Movie Review – Fargo (1996)

Let’s continue with our winter movie reviews and pay a visit to 1996′s classic, Fargo.

Written, directed and produced by Joel and Ethan Coen, Fargo is a tale of kidnapping, extortion and murder set in Minnesota in the middle of winter.  A sleazy automobile salesman named Jerry Lundegaard hatches a plan for two men to kidnap his wife and hold her for ransom.  He plans on extorting the money from his rich father-in-law so that Jerry can pay off his numerous bills.  Innocent people die after the kidnapping and it sparks a police investigation that ultimately brings down Jerry Lundegaard, but not before several more people are killed.

Fargo stars Frances McDormand as Brainerd Police Chief Marge Gunderson.  William H. Macy has the role of Jerry Lundegaard, a man at the end of his options as he falls deeper and deeper into debt.  Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare play the roles of Carl Showalter and Gaear Grimsrud, the two men who carry out the kidnapping of Jerry’s wife.  Harve Presnell is Jerry’s father-in-law Wade Gustafson, and Steve Reevis is Shep Proudfoot, an ex-convict who connects Jerry with Carl and Gaear.

Fargo begins with a statement claiming that this is a true story and the events took place in Minnesota back in 1987.  The names have been changed but supposedly the events are told as they occurred.  Keep in mind that this statement isn’t exactly true and while there was a murder similar to one of the murders in the film, the rest of Fargo is mostly a work of fiction.

Fargo (1996) – (c) Gramercy Pictures

The action begins as Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) tows a brand new car to the King of Clubs bar in Fargo, North Dakota.  Inside the bar he meets with Carl Showalter (Steve Buscemi) and Gaear Grimsrud (Peter Stormare), two criminals being by Jerry to kidnap his wife, Jean.  It turns out that Jerry is deep in debt and needs some serious money to save himself.  His father-in-law Wade Gustafson is rich, but he won’t loan or give Jerry any money.  Jerry’s plan is for Carl and Gaear to kidnap his wife and hold her for ransom.  In exchange, Jerry will pay Carl and Gaear a brand new car along with half of the $80,000 ransom money.  They make the deal and everything is set for Jean to be kidnapped in a few days.

That night Jerry returns home to his house in Minneapolis, Minnesota and has dinner with Jean (Kristin Rudrud), son Scotty (Tony Denman) and father-in-law Wade Gustafson (Harve Presnell).  After dinner Jerry talks to Wade about the real estate deal he located and Wade shows an interest in the deal.  If Wade loans Jerry the money for the deal, then he’ll be set and won’t have to have his wife kidnapped and held for ransom.  But Wade needs to agree to do the deal first.

Fargo (1996) – (c) Gramercy Pictures

The next day we see Jerry at work as an executive sales manager at his father-in-law’s car dealership.  He’s a con man and weasels people into buying upgrades and options that they never agreed to in the beginning of the deal.  When Jerry isn’t conning customers he’s giving the workers at GMAC double talk when they begin calling about some suspicious car loan applications that they received.  Meanwhile, Carl and Gaear begin driving down to Minneapolis and stop to visit some prostitutes in Brainerd, Minnesota.

Fargo (1996) – (c) Gramercy Pictures

A day later Jerry receives a phone call from Wade before he leaves for work.  It turns out that Wade is interested in the real estate deal, and he wants Jerry to meet with him and his business partner later that day.  Jerry is elated and tries to call off the kidnapping.  He talks to Shep (Steve Reevis) in the dealership’s repair bay, but Shep tells him that it’s too late to call off the kidnapping.  Carl and Gaear have already left their home.

Fargo (1996) – (c) Gramercy Pictures

While Jerry is at work, Carl and Gaear wear ski masks and arrive at Jerry’s home.  They break into the house and try to capture Jean.  She panics and runs to an upstairs bathroom.  Carl breaks open the door and it looks like she escaped out the window, so he runs downstairs to try to find the woman.  Gaear heads into the bathroom to look for a first aid kit when Jean emerges from the shower, still in a panic.  She trips and falls down the stairs, knocking herself out in the process.  Carl and Gaear take her unconscious body and put it into their car and flee the scene.

Fargo (1996) – (c) Gramercy Pictures

Meanwhile, Jerry meets with Wade and his business partner to talk about Jerry’s real estate deal.  The deal looks good to Wade and he wants to move forward.  The only problem is that Wade intends on pursuing the deal, not Jerry.  Wade only offers Jerry a measly finder’s fee instead of a loan to purchase the real estate deal.  They laugh when Jerry tries to negotiate for the loan, telling him that he isn’t a bank.  Depressed, Jerry leaves the meeting and returns home only to find that Jean was kidnapped.

Fargo (1996) – (c) Gramercy Pictures

Carl and Gaear are driving through Brainerd, Minnesota when their car is stopped by a member of the Minnesota State Patrol.  Carl forgot to change the “dealer” license plate on the car and it attracted the attention of the police officer.  Carl tries to bribe the officer but he fails.  Gaear takes care of the matter and shoots and kills the cop.

As Carl and Gaear are trying to remove the dead policeman’s body from the road, a passing car slows down and sees them.  Gaear jumps into his car and pursues the witnesses, causing them to crash on the slick road.  He then goes down to the car and kills both of the occupants.

Fargo (1996) – (c) Gramercy Pictures

The next morning Brainerd Police Chief Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand), currently seven months pregnant, is awoken with a phone call telling her about the murders.  She heads out to the scene and examines the dead bodies and tries to visualize what happened last night.  After examining the triple-homicide, the only solid evidence Marge has is the getaway car’s description and a notice that it had a dealer license plate.

Fargo (1996) – (c) Gramercy Pictures

Jerry meets with Wade and tells him the news of Jean’s kidnapping.  Supposedly the kidnappers called Jerry and told him the ransom and that Jerry was to deliver the $1 million alone (versus the $80,000 that Jerry originally told Carl and Gaear).  Apparently Jerry intends on keeping the difference in money for his own gain.  Wade is furious and wants to involve the police, but Jerry convinces him to go along with the plan.  He does for now.

More information about the triple-homicide and the suspicious vehicle beings to arrive at the Brainerd police station.  Their description is traced to a sleazy truck stop and motel outside of town, and after speaking with two prostitutes Marge learns that the two men were heading to Minneapolis.  She has the police look into the motel’s phone records and notices a suspicious phone call made to somebody named Shep Proudfoot in Minneapolis.

Meanwhile, Jerry receives a phone call from Carl telling him that he and Gaear now want double the original offer and all of the $80,000 ransom money.  He tells him that circumstances have changed and blood had been spilled.  Worried that Carl and Gaear are taking things way too far, Jerry reluctantly agrees to pay them more money.

Fargo (1996) – (c) Gramercy Pictures

Marge drives down to Minneapolis and interviews Shep at the car dealership.  He claims to remember nothing about any phone calls from a few nights ago.  Marge then meets with Jerry and he claims that no cars have been reported as stolen or missing from his dealership.  She does take note that Jerry appears to be nervous during the interview.

Carl has driven back down to Minneapolis to collect the ransom money from Jerry.  Before the meeting, Carl stops at a club and picks up a hooker.  He takes her back to Shep’s place and Shep returns home, furious at Carl.  His phone call mistake caused the police to look into his actions, and Shep is currently on probation from his previous crimes.  If the police catch Shep in any wrongdoing then it’s back to jail for him.  Shep chases the hooker out of the house and gives Carl a beating.

Fargo (1996) – (c) Gramercy Pictures

Meanwhile, Wade changes his mind about the ransom and decides to handle dealing with the kidnapper personally.  He takes a loaded gun along with the million dollars and heads out to meet with Carl at the meeting place.  Carl is angry that Wade is there and not Jerry, and when Wade refuses to hand over the money he shoots him in the chest.  While on the ground Wade manages to shoot his own gun back at Carl, hitting him in the face.  Carl takes the money and leaves the parking deck, shooting and killing a worker along the way.

Jerry arrives at the meeting place too late.  Wade is lying dead on the parking deck and he finds the murdered garage attendant.  Jerry’s plan has failed miserably, his father-in-law is dead, and now there’s almost no chance of getting Jean back alive.

Fargo (1996) – (c) Gramercy Pictures

Back in Brainerd, one of the police officers receives a tip from a concerned citizen.  Apparently two men have been acting suspiciously at a cabin up by a lake.  What makes matters interesting is that their vehicle has the same description as the one reported at the scene of the triple-homicide.  Perhaps the suspects are still in the Brainerd area.

Fargo (1996) – (c) Gramercy Pictures

Carl drives back to Brainerd and discovers that Wade’s suitcase contains significantly more money than the $80,000 ransom.  He pulls out some cash and buries the rest of the money in a snow bank on the side of the road.  Carl then drives back to their hideout.

Fargo (1996) – (c) Gramercy Pictures

Marge returns to the car dealership to question Jerry again about any missing or stolen cars from the lot.  When she asks to speak with Wade, Jerry gets snippy and heads out to check the lot personally.  Instead, he flees the scene and races away from Marge.  Marge makes a phone call alerting the police force that Jerry fled the interview, making him one of their top suspects in connection to the triple-homicide.

Carl returns to the hideout still bleeding and wounded from Wade’s gunshot.  He discovers that Gaear killed Jean.  This doesn’t bother either of them so they talk about the ransom money.  Gaear becomes angry when Carl informs him that he’s keeping the car.  He kills Carl with an axe when Carl tries to leave with the car.

Fargo (1996) – (c) Gramercy Pictures

Back in Brainerd, Marge drives around the lake cabins and follows the lead of the suspicious car.  She spots the car and investigates the hideout.  In the backyard she discovers Gaear stuffing Carl’s remains into a wood chipper.  Sure enough, Gaear’s description matches that of what the prostitute from the truck stop reported.  Marge tries to arrest Gaear but he turns and flees the scene.  Marge shoots him in the leg as he’s trying to run across a frozen lake.

Fargo ends with Gaear in custody and Marge driving him to the Brainerd police station.  She can’t believe that all of the killing and bloodshed was all about money.  Later, police find Jerry hiding in a hotel room and arrest him.

So is Fargo any good?

Fargo is an outstanding film that delivers on all levels.  From the setting of the bleak Minnesota winter to the criminals to the extortion plan to the double-crossings, this is one solid film.  It’s just a shame that films like this one aren’t more common in Hollywood these days.  Look for some outstanding performances by Frances McDormand and Steve Buscemi.

The film’s name is a little bit misleading though as most of the settings are divided between Minneapolis and Brainerd.  Fargo, North Dakota, is only visited in the introduction scene as Jerry meets with Carl and Gaear and they talk about the kidnapping.  The other 96% of the film takes place in Minnesota.

But that’s just a minor issue along with the introduction text claiming the film is a true story.  Supposedly it was the wood chipper murder that was based on a true story, and pretty much everything else in Fargo is a work of fiction.

Fargo (1996) – movie trailer

Fargo is one of those movies that you save for a rainy (or preferably cold and snowy) day.  Just sit back, relax, and enjoy a tale involving murder, greed, and some fun twists and turns.  You betcha!

Carl Showalter – “You ever been to Minneapolis?”
Gaear Grimsrud – “Nope.”
Carl Showalter – “Would it… kill you to say something?”
Gaear Grimsrud – “I did.”
Carl Showalter – ” ‘No.’ That’s the first thing you’ve said in the last four hours. That’s, a fountain of conversation there, buddy. That’s a geyser. I mean, whoa daddy! Stand back, man. Shit. I’m sitting here driving. Doing all the driving, man. The whole f*cking way from Brainard driving. Just trying to… chat, you know. Keep our spirits up, fight the boredom of the road, and you can’t say one f*cking thing just in the way of conversation. Oh f*ck it. I don’t have to talk to you either, man. See how you like it. Just total f*cking silence. Two can play at that game, smart guy. We’ll just see how you like it. Total silence.”

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Marge Gunderson – “OK, so we got a trooper pulls someone over, we got a shooting, these folks drive by, there’s a high-speed pursuit, ends here and then this execution-type deal.”

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Marge Gunderson – [speaking with Gaear as he’s in custody] “So that was Mrs. Lundegaard on the floor in there. And I guess that was your accomplice in the wood chipper. And those three people in Brainerd. And for what? For a little bit of money. There’s more to life than a little money, you know. Don’tcha know that? And here ya are, and it’s a beautiful day. Well. I just don’t understand it.”

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This article was originally published at www.chamberofreviews.com on February 6, 2013.