Fargo (film)

Fargo (film)
Directed by	Joel Coen
Written by	Ethan Coen
Produced by	Joel Coen Ethan Coen
Starring	Frances McDormand William H. Macy Steve Buscemi Harve Presnell Peter Stormare
Music by	Carter Burwell
Cinematography	Roger Deakins
Editing by	Roderick Jaynes
Studio	PolyGram Filmed Entertainment Working Title Films
Distributed by	Gramercy Pictures
Release date	March 8, 1996
Running time	98 minutes
Budget	$7,000,000
Box office	$60,611,975

Fargo is a 1996 Oscar-winning American crime drama film produced, directed, written, and edited by brothers Joel and Ethan Coen. It is the original film that inspired the 2014 TV adaptation of the same name in which the Coens serve as executive producers.

Opening 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.

Plot

In 1987, pregnant chief of police Marge Gunderson investigates a series of homicides near Brainerd, Minnesota. Meanwhile, Jerry Lundegaard, a struggling car salesman in financial debt, hires two criminals to kidnap his wife. Jerry's inept crime falls apart due to his and his henchmen's bungling and the persistent police work of Marge.

Cast

• Frances McDormand as Marge Gunderson
• William H. Macy as Jerry Lundegaard
• Steve Buscemi as Carl Showalter
• Peter Stormare as Gaear Grimsrud
• Harve Presnell as Wade Gustafson
• Kristin Rudrüd as Jean Lundegaard
• Tony Denman as Scotty Lundegaard
• Gary Houston as Bucky
• Sally Wingert as Bucky's wife
• Larissa Kokernot as Hooker #1
• Melissa Peterman as Hooker #2
• Steve Reevis as Shep Proudfoot
• Warren Keith as Reilly Diefenbach
• Steve Edelman as Dale
• Sharon Anderson as Katie Carlson
• Larry Brandenburg as Stan Grossman
• James Gaulke as State Trooper
• John Carroll Lynch as Norm Gunderson
• Bruce Bohne as Lou
• Steve Park as Mike Yanagita
• Cliff Rakerd as Gary Olson
• José Feliciano as himself
• Bain Boehlke as Mr. Mohra

Trivia

• The film is, in fact, not based on a true story.
• None of the film was shot in, or near, Fargo, North Dakota.
• The hockey game that Wade was watching on television was between the Minnesota Golden Gophers and the Wisconsin Badgers. The game would have been played sometime between 1984 and 1988, as there is a goal scored by Wisconsin forward Paul Ranheim, who played for Wisconsin during those years.