 9, 2004 |title=North Dakota: Where the accent is on friendship |newspaper=[[Tampa Bay Times|St. Petersburg Times]] |url=http://www.sptimes.com/2004/05/09/Travel/North_Dakota__Where_t.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080311094023/http://www.sptimes.com/2004/05/09/Travel/North_Dakota__Where_t.shtml |archive-date=March 11, 2008}}</ref> Dialect coach Liz Himelstein said that "the accent was another character". She coached the cast using audiotapes and field trips.<ref>{{cite news |author=Randall |first=Laura |date=March 26, 2004 |title=She Accentuates Film Performances |newspaper=[[The Christian Science Monitor]] |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0326/p13s03-almo.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040603155209/https://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0326/p13s03-almo.html |archive-date=June 3, 2004}}</ref> Another dialect coach, Larissa Kokernot (who also played one of the prostitutes), noted that the "small-town, Minnesota accent is close to the sound of the Nords and the Swedes", which is "where the musicality comes from". She taught McDormand "Minnesota nice" and the characteristic head-nodding to show agreement.<ref>{{cite news |author=Hewitt |first=Chris |date=October 19, 2005 |title=Forget 'Fargo' – actors put accent on Minnesota realism |newspaper=[[St. Paul Pioneer Press]] |url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-31663962_ITM |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210151930/http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-31663962_ITM |archive-date=December 10, 2008}}</ref> The strong accent spoken by Macy's and McDormand's characters, which was exaggerated for effect, is less common in the [[Minneapolis–Saint Paul|Twin Cities]] area, where over 60% of the state's population lives. The Minneapolis and St. Paul dialect is characterized by the [[Inland Northern American English#Northern Cities Vowel Shift|Northern Cities Vowel Shift]], which is also found in other places in the Northern United States as far east as [[Rochester, New York]].<ref name="ND"/>
====Wins====
* [[Academy Award for Best Actress]] ([[Frances McDormand]])
* [[Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay]] ([[Coen Brothers|Joel and Ethan Coen]])
* [[BAFTA Award|BAFTA David Lean Award for Direction]] ([[Joel Coen]])
* [[Cannes Film Festival|Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Director]] ([[Joel Coen]])
* [[New York Film Critics Circle|New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film]]
* National Board of Review for Best Actress ([[Frances McDormand]])
* National Board of Review for Best Director ([[Joel Coen]])
* Screen Actors Guild Awards for Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role ([[Frances McDormand]])
* [[Writers Guild of America|Writers Guild of America Award for Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen]] (Joel and Ethan Coen)
*2006 [[National Film Registry]]


====Nominations====
==Release==
[[File:The film Fargo being projected on the Radisson Hotel in Fargo, ND.jpg|thumb|''Fargo'' being projected on the Radisson Hotel in Fargo, North Dakota]]


''Fargo'' premiered at the [[1996 Cannes Film Festival]], where it was nominated for the competition's highest honor, the [[Palme d'Or]]. Joel Coen won the top directorial award, the ''[[Best Director Award (Cannes Film Festival)|Prix de la mise en scène]]''. Subsequent notable screenings included the [[Busan International Film Festival|Pusan International Film Festival]] in [[South Korea]], the [[Karlovy Vary International Film Festival]] in the [[Czech Republic]], and the [[Naples]] Film Festival.<ref name="festival-cannes.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/4685/year/1996.html |title=Festival de Cannes: Fargo |access-date=September 16, 2009 |publisher=[[Cannes Film Festival]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201013125528/https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/films/fargo|archive-date=October 13, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2006, the sixth annual [[Fargo Theatre|Fargo Film Festival]] marked ''Fargo''{{'}}s tenth anniversary by projecting the movie on a gigantic screen mounted on the north side of Fargo's then tallest building, the [[Radisson Hotels|Radisson Hotel]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.inforum.com/content/fargo-anniversary-highlights-fest-film-festival-lights-night-showing-film-building|title='Fargo' anniversary highlights fest: Film festival lights up the night by showing film on building|date=February 4, 2006|website=[[The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201013123419/https://www.inforum.com/content/fargo-anniversary-highlights-fest-film-festival-lights-night-showing-film-building|archive-date=October 13, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Academy Award for Best Picture]]
* [[Academy Award for Directing]] ([[Joel Coen]])
* [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]] ([[William H. Macy]])
* [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography]] ([[Roger Deakins]])
* [[Academy Award for Film Editing]] ([[Ethan Coen]] & [[Joel Coen]])
* [[Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy]]
* [[Golden Globe Award for Best Director - Motion Picture]] (Joel Coen)
* [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy]] ([[Frances McDormand]])
* [[Golden Globe|Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay - Motion Picture]] (Joel & Ethan Coen)


Released theatrically in the United States on March 8, 1996, ''Fargo'' launched in 36 theaters, and grossed $1,024,137 in its first week.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekly/1996W10/|title=Domestic 1996 Week 10|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201013125629/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekly/1996W10/|archive-date=October 13, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> In the film's third week, ''Fargo'' was released in 412 theaters, and accumulated a total box office gross of $5,998,890.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekly/1996W12/|title=Domestic 1996 Week 12|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201013125717/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekly/1996W12/|archive-date=October 13, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Overall it grossed $24,281,860 in the United States and Canada.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekly/1997W12/|title=Domestic 1997 Week 12|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201013125804/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekly/1997W12/|archive-date=October 13, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Internationally, ''Fargo'' was released in Canada on April 5, 1996; in the United Kingdom on May 31, 1996, grossing $2.3 million; in Australia on June 6, 1996, grossing $1.5 million; in Spain on June 20, 1996, grossing $1.8 million; in France on September 4, 1996, grossing $3.9 million; and in Germany on November 14, 1996, grossing $2.4 million.<ref name=grosses>{{cite magazine|title=Cannes Retrospective|magazine=[[Screen International]]|date=May 2, 1997|page=24}}</ref> Overall, the film's international gross was an estimated $36 million for a worldwide total of $60.6 million.<ref name="Mojo"/>
==Soundtrack==
{{Infobox Album <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Albums -->
| Name = Fargo/Barton Fink: Music by Carter Burwell
| Type = [[Soundtrack]]
| Artist = [[Carter Burwell]]
| Cover = Fargo_soundtrack_album.jpg
| Released = [[May 28]], [[1996]]
| Recorded =
| Genre = [[Film score]]
| Length = 43:15
| Label = [[TVT Records|TVT]]
| Producer =
| Reviews = * [[Allmusic]] {{Rating|4.5|5}} [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=&sql=10:dxfwxquhld0e link]
*[http://www.moviemusicuk.us/fargocd.htm Movie Music UK] {{Rating|4|5}}
| Chronology = [[Coen Brothers]] film soundtracks
| Last album = ''[[The Hudsucker Proxy#Soundtrack|The Hudsucker Proxy]]<br />(1994)
| This album = '''''Fargo'''''<br/>(1996)
| Next album = ''[[The Big Lebowski#Soundtrack|The Big Lebowski]]''<br />(1998)
}}
As with all the [[Coen Brothers]]' films, the score to ''Fargo'' is by [[Carter Burwell]].<ref name="Soundtrack Collector">{{cite web
|title=Soundtrack Details: Fargo
|url=http://www.soundtrackcollector.com/catalog/soundtrackdetail.php?movieid=45147
|publisher=SoundtrackCollector.com
|accessdate=2007-10-11
}}</ref>


== Reception ==
The main musical [[Motif (music)|motif]] is based on a Norwegian folk song<ref>{{cite web
On [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], ''Fargo'' holds an approval rating of 94% based on 104 reviews, with an average rating of 8.8/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Violent, quirky, and darkly funny, ''Fargo'' delivers an original crime story and a wonderful performance by McDormand."<ref>{{cite web|title=Fargo (1996)|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/fargo|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201014133308/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/fargo|archive-date=October 14, 2020|access-date=May 12, 2022|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref> At [[Metacritic]], the film has a weighted average score of 86 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".<ref>{{cite web|title=Fargo Reviews|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/fargo|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201014133402/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/fargo|archive-date=October 14, 2020|website=[[Metacritic]]}}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{cite web|title=Find CinemaScore|url=https://www.cinemascore.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180102130540/https://www.cinemascore.com/|archive-date=January 2, 2018|access-date=November 4, 2020|publisher=[[CinemaScore]]|format=Type "Fargo" in the search box}}</ref>
|title=Fargo/Barton Fink
[[File:Frances_McDormand_2015_(cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Frances McDormand]]'s performance garnered critical acclaim, earning her the [[Academy Award for Best Actress]].]]
|last=Braxton
Arnold Wayne Jones, writing for the ''[[Dallas Observer]]'', called the film an "illuminating amalgam of emotion and thought", praising the directing and writing from the [[Coen brothers]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Jones |first=Arnold Wayne |date=March 7, 1996 |title=The perfect crime |url=https://www.dallasobserver.com/issues/1996-03-07/film.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010510054803/https://www.dallasobserver.com/issues/1996-03-07/film.html |archive-date=May 10, 2001 |website=[[Dallas Observer]]}}</ref> From ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'', [[Lisa Schwarzbaum]] lauded the performance from Frances McDormand and stated that the film was "dizzily rich, witty, and satisfying".<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Schwarzbaum |first=Lisa |author-link=Lisa Schwarzbaum |date=March 29, 1996 |title=Fargo |url=https://ew.com/article/1996/03/29/fargo-2/ |url-status=live |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010715043156/http://www.ew.com/ew/archive/0,1798,1%7C17500%7C0%7Cfargo,00.html |archive-date=July 15, 2001}}</ref> In ''[[The New Yorker]]'', [[Anthony Lane]] singled out McDormand for praise: "Her character—seven months pregnant, polite to a fault, smart yet slow—is only a breath away from caricature, yet McDormand unearths a surprising decency there, and in the process she pretty well rescues the film."<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Lane |first=Anthony |author-link=Anthony Lane |date=March 18, 1996 |title=Republicans with Guns |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1996/03/25/republicans-with-guns |url-status=live |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117164315/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1996/03/25/republicans-with-guns |archive-date=November 17, 2020 |access-date=November 10, 2020}}</ref> ''[[USA Today]]'' journalist Mike Clark also praised the performance of McDormand:
|first=Jonathan
|url=http://www.moviemusicuk.us/fargocd.htm
|accessdate=2007-10-11
}}</ref> called "The Lost Sheep", or natively "Den Bortkomne Sauen". It has been recorded by Norwegian musician [[Annbjørg Lien]] on her album "Felefeber".<ref>{{cite web
|title=Felefeber: Den Bortkomne Sauen
|last=Lien
|first=Annbjørg
|url=
|accessdate=2007-10-21
}}</ref>


{{Blockquote|McDormand's uproariously sly-spry performance connects with Roger Deakins' bleakly beautiful photography to create one of the Coens' most consistently successful outings, albeit one that plays it even closer to the vest than usual. [...] For a nifty bit of nastiness from two of our most dependably provocative filmmakers, ''Fargo'' will fill the bill.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/enter/movies/lef195.htm|title=Bleak, funny 'Fargo' is classic Coen|date=December 1, 1998|first=Mike |last=Clark|work=[[USA Today]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009185126/https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/enter/movies/lef195.htm|archive-date=October 9, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>}}
Other songs in the film include "Big City" by [[Merle Haggard]], heard in the [[Fargo, North Dakota]] bar where Jerry Lundegaard meets with kidnappers Carl Showalter and Gaear Grimsrud, and "Let's Find Each Other Tonight", a live nightclub performance by [[José Feliciano]] that is viewed by Showalter and a female escort. Neither song appears on the soundtrack album.


On the other side of the spectrum, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine film critic [[Richard Corliss]] criticized ''Fargo'' for its use of [[Minnesota nice]], the accent used in the film. In his review, Corliss stated that "After some superb mannerist films, the Coens are back in the deadpan realist territory of ''[[Blood Simple]]'', but without the cinematic elan."<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Corliss |first=Richard |author-link=Richard Corliss |date=March 18, 1996 |title=Swede 'N' Sour |url=https://time.com/time/magazine/archive/1996/dom/960318/cinema.fargo.html |url-status=dead |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010418115618/https://time.com/time/magazine/archive/1996/dom/960318/cinema.fargo.html |archive-date=April 18, 2001 |access-date=October 9, 2020}}</ref> (Conversely, [[Janet Maslin]], in ''[[The New York Times]]'', deemed ''Fargo'' "much more stylish and entertaining" than ''Blood Simple'').<ref>{{Cite news|title=Film Review; Deadly Plot by a Milquetoast Villain|newspaper=The New York Times|date=March 8, 1996|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/08/movies/film-review-deadly-plot-by-a-milquetoast-villain.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116090433/https://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/08/movies/film-review-deadly-plot-by-a-milquetoast-villain.html|archive-date=November 16, 2020|access-date=November 10, 2020|last1=Maslin|first1=Janet}}</ref> [[James Berardinelli]], writing for his own website, ''ReelThoughts'', gave the film three stars out of five, stating that it was "easy to admire what the Coens are trying to do in ''Fargo'', but more difficult to actually like the film."<ref>{{cite web |author=Berardinelli |first=James |author-link=James Berardinelli |date=March 8, 1996 |title=Fargo |url=http://movie-reviews.colossus.net/movies/f/fargo.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980116145608/http://movie-reviews.colossus.net/movies/f/fargo.html |archive-date=January 16, 1998 |website=ReelThoughts}}</ref>
The soundtrack album was released in 1996 on [[TVT Records]], combined with selections from the score to ''[[Barton Fink]]''.<ref name="Soundtrack Collector"/>


[[John Simon (critic)|John Simon]] of ''[[The National Review]]'' wrote "The Coen brothers' ''Fargo'' is their best film so far, which isn't saying very much". Simon elaborated further that "''Fargo'' could have been a nice little film noir if they hadn't compounded it with black comedy, absurdism, and folksy farce: Scandinavian–American midwesterners up, or down, to their hickish shenanigans. Some of this surprisingly, works, some of it ranges from the unpalatable to the indigestible".<ref>{{cite book |title=John Simon on Film: Criticism 1982-2001|last1=Simon|first1=John |publisher=Applause Books |year=2005 |pages=493–494}}</ref>
===Track listing===
All selections composed by [[Carter Burwell]].
#"[[Fargo, North Dakota]]" – 2:47
#"Moose Lake" – 0:41
#"A Lot of Woe" – 0:49
#"Forced Entry" – 1:23
#"The Ozone" – 0:57
#"The Trooper's End" – 1:06
#"Chewing on it" – 0:51
#"Rubbernecking" – 2:04
#"Dance of the Sierra" – 1:23
#"The Mallard" – 0:58
#"Delivery" – 4:46
#"[[Bismark, North Dakota]]" – 1:02
#"[[Paul Bunyan]]" – 0:35
#"The Eager Beaver" – 3:10
#"Brainard Minnesota" – 2:40
#"Safe Keeping" – 1:41
#*Album has an additional eight selections from the '[[Barton Fink#Soundtrack|Barton Fink]]'' soundtrack.
Approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes into the film there is an instrumental (piano) rendition of Sometimes In Winter (Blood, Sweat & Tears) in the background.


[[Gene Siskel]] and [[Roger Ebert]] both declared ''Fargo'' as the best film of 1996,<ref>{{cite episode |title=Memo to the Academy - 1997 |series=[[At the Movies (1986 TV program)|Siskel & Ebert]] |date=January 18, 1997 |season=11 |number=20 |network=ABC Television |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_wEV0D-Bk8 |access-date=May 15, 2023 |archive-date=May 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230515231244/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_wEV0D-Bk8&gl=US&hl=en |url-status=live }}</ref> with Ebert later ranking it fourth on his list of the best films of the 1990s.<ref>{{cite web |author=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |date=March 8, 1996 |title=Fargo |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/fargo-1996 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200410024630/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/fargo-1996 |archive-date=April 10, 2020 |website=[[RogerEbert.com]]}}</ref> ''Fargo'' was added to the [[National Film Registry]] by the [[National Film Preservation Board]] on December 27, 2006.<ref name="National Film Registry" /> In 2010, the [[Independent Film & Television Alliance]] selected the film as one of its "30 Most Significant Independent Films" of the last 30 years.<ref>{{cite web|first=William |last=Yelles|date=September 8, 2010|title=IFTA Picks 30 Most Significant Indie Films|url=https://www.thewrap.com/ifta-picks-30-most-significant-indie-films-20686/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200818085416/https://www.thewrap.com/ifta-picks-30-most-significant-indie-films-20686/|archive-date=August 18, 2020|website=[[TheWrap]]}}</ref> The [[Writers Guild of America]] ranked the film's screenplay the 32nd greatest ever.<ref>{{cite web|title=101 Greatest Screenplays|url=http://www.wga.org/writers-room/101-best-lists/101-greatest-screenplays/list|access-date=March 8, 2017|publisher=Writers Guild of America|archive-date=November 22, 2016|archive-url=https://archive.today/20161122211118/http://www.wga.org/writers-room/101-best-lists/101-greatest-screenplays/list|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Releases==
* The film has been released in several formats: [[VHS]], [[Laserdisc]] and [[DVD]].
* A special edition VHS release came in 1996 that, along with the video tape, also included a snow globe depicting the wood chipper scene. When it was shaken, both snow and "blood" stirred up.
* The film was first released on DVD on [[July 8]], [[1997]] in a bare-bones edition and widescreen transfer.<ref name=dvdrelease>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116282/dvd IMDB ''Fargo'' DVD Information]</ref> A "Special Edition" DVD was released on [[September 30]], [[2003]].<ref name=dvdrelease/>


Future North Dakota governor [[Doug Burgum]], whose company [[Great Plains Software]] had its [[initial public offering]] during the film's release, recalled that during investor meetings "100 percent of the first question was about the movie. We had no paper shredders in our office, only woodchippers, we'd answer with a straight face. They'd say: 'Really?!'"<ref name="martin20240630">{{Cite magazine |last=Martin |first=Jonathan |date=2024-06-30 |title=How Dakota Politicians Learned to Manage Trump |url=https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/06/30/dakotas-republican-party-future-00164899 |access-date=2024-06-30 |magazine=Politico}}</ref>
== Television spin-off ==

In [[1997]], a [[pilot episode|pilot]] was filmed for a television series based on the film. Set in Brainerd, it starred [[Edie Falco]] as Marge Gunderson. Directed by [[Kathy Bates]], the episode was shown during [[Trio (TV network)|Trio]]'s [[2003]] "Brilliant But Cancelled" series of failed TV shows.
===Accolades===
{| class="wikitable"
!Award⁣
!Date of ceremony⁣
!Category⁣
!Recipients⁣
!Result⁣
!{{Abbr|Ref.|References}}⁣
|-⁣
|rowspan=7| [[Academy Awards]]⁣
|rowspan=7| [[69th Academy Awards|March 24, 1997]]⁣
| [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]]⁣
| Ethan Coen
| {{nom}}⁣
| rowspan=7| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1997|title=The 69th Academy Awards {{!}} 1997|website=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]|date=October 5, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009125122/https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1997|archive-date=October 9, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>⁣
|-⁣
| [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]]⁣
| Joel Coen⁣
| {{nom}}
|-⁣
| [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]⁣
| [[Frances McDormand]]⁣
| {{won}}⁣
|-⁣
| [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]⁣
| [[William H. Macy]]⁣
| {{nom}}⁣
|-⁣
| [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]]⁣
| [[Coen brothers|Joel and Ethan Coen]]⁣
| {{won}}⁣
|-⁣
| [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]]⁣
| [[Roger Deakins]]⁣
| {{nom}}⁣
|-⁣
| [[Academy Award for Best Film Editing|Best Film Editing]]⁣
| [[Coen brothers|Roderick Jaynes]]⁣
| {{nom}}⁣
|-
|rowspan=3| [[American Film Institute]]
| 1998
| [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies]]
| ''Fargo''
| {{center|#84}}
| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.afi.com/afis-100-years-100-movies/|title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (1998 edition)|website=[[American Film Institute]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009124534/https://www.afi.com/afis-100-years-100-movies/|archive-date=October 9, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| June 13, 2000
| [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs]]
| ''Fargo''
| {{center|#93}}
| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.afi.com/afis-100-years-100-laughs/|title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs|website=[[American Film Institute]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009124238/https://www.afi.com/afis-100-years-100-laughs/|archive-date=October 9, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| June 2003
| [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains]]
| Marge Gunderson
| {{center|#33 Hero}}
| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.afi.com/afis-100-years-100-heroes-villians/|title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains|website=[[American Film Institute]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009123717/https://www.afi.com/afis-100-years-100-heroes-villians/|archive-date=October 9, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| [[American Society of Cinematographers]]
| 1996
| [[American Society of Cinematographers Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases|Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography]]
| Roger Deakins
| {{nom}}
|
|-
|rowspan=6| [[British Academy Film Awards|BAFTA Film Awards]]
|rowspan=6| [[50th British Academy Film Awards|April 29, 1997]]
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Direction|Best Direction]]
| Joel Coen
| {{won}}
|rowspan=6| <ref>{{cite web|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1997/film|title=Film in 1997|website=[[British Academy Film Awards]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009132142/http://awards.bafta.org/award/1997/film|archive-date=October 9, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Film|Best Film]]
| ''Fargo''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role|Best Actress in a Leading Role]]
| Frances McDormand
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]]
| Joel and Ethan Coen
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]]
| Roger Deakins
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Editing|Best Editing]]
| Roderick Jaynes
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Belgian Film Critics Association]]
| 1997
| [[Grand Prix (Belgian Film Critics Association)|Grand Prix]]
| ''Fargo''
| {{nom}}
|
|-
|rowspan=2| [[Cannes Film Festival]]
|rowspan=2| [[1996 Cannes Film Festival|May 1996]]
| [[Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| Joel Coen
| {{won}}
| rowspan="2" |<ref name="festival-cannes.com" />
|-
| [[Palme d'Or]]
| ''Fargo''
| {{nom}}
|-
|rowspan=4| [[Golden Globe Awards]]
|rowspan=4| [[54th Golden Globe Awards|January 19, 1997]]
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy|Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy]]
| ''Fargo''
| {{nom}}
|rowspan=4| <ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/winners-nominees/1997|title=Winners & Nominees 1997|website=[[Golden Globe Awards]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009134434/https://www.goldenglobes.com/winners-nominees/1997|archive-date=October 9, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| Joel Coen
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical|Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical]]
| Frances McDormand
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]]
| Joel and Ethan Coen
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan=7| [[Satellite Awards|Golden Satellite Awards]]
| rowspan=7| [[1st Golden Satellite Awards|January 15, 1997]]
| [[Satellite Award for Best Film|Best Film]]
| ''Fargo''
| {{won}}
|rowspan=7| <ref>{{cite web |author=Errico |first=Marcus |date=January 15, 1997 |title=Cruise Tops Golden Satellite Awards |url=https://www.eonline.com/news/33966/cruise-tops-golden-satellite-awards |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009143621/https://www.eonline.com/news/33966/cruise-tops-golden-satellite-awards |archive-date=October 9, 2020 |website=[[E!]]}}</ref>
|-
| [[Satellite Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| Joel Coen
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Satellite Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture|Best Actress – Drama]]
| Frances McDormand
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture|Best Actor - Drama]]
| William H. Macy
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture|Best Supporting Actor – Drama]]
| [[Steve Buscemi]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Satellite Award for Best Editing|Best Editing]]
| Roderick Jaynes
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Satellite Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]]
| Joel and Ethan Coen
| {{nom}}
|-
|rowspan=6| [[Independent Spirit Awards]]
|rowspan=6| [[12th Independent Spirit Awards|March 22, 1997]]
| [[Independent Spirit Award for Best Film|Best Film]]
| ''Fargo''
| {{won}}
|rowspan=6| <ref>{{cite web |author=Dretzka |first=Gary |date=March 24, 1997 |title='Fargo' Big Winner Among Independents |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1997-03-24-9703240054-story.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200228225440/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1997-03-24-9703240054-story.html |archive-date=February 28, 2020 |access-date=October 9, 2020 |website=[[Chicago Tribune]]}}</ref>
|-
| [[Independent Spirit Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| Joel Coen
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead|Best Male Lead]]
| William H. Macy
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead|Best Female Lead]]
| Frances McDormand
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]]
| Joel and Ethan Coen
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]]
| Roger Deakins
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan=2| [[National Board of Review]]
| rowspan=2| 1996
| [[National Board of Review Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| Joel Coen
| {{won}}
| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://nationalboardofreview.org/award-names/best-director/|title=Best Director|website=[[National Board of Review]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009140822/https://nationalboardofreview.org/award-names/best-director/|archive-date=October 9, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| [[National Board of Review Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| Frances McDormand
| {{won}}
| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://nationalboardofreview.org/award-names/best-actress/|title=Best Actress|website=[[National Board of Review]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009140918/https://nationalboardofreview.org/award-names/best-actress/|archive-date=October 9, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| [[National Film Preservation Board]]
| December 27, 2006
| [[National Film Registry]]
| ''Fargo''
| {{won|Added}}
| <ref name="National Film Registry">{{cite web |author=Cannady |first=Sheryl |date=December 27, 2006 |title=Librarian of Congress Adds Home Movie, Silent Films and Hollywood Classics to Film Preservation List |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-06-234/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009141255/https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-06-234/ |archive-date=October 9, 2020 |website=[[Library of Congress]]}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan=2| [[New York Film Critics Circle]]
| rowspan=2| [[1996 New York Film Critics Circle Awards|January 5, 1997]]
| [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film|Best Film]]
| ''Fargo''
| {{won}}
| rowspan=2| <ref>{{cite web |author=Maslin |first=Janet |date=December 13, 1996 |title=Critics Choose 'Fargo' As the Best Film of 1996 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/13/movies/critics-choose-fargo-as-the-best-film-of-1996.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009142431/https://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/13/movies/critics-choose-fargo-as-the-best-film-of-1996.html |archive-date=October 9, 2020 |website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>
|-
| Best Actress
| Frances McDormand
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan=3| [[Saturn Awards]]
| rowspan=3| [[23rd Saturn Awards|July 23, 1997]]
| [[Saturn Award for Best Action or Adventure Film|Best Action or Adventure Film]]
| ''Fargo''
| {{won}}
| rowspan=3| <ref>{{Cite web |date=July 28, 1997 |title=Ishmael' set to shoot in Florida |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1997/07/28/ishmael-set-to-shoot-in-florida/ |access-date=2023-05-14 |website=[[Tampa Bay Times]] |language=en}}</ref>
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| Frances McDormand
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| Joel Coen
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan=2| [[Screen Actors Guild Awards]]
| rowspan=2| [[3rd Screen Actors Guild Awards|February 22, 1997]]
| [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role|Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role]]
| Frances McDormand
| {{won}}
| rowspan=2| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/3rd-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards|title=The 3rd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards|website=[[Screen Actors Guild Awards]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009144715/https://www.sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/3rd-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards|archive-date=October 9, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role|Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role]]
| William H. Macy
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Writers Guild of America Awards]]
| [[49th Writers Guild of America Awards|March 16, 1997]]
| [[Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]]
| Joel and Ethan Coen
| {{won}}
| <ref>{{cite web |author=Durka |first=Elaine |date=March 17, 1997 |title='Fargo,' 'Sling Blade' Win Top Writers Guild Honors |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-03-17-ca-39138-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009145116/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-03-17-ca-39138-story.html |archive-date=October 9, 2020 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan=4|[[London Film Critics Circle]]
|rowspan=4|[[London Film Critics Circle Awards 1996|March 2, 1997]]
|[[London Film Critics Circle Award for Film of the Year|Film of the Year]]
| ''Fargo''
| {{Won}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Critics' Circle Film Awards |url=https://criticscircle.org.uk/film/critics-circle-film-awards/ |access-date=September 25, 2022 |website=criticscircle.org.uk}}</ref>
|-
| [[London Film Critics Circle Award for Director of the Year|Director of the Year]]
| Joel Coen
| {{Won}}
|
|-
| [[London Film Critics' Circle Award for Screenwriter of the Year|Screenwriter of the Year]]
| Joel and Ethan Coen
| {{Won}}
|
|-
| [[London Film Critics Circle Award for Actress of the Year|Actress of the Year]]
| Frances McDormand
| {{Won}}
|
|-
| [[Bodil Awards]]
| 1997
| [[Bodil Award for Best American Film|Best American Film]]
| Joel Coen
| {{Won}}
| <ref>{{Cite web |title=1997 – Bodilprisen |url=https://www.bodilprisen.dk/aar-for-aar/1997-2/ |access-date=2023-05-14 |website=bodilprisen.dk |language=da-DK}}</ref>
|}

==Home media==
''Fargo'' has been released in several formats: [[VHS]], [[LaserDisc]], [[DVD]], [[Blu-ray]], and [[iTunes Store|iTunes]] download.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fargo |date=March 8, 1996 |url=https://itunes.apple.com/au/movie/fargo-1996/id341289724 |publisher=[[iTunes]] |access-date=September 22, 2013 |archive-date=October 8, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131008220537/https://itunes.apple.com/au/movie/fargo-1996/id341289724 |url-status=live }}</ref> The first home video release of the film was on October 1, 1996, on a [[pan and scan]] cassette.<ref>{{cite news |last=King |first=Susan |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107891272/letterbox-brings-wide-screen-home/ |title='Letterbox' Brings Wide Screen Home |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230311215357/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107891272/letterbox-brings-wide-screen-home/ |date=August 16, 1996 |access-date=March 11, 2023 |archive-date=March 11, 2023 |page=96 |work=Times Staff Writer |publisher=[[Los Angeles Times]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |url-status=live}} {{Open access}}</ref> A collector's edition widescreen VHS was also released and included a [[snow globe]] that depicted the woodchipper scene which, when shaken, stirred up both snow and "blood".<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/05/02/movies/summer-films-synergy-a-few-words-in-defense-of-swag.html |title=Summer Films: Synergy; A Few Words in Defense of Swag |date=May 2, 1999 |author=Burr, Ty |author-link=Ty Burr|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200911003718/https://www.nytimes.com/1999/05/02/movies/summer-films-synergy-a-few-words-in-defense-of-swag.html|archive-date=September 11, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> [[PolyGram Filmed Entertainment|PolyGram Video]] released ''Fargo'' on DVD on June 25, 1997.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Fargo - Releases |url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/fargo-vm422651/releases |access-date=May 14, 2023 |website=[[AllMovie]]}}</ref> In 2001, [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] (MGM), who acquired the rights to the film through their purchase of PolyGram's pre-March 31, 1996, library, released the film on VHS as part of its "Contemporary Classics" series.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Fargo [VHS] | isbn=0792842081 }}</ref> A "Special Edition" DVD was released on September 30, 2003, by [[MGM Home Entertainment]], which featured minor changes to the film, particularly with its subtitles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Powell |first=James W. |date=September 6, 2003 |title=Fargo: Special Edition DVD |url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/review/7490 |access-date=May 14, 2023 |website=DVD Talk}}</ref> The opening titles stating "This is a true story" have been changed in this edition from the actual titles on the film print to digitally inserted titles. Also, the subtitle preceding Lundegaard's arrest "Outside of Bismarck, North Dakota" has been inserted digitally and moved from the bottom of the screen to the top. The special edition of ''Fargo'' was repackaged in several Coen brothers box sets and also as a double feature DVD with other MGM releases.<ref name=":1" />

A Blu-ray version was released on May 12, 2009,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fargo Blu-ray |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Fargo-Blu-ray/4352/ |access-date=May 14, 2023 |website=blu-ray.com}}</ref> and later in a DVD combo pack in 2010.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fargo (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) |url=https://www.amazon.com/Fargo-Two-Disc-Blu-ray-Combo-Packaging/dp/B003O7I6ZM |access-date=May 14, 2023 |website=Amazon}}</ref> On April 1, 2014, in commemoration for the 90th anniversary of MGM, the film was remastered in [[4K resolution|4K]] and reissued again on Blu-ray.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fargo Blu-ray (Remastered) |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Fargo-Blu-ray/94654/ |access-date=May 14, 2023 |website=blu-ray.com}}</ref> On May 3, 2017, [[Shout! Factory]] announced a 20th anniversary collector's [[Optical disc packaging|Steelbook]] edition on Blu-ray, limited to 10,000 copies, which was released on August 8, 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shoutfactory.com/blog/limited-edition-fargo-20th-anniversary-edition-steelbook/|title=Limited Edition Fargo 20th Anniversary Edition Steelbook|access-date=May 3, 2017|website=[[Shout! Factory]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201013130955/https://www.shoutfactory.com/blog/limited-edition-fargo-20th-anniversary-edition-steelbook/|archive-date=October 13, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> On November 7, 2023, Shout! Factory released the film in a [[Ultra HD Blu-ray|4K Ultra HD]] and Blu-ray combo pack.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://shoutfactory.com/products/fargo-deluxe-limited-edition|title=Fargo [Deluxe Limited Edition]|access-date=April 23, 2024|website=[[Shout! Factory]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320233232/https://shoutfactory.com/products/fargo-deluxe-limited-edition|archive-date=March 20, 2024|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Television series==
{{Main|Fargo (TV series){{!}}''Fargo'' (TV series)}}

In 1997, a [[pilot episode|pilot]] was filmed for an intended television series based on the film. Set in Brainerd shortly after the events of the film, it starred [[Edie Falco]] as Marge Gunderson and Bruce Bohne reprising his role as Officer Lou. It was directed by [[Kathy Bates]] and featured no involvement from the Coen brothers. The episode aired in 2003 during [[Trio (TV network)|Trio]]'s ''Brilliant But Cancelled'' series of failed TV shows.<ref>{{cite news |last=Nussbaum |first=Emily |author-link=Emily Nussbaum |date=August 31, 2003 |title=Television: Reruns; Edie Falco in 'Fargo,' and Other Gems You Never Saw |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/31/arts/television-reruns-edie-falco-in-fargo-and-other-gems-you-never-saw.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528000743/https://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/31/arts/television-reruns-edie-falco-in-fargo-and-other-gems-you-never-saw.html |archive-date=May 28, 2015}}</ref>

A follow-up [[Fargo (TV series)|TV series]] inspired by the film, with the Coens as executive producers, debuted on [[FX (TV channel)|FX]] in April 2014.<ref>{{cite web |first=Nellie |last=Andreeva|url=https://deadline.com/2012/09/fx-teams-with-joel-ethan-coen-and-noah-hawley-for-series-adaptation-of-fargo-342737/ |title=FX Teams With Joel & Ethan Coen And Noah Hawley For Series Adaptation Of 'Fargo' |magazine=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |date=September 21, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130604060826/https://www.deadline.com/2012/09/fx-teams-with-joel-ethan-coen-and-noah-hawley-for-series-adaptation-of-fargo/|archive-date=June 4, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Fargo (season 1)|first season]] received acclaim from both critics and audiences.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fargo: Season 1 |publisher=Metacritic|url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/fargo/season-1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151127234636/http://www.metacritic.com/tv/fargo |archive-date=November 27, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/fargo/s01/ |title=Fargo: Season 1 (2014) |publisher=Rotten Tomatoes |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140730012739/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/fargo/s01/ |archive-date=July 30, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/06/25/fargo-season-1-review |title=Fargo: Season 1 Review |publisher=IGN |first=Roth |last=Cornet |date=June 25, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912025127/http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/06/25/fargo-season-1-review |archive-date=September 12, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/article/best-tv-shows-2014-part-2-212571 |title=The best TV shows of 2014 (part 2) |work=[[The A.V. Club]] |first=Myles |last=McNutt |date=December 11, 2014 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20141211063004/http://www.avclub.com/article/best-tv-shows-2014-part-2-212571 |archive-date=December 11, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> Existing in the same [[fictional universe|fictional continuity]] as the film, each season features a different story, cast, and timespan. The episode "[[Eating the Blame]]" from the first season reintroduced the buried ransom money for a minor three-episode subplot.<ref>{{cite news |author=Ray |first=Amber |date=May 7, 2014 |title='Fargo' episode 4: The Easter egg that connects the series to the film |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |url=http://popwatch.ew.com/2014/05/07/fargo-episode-4-coen-brothers-easter-egg/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415224940/https://ew.com/article/2014/05/07/fargo-episode-4-coen-brothers-easter-egg/ |archive-date=April 15, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Nguyen |first=Hanh |date=May 6, 2014 |title=''Fargo'' Boss Breaks Down That (Very Familiar) Money Shot |magazine=[[TV Guide]] |url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/fargo-movie-crossover-noah-hawley-1081378.aspx |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714182041/https://www.tvguide.com/news/fargo-movie-crossover-noah-hawley-1081378.aspx |archive-date=July 14, 2014}}</ref> Additional seasons have been made; [[Fargo (season 2)|the second]] was released on October 12, 2015; [[Fargo (season 3)|the third]], on April 19, 2017; [[Fargo (season 4)|the fourth]], on September 27, 2020;<ref>{{cite web |author=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=August 10, 2020 |title='Fargo' Sets New Premiere Date For Chris Rock-Starring Season 4 As FX Series Heads Back To Production |url=https://deadline.com/2020/08/fargo-sets-new-premiere-date-chris-rock-star-season-4-fx-series-heads-back-production-restart-1203008584/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008160950/https://deadline.com/2020/08/fargo-sets-new-premiere-date-chris-rock-star-season-4-fx-series-heads-back-production-restart-1203008584/ |archive-date=October 8, 2020 |access-date=October 8, 2020 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref> and the [[Fargo (season 5)|fifth season]] premiered on November 21, 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=2023-08-17 |title='Fargo' Season 5 Gets Premiere Date; Plot Details & First Images Unveiled |url=https://deadline.com/2023/10/fargo-fifth-season-premiere-date-first-images-trailer-1235521371/ |access-date=2023-09-18 |website=Deadline |language=en-US |archive-date=August 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230817142020/https://deadline.com/2023/08/fargo-fifth-season-premiere-date-first-images-1235521371/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==See also==
* ''[[Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter]]''—a film about a young Japanese woman who becomes obsessed with ''Fargo'', believing the events it depicts to be real.
* [[Suicide of Takako Konishi]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==Further reading==
== External links == <!-- IMDb link in infobox -->
* {{cite book |title=The Coen Brothers' ''Fargo'' |editor1-last=Luhr |editor1-first=William |editor1-link=William Luhr |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |year=2004 |oclc=51752419 |isbn=9780521808859 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_cV8OI89FAcC}} A collection of scholarly essays by several authors about the film and related subjects.
{{wikiquotepar|Fargo}}
*{{imdb title|id=0116282}}
*{{rotten-tomatoes|id=fargo|title=Fargo}}
* {{filmsite|id=fargo|title=Fargo}}
* [http://fargofilmmaking.wikia.com/wiki/Fargo Fargo] at the [http://fargofilmmaking.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page Fargo Filmmaking Wiki]


==External links==
{{Footer_Movies_Joel_and_Ethan_Coen}}
{{Wikiquote|Fargo (film)}}
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{TCMDb title|id=300505}}
* ''Fargo'' essay by Daniel Eagan in America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry, A&C Black, 2010 {{ISBN|0826429777}}, pages 817-818 [https://books.google.com/books?id=deq3xI8OmCkC]


{{Fargo}}
<!-- Frances McDormand -->
{{Coen brothers}}
<!-- William H. Macy -->
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for ''Fargo''
|list =
{{Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Film}}
{{Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Film}}
{{Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Film}}
{{Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film}}
{{Independent Spirit Award for Best Film}}
{{London Film Critics Circle Award for Film of the Year}}
{{New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film}}
{{San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Film}}
{{Satellite Award Best Motion Picture}}
{{Saturn Award for Best Action or Adventure Film}}
}}


{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Films directed by the Coen brothers]]

[[Category:Crime films]]
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[[Category:Black comedy films]]
[[Category:1996 films]]
[[Category:1996 films]]
[[Category:American films]]
[[Category:1996 black comedy films]]
[[Category:English-language films]]
[[Category:1996 comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:Films set in the 1980s]]
[[Category:1996 crime drama films]]
[[Category:Fargo-Moorhead]]
[[Category:1996 crime thriller films]]
[[Category:1996 independent films]]
[[Category:Films featuring a Best Actress Academy Award winning performance]]
[[Category:1990s American films]]
[[Category:Films whose writer won the Best Original Screenplay Academy Award]]
[[Category:Criminal comedy films]]
[[Category:1990s British films]]
[[Category:North Dakota in fiction]]
[[Category:1990s crime comedy films]]
[[Category:Minnesota in fiction]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:American black comedy films]]
[[Category:American crime comedy films]]
[[Category:American independent films]]
[[Category:American neo-noir films]]
[[Category:BAFTA winners (films)]]
[[Category:British crime comedy films]]
[[Category:British neo-noir films]]
[[Category:British pregnancy films]]
[[Category:English-language black comedy films]]
[[Category:English-language independent films]]
[[Category:English-language crime drama films]]
[[Category:English-language crime comedy films]]
[[Category:English-language crime thriller films]]
[[Category:Fargo| ]]
[[Category:Fargo, North Dakota]]
[[Category:Fargo–Moorhead]]
[[Category:Films about kidnapping in the United States]]
[[Category:Films adapted into television shows]]
[[Category:Films directed by the Coen brothers]]
[[Category:Films featuring a Best Actress Academy Award–winning performance]]
[[Category:Films scored by Carter Burwell]]
[[Category:Films set in 1987]]
[[Category:Films set in Minnesota]]
[[Category:Films set in Minnesota]]
[[Category:Films set in Minneapolis]]
[[Category:Films set in North Dakota]]
[[Category:Films set in North Dakota]]
[[Category:Films shot in Minnesota]]
[[Category:Films shot in North Dakota]]
[[Category:Films whose director won the Best Direction BAFTA Award]]
[[Category:Films whose writer won the Best Original Screenplay Academy Award]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by the Coen brothers]]
[[Category:Gramercy Pictures films]]
[[Category:Independent Spirit Award for Best Film winners]]
[[Category:PolyGram Filmed Entertainment films]]
[[Category:Satellite Award–winning films]]
[[Category:Saturn Award–winning films]]
[[Category:TVT Records soundtracks]]
[[Category:United States National Film Registry films]]
[[Category:United States National Film Registry films]]
[[Category:Omens]]
[[Category:Working Title Films films]]

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Latest revision as of 18:58, 25 December 2024

Fargo
A man lies face down in snow in a pool of blood, presumably his own. A upside down vehicle can be seen in the distance. Above the man, the words "Fargo" and "a homespun murder story" can be seen in red. The image has the appearance of being crafted by cross-stitch.
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJoel Coen[1][2]
Written by
  • Joel Coen
  • Ethan Coen
Produced byEthan Coen[1][2]
Starring
CinematographyRoger Deakins
Edited byRoderick Jaynes[a]
Music byCarter Burwell
Production
company
Distributed by
Release dates
  • March 8, 1996 (1996-03-08) (United States)
  • May 31, 1996 (1996-05-31) (United Kingdom)
Running time
98 minutes[3]
Countries
LanguageEnglish
Budget$7 million[5]
Box office$60.6 million[5]

Fargo is a 1996 black comedy crime film written, directed, produced and edited by Joel and Ethan Coen. Frances McDormand stars as Marge Gunderson, a pregnant Minnesota police chief investigating a triple homicide that takes place after a desperate car salesman (William H. Macy) hires two dim-witted criminals (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare) to kidnap his wife in order to extort a hefty ransom from her wealthy father (Harve Presnell). The film was an American and British co-production.

Filmed in the United States in late 1995, Fargo premiered at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival, where Joel Coen won the festival's Prix De La Mise En Scène (Best Director Award) and the film was nominated for the Palme d'Or. The film was both a critical and commercial success, earning particular acclaim for the Coens' direction and script and the performances of McDormand, Macy and Buscemi. Fargo received seven Oscar nominations at the 69th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor for Macy, winning two: Best Actress for McDormand and Best Original Screenplay for the Coens.

In 1998, the American Film Institute named it one of the 100 greatest American films in history (the most recent film on the list up to that point) but it was subsequently de-listed in 2007. In 2006, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."[6][7] A Coen-produced FX television series of the same name, inspired by the film and taking place in the same fictional universe, premiered in 2014 and received widespread critical acclaim.[8]

Plot

[edit]

In 1987, Jerry Lundegaard is the executive sales manager of a Minneapolis car dealership owned by his father-in-law, Wade Gustafson. Desperate for money, he plans to have his wife Jean kidnapped so he can extort $80,000 from Wade. On the recommendation of dealership mechanic and parolee Shep Proudfoot, Jerry meets Gaear Grimsrud and Carl Showalter at a bar in Fargo, North Dakota. Gaear and Carl agree to kidnap Jean in exchange for a new Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera and $40,000 of the ransom.

Believing he has secured a $750,000 loan from Wade for a lucrative real estate deal, Jerry tries to call off the kidnapping. However, Wade and his accountant Stan Grossman inform Jerry that Wade will handle the deal himself, offering Jerry only a modest finder's fee. Carl and Gaear kidnap Jean and transport her to a remote cabin in Moose Lake. A state trooper stops them near Brainerd for not displaying temporary registration tags. The trooper rejects Carl's clumsy bribe attempt and orders Carl out of the car. When the trooper hears Jean whimpering in the back seat, Gaear shoots him dead, then kills two passers-by who witnessed the scene.

Brainerd police chief Marge Gunderson, who is seven months pregnant, begins investigating. She correctly deduces that the dead trooper was ticketing a car with dealer plates. She later learns that two men driving a dealership vehicle checked into a nearby motel with two call girls and placed a call to Shep. Marge visits Wade's dealership, where Shep feigns ignorance and Jerry nervously insists no cars are missing. While in Minneapolis, Marge reconnects with Mike Yanagita, a high school classmate. Mike awkwardly tries to romance her before breaking down and telling her his wife has died.

In light of the three murders, Carl demands Jerry hand over the entire $80,000. Jerry tells Wade the kidnappers have demanded $1 million and will deal only through him. Shep finds Carl with a call girl in Shep's Minneapolis apartment and beats him for bringing Shep to the police's attention. Carl angrily calls Jerry and demands that he bring the money immediately. Wade insists on delivering the ransom himself and meets Carl at a parking garage. Wade refuses to hand over the money without seeing his daughter, so Carl shoots him. Wade fires back, wounding Carl in the jaw. Carl kills Wade and a garage attendant, then drives away with the cash.

On the way to Moose Lake, Carl discovers the briefcase contains $1 million. He takes out $80,000 to split with Gaear and buries the rest in the snow alongside the highway. Marge learns from a friend that Yanagita lied; he has no wife and is mentally ill. Reflecting on this, Marge returns to Wade's dealership. An agitated Jerry again insists no cars are missing and tells Marge he will double-check the inventory. Marge sees Jerry driving off the lot and calls the state police.

At the cabin, Carl finds that Gaear killed Jean because she would not be quiet. Carl says they should split up and leave immediately, and they argue over who will keep the Ciera. Carl insults Gaear and attempts to leave with the car, but Gaear kills Carl with an axe. Marge drives to Moose Lake, tipped off by a local bartender who overheard a customer brag about killing someone. She sees the Ciera, then discovers Gaear feeding Carl's body into a woodchipper. Gaear attempts to flee, but Marge shoots him in the leg and arrests him. Shortly after, Jerry is arrested at a motel outside Bismarck, North Dakota.

Marge's husband Norm tells her the Postal Service has selected his painting of a mallard for a three-cent postage stamp and complains that his friend's painting won the competition for a twenty-nine cent stamp. Marge reminds him that smaller denomination stamps are used to make up the difference between the face value of old stamps and the new cost of first-class postage. Norm is reassured, and the couple happily anticipates the birth of their child.

Cast

[edit]

Production

[edit]

Casting

[edit]

The Coens initially considered William H. Macy for a smaller role, but they were so impressed by his reading that they asked him to come back in and read for the role of Jerry. According to Macy, he was very persistent in getting the role, saying: "I found out that they [the Coen brothers] were auditioning in New York still, so I got my jolly, jolly Lutheran ass on an airplane and walked in and said, 'I want to read again because I'm scared you're going to screw this up and hire someone else.' I actually said that. You know, you can't play that card too often as an actor. Sometimes it just blows up in your face, but I said, 'Guys, this is my role. I want this.'"[10] Ethan Coen later remarked, "I don't think either of us [Coen brothers] realised what a tough acting challenge we were handing Bill Macy with this part. Jerry's a fascinating mix of the completely ingenuous and the utterly deceitful. Yet he's also guileless; even though he set these horrible events in motion, he's surprised when they go wrong."[11]

Frances McDormand learned how to use and fire a gun, spent days talking with a pregnant police officer and developed a backstory for her character along with John Carroll Lynch. After seeing the movie, McDormand noted that much of Marge was modeled on her sister Dorothy, who is a Disciples of Christ minister and chaplain.[12]

Filming

[edit]

Fargo was filmed during the winter of 1995, mainly in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and around Pembina County, North Dakota.[13][14] Due to unusually low snowfall totals in central and southern Minnesota that winter, scenes requiring snow-covered landscapes had to be shot in northern Minnesota and northeastern North Dakota, though not in or near the actual towns of Fargo and Brainerd.[15] Cinematographer Roger Deakins shot the film on an Arriflex 35 BL-4 camera.[14]

Original Paul Bunyan sculpture created by Rick Heinrichs

Jerry's initial meeting with Carl and Gaear was shot at a pool hall and bar called The King of Clubs in the northeast section of Minneapolis.[16] It was demolished in 2003, along with most other buildings on that block of Central Avenue, and replaced by low-income housing.[17] Wade's car dealership was actually Wally McCarthy Oldsmobile in Richfield, Minnesota, a southern suburb of Minneapolis. The site is now occupied by Best Buy's national corporate headquarters. The 24-foot Paul Bunyan statue was built for the film (and subsequently dismantled) on Pembina County Highway 1, four miles west of Bathgate, North Dakota, near the Canadian border.[18] The Blue Ox motel/truckstop was Stockmen's Truck Stop in South St. Paul, which is still in business. Ember's, the restaurant where Jerry discusses the ransom drop with Gustafson, was located in St. Louis Park, the Coens' hometown; the building now houses a medical outpatient treatment center.[18]

The strip club where Marge interviews the two call girls was two separate locations; its exterior was the Lakeside Club in Mahtomedi, Minnesota, and interior the Loch Ness Lounge in Houlton, Wisconsin. The kidnappers' Moose Lake hideout actually stood on the shore of Square Lake, near May, Minnesota. The cabin was relocated to Barnes, Wisconsin, in 2002. The Edina police station where the interior police headquarters scenes were filmed is still in operation but has been completely rebuilt. The Carlton Celebrity Room was an actual venue in Bloomington, Minnesota, and José Feliciano did once appear there, but it had been closed for almost ten years when filming began. The Feliciano scene was shot at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre in Chanhassen, near Minneapolis.[18] The ransom drop was filmed in two adjacent parking garages on South 8th Street in downtown Minneapolis. Scenes in the Lundegaards' kitchen were shot in a private home on Pillsbury Avenue in Minneapolis,[19] and the house where Mr. Mohra describes the "funny looking little guy" to police is in Hallock, in northwest Minnesota. The motel "outside of Bismarck", where the police finally catch up with Jerry, is the Hitching Post Motel in Forest Lake, north of Minneapolis.[18]

While none of Fargo was actually filmed in Fargo, the Fargo-Moorhead Convention & Visitors Bureau exhibits original script copies and several props used in the film, including the wood chipper prop.[18]

Music

[edit]

As with all the Coen brothers' films, except Inside Llewyn Davis, the score to Fargo is by Carter Burwell.[20] The main musical motif is based on a Norwegian folk song, "The Lost Sheep" (Norwegian: Den bortkomne sauen).[21]

Other songs featured in the film include: "Big City" by Merle Haggard, heard in the King of Clubs while Jerry meets with Carl and Gaear; "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" by Boy George, which plays in the garage as Shep works, and "Let's Find Each Other Tonight", a live nightclub performance by José Feliciano that is viewed by Carl and a female escort at such a far distance without a close-up that the viewer might deem it's a lip synched stand-in.[22] In the diner, when Jerry is urging Wade not to get police involved in his wife's kidnapping, Chuck Mangione's "Feels So Good" can be heard faintly in the background. An instrumental version of "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" plays during the scene where Marge and Norm are eating at a buffet. The restaurant scene with Mike Yanagita is accompanied by a piano arrangement of "Sometimes in Winter" by Blood, Sweat & Tears. All the songs heard in the film are featured only as background music, usually on a radio, and do not appear on the soundtrack album.

The soundtrack was released in 1996 on TVT Records, combined with selections from the score to Barton Fink.[20]

Claims of factual basis

[edit]

The film opens with the following text:

This is a true story. The events depicted in this film took place in Minnesota in 1987. At the request of the survivors, the names have been changed. Out of respect for the dead, the rest has been told exactly as it occurred.

The Coen brothers said that they based their script on an actual criminal event, but wrote a fictional story around it. "We weren't interested in that kind of fidelity", said Joel Coen. "The basic events are the same as in the real case, but the characterizations are fully imagined ... If an audience believes that something's based on a real event, it gives you permission to do things they might otherwise not accept."[23]

The brothers have modified their explanation more than once. In 1996, Joel Coen told a reporter that—contrary to the opening graphic—the actual murders were not committed in Minnesota.[24][25] Many Minnesotans speculated that the story was inspired by T. Eugene Thompson, a St. Paul attorney who was convicted of hiring a man to murder his wife in 1963, near the Coens' hometown of St. Louis Park; but the Coens said that they had never heard of Thompson. After Thompson's death in 2015, Joel Coen changed the explanation again: "[The story was] completely made up. Or, as we like to say, the only thing true about it is that it's a story."[26]

The film's special edition DVD contains yet another account, that the film was inspired by the 1986 murder of Helle Crafts, a Danish–American flight attendant from Connecticut at the hands of her husband, Richard, who disposed of her body through a wood chipper.[27]

In a 1998 article on the film's "true story" claim, the fact-checking website Snopes concluded that it was a prank of the kind the Coen brothers often inserted in their films, without "a word of truth to it." Snopes said that doubters should note that a fictitious persons disclaimer, used in works of fiction, is at the end of the film.[28]

Accent

[edit]

The film's illustrations of "Minnesota nice" and distinctive regional accents and expressions made a lasting impression on audiences; years later, locals reported continuing to field tourist requests to say "Yah, you betcha", and other tag lines from the movie.[29] Dialect coach Liz Himelstein said that "the accent was another character". She coached the cast using audiotapes and field trips.[30] Another dialect coach, Larissa Kokernot (who also played one of the prostitutes), noted that the "small-town, Minnesota accent is close to the sound of the Nords and the Swedes", which is "where the musicality comes from". She taught McDormand "Minnesota nice" and the characteristic head-nodding to show agreement.[31] The strong accent spoken by Macy's and McDormand's characters, which was exaggerated for effect, is less common in the Twin Cities area, where over 60% of the state's population lives. The Minneapolis and St. Paul dialect is characterized by the Northern Cities Vowel Shift, which is also found in other places in the Northern United States as far east as Rochester, New York.[29]

Release

[edit]
Fargo being projected on the Radisson Hotel in Fargo, North Dakota

Fargo premiered at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival, where it was nominated for the competition's highest honor, the Palme d'Or. Joel Coen won the top directorial award, the Prix de la mise en scène. Subsequent notable screenings included the Pusan International Film Festival in South Korea, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic, and the Naples Film Festival.[32] In 2006, the sixth annual Fargo Film Festival marked Fargo's tenth anniversary by projecting the movie on a gigantic screen mounted on the north side of Fargo's then tallest building, the Radisson Hotel.[33]

Released theatrically in the United States on March 8, 1996, Fargo launched in 36 theaters, and grossed $1,024,137 in its first week.[34] In the film's third week, Fargo was released in 412 theaters, and accumulated a total box office gross of $5,998,890.[35] Overall it grossed $24,281,860 in the United States and Canada.[36] Internationally, Fargo was released in Canada on April 5, 1996; in the United Kingdom on May 31, 1996, grossing $2.3 million; in Australia on June 6, 1996, grossing $1.5 million; in Spain on June 20, 1996, grossing $1.8 million; in France on September 4, 1996, grossing $3.9 million; and in Germany on November 14, 1996, grossing $2.4 million.[37] Overall, the film's international gross was an estimated $36 million for a worldwide total of $60.6 million.[5]

Reception

[edit]

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Fargo holds an approval rating of 94% based on 104 reviews, with an average rating of 8.8/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Violent, quirky, and darkly funny, Fargo delivers an original crime story and a wonderful performance by McDormand."[38] At Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 86 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[39] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[40]

Frances McDormand's performance garnered critical acclaim, earning her the Academy Award for Best Actress.

Arnold Wayne Jones, writing for the Dallas Observer, called the film an "illuminating amalgam of emotion and thought", praising the directing and writing from the Coen brothers.[41] From Entertainment Weekly, Lisa Schwarzbaum lauded the performance from Frances McDormand and stated that the film was "dizzily rich, witty, and satisfying".[42] In The New Yorker, Anthony Lane singled out McDormand for praise: "Her character—seven months pregnant, polite to a fault, smart yet slow—is only a breath away from caricature, yet McDormand unearths a surprising decency there, and in the process she pretty well rescues the film."[43] USA Today journalist Mike Clark also praised the performance of McDormand:

McDormand's uproariously sly-spry performance connects with Roger Deakins' bleakly beautiful photography to create one of the Coens' most consistently successful outings, albeit one that plays it even closer to the vest than usual. [...] For a nifty bit of nastiness from two of our most dependably provocative filmmakers, Fargo will fill the bill.[44]

On the other side of the spectrum, Time magazine film critic Richard Corliss criticized Fargo for its use of Minnesota nice, the accent used in the film. In his review, Corliss stated that "After some superb mannerist films, the Coens are back in the deadpan realist territory of Blood Simple, but without the cinematic elan."[45] (Conversely, Janet Maslin, in The New York Times, deemed Fargo "much more stylish and entertaining" than Blood Simple).[46] James Berardinelli, writing for his own website, ReelThoughts, gave the film three stars out of five, stating that it was "easy to admire what the Coens are trying to do in Fargo, but more difficult to actually like the film."[47]

John Simon of The National Review wrote "The Coen brothers' Fargo is their best film so far, which isn't saying very much". Simon elaborated further that "Fargo could have been a nice little film noir if they hadn't compounded it with black comedy, absurdism, and folksy farce: Scandinavian–American midwesterners up, or down, to their hickish shenanigans. Some of this surprisingly, works, some of it ranges from the unpalatable to the indigestible".[48]

Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert both declared Fargo as the best film of 1996,[49] with Ebert later ranking it fourth on his list of the best films of the 1990s.[50] Fargo was added to the National Film Registry by the National Film Preservation Board on December 27, 2006.[7] In 2010, the Independent Film & Television Alliance selected the film as one of its "30 Most Significant Independent Films" of the last 30 years.[51] The Writers Guild of America ranked the film's screenplay the 32nd greatest ever.[52]

Future North Dakota governor Doug Burgum, whose company Great Plains Software had its initial public offering during the film's release, recalled that during investor meetings "100 percent of the first question was about the movie. We had no paper shredders in our office, only woodchippers, we'd answer with a straight face. They'd say: 'Really?!'"[53]

Accolades

[edit]
Award⁣ Date of ceremony⁣ Category⁣ Recipients⁣ Result⁣ Ref.
Academy Awards March 24, 1997 Best Picture Ethan Coen Nominated⁣ [54]
Best Director Joel Coen⁣ Nominated
Best Actress Frances McDormand Won⁣
Best Supporting Actor William H. Macy Nominated⁣
Best Original Screenplay Joel and Ethan Coen Won⁣
Best Cinematography Roger Deakins Nominated⁣
Best Film Editing Roderick Jaynes Nominated⁣
American Film Institute 1998 AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies Fargo
#84
[55]
June 13, 2000 AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs Fargo
#93
[56]
June 2003 AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains Marge Gunderson
#33 Hero
[57]
American Society of Cinematographers 1996 Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography Roger Deakins Nominated
BAFTA Film Awards April 29, 1997 Best Direction Joel Coen Won [58]
Best Film Fargo Nominated
Best Actress in a Leading Role Frances McDormand Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Joel and Ethan Coen Nominated
Best Cinematography Roger Deakins Nominated
Best Editing Roderick Jaynes Nominated
Belgian Film Critics Association 1997 Grand Prix Fargo Nominated
Cannes Film Festival May 1996 Best Director Joel Coen Won [32]
Palme d'Or Fargo Nominated
Golden Globe Awards January 19, 1997 Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Fargo Nominated [59]
Best Director Joel Coen Nominated
Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical Frances McDormand Nominated
Best Screenplay Joel and Ethan Coen Nominated
Golden Satellite Awards January 15, 1997 Best Film Fargo Won [60]
Best Director Joel Coen Won
Best Actress – Drama Frances McDormand Won
Best Actor - Drama William H. Macy Nominated
Best Supporting Actor – Drama Steve Buscemi Nominated
Best Editing Roderick Jaynes Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Joel and Ethan Coen Nominated
Independent Spirit Awards March 22, 1997 Best Film Fargo Won [61]
Best Director Joel Coen Won
Best Male Lead William H. Macy Won
Best Female Lead Frances McDormand Won
Best Screenplay Joel and Ethan Coen Won
Best Cinematography Roger Deakins Won
National Board of Review 1996 Best Director Joel Coen Won [62]
Best Actress Frances McDormand Won [63]
National Film Preservation Board December 27, 2006 National Film Registry Fargo Added [7]
New York Film Critics Circle January 5, 1997 Best Film Fargo Won [64]
Best Actress Frances McDormand Nominated
Saturn Awards July 23, 1997 Best Action or Adventure Film Fargo Won [65]
Best Actress Frances McDormand Nominated
Best Director Joel Coen Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards February 22, 1997 Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Frances McDormand Won [66]
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role William H. Macy Nominated
Writers Guild of America Awards March 16, 1997 Best Original Screenplay Joel and Ethan Coen Won [67]
London Film Critics Circle March 2, 1997 Film of the Year Fargo Won [68]
Director of the Year Joel Coen Won
Screenwriter of the Year Joel and Ethan Coen Won
Actress of the Year Frances McDormand Won
Bodil Awards 1997 Best American Film Joel Coen Won [69]

Home media

[edit]

Fargo has been released in several formats: VHS, LaserDisc, DVD, Blu-ray, and iTunes download.[70] The first home video release of the film was on October 1, 1996, on a pan and scan cassette.[71] A collector's edition widescreen VHS was also released and included a snow globe that depicted the woodchipper scene which, when shaken, stirred up both snow and "blood".[72] PolyGram Video released Fargo on DVD on June 25, 1997.[73] In 2001, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), who acquired the rights to the film through their purchase of PolyGram's pre-March 31, 1996, library, released the film on VHS as part of its "Contemporary Classics" series.[74] A "Special Edition" DVD was released on September 30, 2003, by MGM Home Entertainment, which featured minor changes to the film, particularly with its subtitles.[75] The opening titles stating "This is a true story" have been changed in this edition from the actual titles on the film print to digitally inserted titles. Also, the subtitle preceding Lundegaard's arrest "Outside of Bismarck, North Dakota" has been inserted digitally and moved from the bottom of the screen to the top. The special edition of Fargo was repackaged in several Coen brothers box sets and also as a double feature DVD with other MGM releases.[73]

A Blu-ray version was released on May 12, 2009,[76] and later in a DVD combo pack in 2010.[77] On April 1, 2014, in commemoration for the 90th anniversary of MGM, the film was remastered in 4K and reissued again on Blu-ray.[78] On May 3, 2017, Shout! Factory announced a 20th anniversary collector's Steelbook edition on Blu-ray, limited to 10,000 copies, which was released on August 8, 2017.[79] On November 7, 2023, Shout! Factory released the film in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo pack.[80]

Television series

[edit]

In 1997, a pilot was filmed for an intended television series based on the film. Set in Brainerd shortly after the events of the film, it starred Edie Falco as Marge Gunderson and Bruce Bohne reprising his role as Officer Lou. It was directed by Kathy Bates and featured no involvement from the Coen brothers. The episode aired in 2003 during Trio's Brilliant But Cancelled series of failed TV shows.[81]

A follow-up TV series inspired by the film, with the Coens as executive producers, debuted on FX in April 2014.[82] The first season received acclaim from both critics and audiences.[83][84][85][86] Existing in the same fictional continuity as the film, each season features a different story, cast, and timespan. The episode "Eating the Blame" from the first season reintroduced the buried ransom money for a minor three-episode subplot.[87][88] Additional seasons have been made; the second was released on October 12, 2015; the third, on April 19, 2017; the fourth, on September 27, 2020;[89] and the fifth season premiered on November 21, 2023.[90]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Roderick Jaynes is the shared pseudonym used by the Coen brothers for their editing.

References

[edit]
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Further reading

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