“Some time back, I was talking with my Daddy about movies (as often would happen) and the subject of Fargo came up. He was originally from northern Minnesota, and because of that, he said he couldn’t stand to watch the movie. The accents reminded him too much of where he grew up. Shame really, because this movie is so so \m/ good.
I love how dark it is, with just a bit more than a hint of comedy. Not so much that you’d think of it primarily as comedic, but the balance is incredible. It’s also ridiculously memorable. The characters, the dialog, the wood chipper. I haven’t gotten around to seeing the TV series inspired by it, but it’s something I very much look forward to.
And about that cast, oh my, what an embarassment of riches. Frances McDormand won herself an Oscar, being only the second actress to win gold for a movie directed by her husband. William H Macy scored a nod (and arguably should have beat out Cuba Gooding Jr), which is his only one to date. I think it’s criminal that he hasn’t gotten more Academy love. There’s “”funny looking”” Steve Buscemi in one of his most iconic roles. And I never noticed until now, but that’s Peter Stormare as his accomplice. Took me the longest time to remember his name and not just call him Abruzzi after his Prison Break character.
The other thing I always forget about this movie is that it’s based on a true story. That notice at the beginning floors me every time. I suppose this story is so crazy, it could only be real. *Cue Bad Religion’s “”Stranger Than Fiction””. I assume most of ya’ll are familiar enough with it, but just in case, it’s about a kind of a schlubby guy (Macy) who’s down on his luck. He arranges to have his wife kidnapped, in the hopes that her rich father will pay the ransom. Of course, nothing goes according to plan. He’s in over his head as the situation continues to escalate. Meanwhile a small town cop (McDormand) is on the trail.
I hadn’t noticed before how much of the movie is spent eating, particularly by McDormand. IMDB told me that every scene between her and her onscreen husband (John Carrol Lynch) has them either in bed or eating. Now that’s all I’m paying attention to.”