Fargo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fargo is a 1996 crime film directed by Coen brothers, starring Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi. It drew a wide audience and shaped its genre.
Plot
In 1987, Jerome "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. 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 half of the $80,000 ransom Jerry intends to extort from Wade. Believing he has secured a $750,000 loan from Wade for a lucrative real estate deal, Jerry unsuccessfully tries to call off the kidnapping.
Production
Written by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, the film was produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment. Carter Burwell composed the score. Roger Deakins handled the cinematography. The film runs 98 minutes. The crew and editing refined every shot.
Reception
On a budget of $7,000,000, Fargo grossed $60,611,975 worldwide at the box office. A critic consensus praised its screenplay and score.
Legacy
The film's influence spread across the century; its narrative and tone echo in much later cinema.
See also
References
- "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time". topfilms100. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
- Ebert, Roger. The Great Movies. Broadway Books.
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