Fargo
Crime, Thriller
MGM/UA  (1996) 98 mins R (Restricted)

8.3 (133,713 votes) Top 250: #117
Milquetoast car salesman Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) is in a bit of a financial fix so he hires two thugs (Steve Buscemi and Gaear Grimsrud) to execute what he thinks is a brilliant solution to his problems. But when Jerry's plans begin to unravel, and the thugs completely botch the job, Officer Marge Gunderson (Francis McDormand), sweetly tenacious, homespun brilliant and eight months pregnant, begins to do a bit of her own unraveling, and soon discovers that meek little Jerry has some dark secrets he's hiding....

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Cast and Crew
Steve Buscemi  ......  Carl Showalter
William H. Macy  ......  Jerry Lundegaard
Frances McDormand  ......  Marge Gunderson
Harve Presnell  ......  Wade Gustafson
Kristin Rudrud  ......  Jean Lundegaard
Peter Stormare  ......  Gaear Grimsrud
Director  .....  Joel Coen; Ethan Coen
Producer  .....  Tim Bevan; Eric Fellner; John Cameron; Ethan Coen; Joel Coen
Writer  .....  Joel Coen; Ethan Coen
Cinematography  .....  Roger Deakins
Musician  .....  Carter Burwell
Notes
Goofs:
Continuity: Marge's scarf swaps sides on her first visit to Jerry's office. (more)

Trivia:
William H. Macy begged the directors for the role of Jerry Lundegaard. He did two readings for the part, and became convinced he was the best man for the role. When the Coens didn't get back to him on the subject, he flew to New York (where they were commencing production) and said, "I'm very, very worried that you are going to screw up this movie by giving this role to somebody else. It's my role, and I'll shoot your dogs if you don't give it to me." (He was joking, of course.) (more)

Filming Locations:
Bathgate, North Dakota, USA (more)

Quotes:
[first lines]
Jerry Lundegaard: I'm, uh, Jerry Lundegaard.
Carl Showalter: You're Jerry Lundegaard?
Jerry Lundegaard: Ya. Shep Proudfoot said...
Carl Showalter: Shep said you'd be here at 7:30. What gives, man?
Jerry Lundegaard: Shep said 8:30.
Carl Showalter: We've been sitting here an hour. He's
[motioning to Gaer]
Carl Showalter: peed three times already.
Jerry Lundegaard: I'm sure sorry. Shep told me 8:30. It was a mix-up, I guess.
(more)

Awards:
Won 2 Oscars. Another 52 wins & 30 nominations (more)