It’s a classic. Deserved more than 3 oscars. Of all the Coen movies, my favourite. [Raising Arizona #2]
Frances McDormand was awesome. I loved the end, where she’s proud of her husband’s chosen stamp. [instead of her own capturing the hilarious Peter Stormare]
Yes Qadgop That woodchipper. The SOCK on the foot of Steve Buscemi. LMAO.
And William H. Macy indeed acted wonderful.
Fargo is in my top ten list.
Another vote here for the “funny lookin’ guy” quotes
Hooker: Well, the little guy was kinda funny-lookin’.
Marge: In what way?
Hooker: I dunno, just funny-lookin’.
Marge: Can ya be any more specific?
Hooker: I couldn’t really say. He wasn’t circumcised.
Marge: Was he funny-lookin’ apart from that?
Hooker: Oh, he was just funny-lookin’. More than most people, even.
and
“I’m not sure I agree with you a hundred percent on your police work, there, Lou.”
“I think I’m gonna barf! Well, that passed. Now I’m hungry again.”
Oblong got the same thing out of it I did. Something about the thought of that character sitting down to a big stack of pancakes and syrup, big glass of milk on the side, is funny as hell.
Re: Prince.
That was actually TAFKAP’s (or is it now TAFKATAFKAP?) symbol turned on its side with a smiley attached. Or something like that. I think they explain it on the DVD.
Being a native Californian I’d always thought that the only chain of pancake houses was International House of Pancakes. Then I went down South and saw a Waffle House on practically every freeway exit. (Only a slight exaggeration.) So when I saw Fargo I thought maybe “Pancake House” was a takeoff on “Waffle House”. I dunno…
Exactly. That’s one of things I love about Fargo: it’s a film noir but like in negative, so all the shadows and chiaroscuro of traditional noir are transposed into blinding white vast landscapes. Bear witness to the amazing overhead crane shot of the snow-covered parking lot, where you can’t hardly tell what the dark squares are until you see Jerry trudging through the snow to scrape off his car. Beautiful. And I love the random guy sweeping out his driveway. And the fact that Margie’s husband designs the duck stamp.
Frances McDormand is the best actress working today.
“End of story.”
You just described, far better than I ever could have, my absolute favorite shot in Fargo. If there was a way I could make a still shot of that my wallpaper on my 'puter, I would.
Those were prostitutes? I thought they were just bar flies. I graduated with people exactly like that.
Most people I know around here hated the movie, BTW. I was living someplace else when I saw it and ADORED it. I watched it again recently and noticed the accents were just off enough to annoy the crap outta me.
I don’t remember anyone bringing up the North Stars. I thought all the hockey references were to the Gophers. One of the reasons the North Stars fled to Dallas and lost the “North” was that college and high school hockey is much more popular in Minnesota than the NHL.
Minnesotans have told me that Gopher Hockey is a BIG deal.
Actually, it is explained by implication.
Basically, he needs $350,000, because he has stolen $350,000 from the auto dealership he works for (and his father owns.) You will note that twice in the movie he deals with “Riley Dieffenbach” on the phone, who wants some vehicle numbers to correspond to $350,000 in financing, and Jerry keeps putting him off. Back then - remember, the film was set in 1987 - some dealerships scammed a lot of money from the auto makers by securing financing for nonexistent vehicles; they’d apply for loans for fictional customers with fictional vehicles, get the financing from the loans branch of the auto maker, and pocket the money. This worked for awhile as long as they kept vehicles moving off the lot; nobody gave a second thought to a dealership having gotten a few hundred thousand dollars more in financing than their vehicle totals would suggest, they just figured they were securing the money before the inventory figures caught up. Eventually, of course, the scams were all found out, and the auto makers became a lot more strict in keeping the books.
So that’s what Jerry has done; he has swindled GM for $350,000 by securing GMAC loans for 15-20 cars that do not actually exist. That’s why he can’t send Riley Deiffenbach legible Vehicle Identification Numbers; any number he sends him will set off alarm bells because the VIN will either be nonexistent or will correspond to some other car. Just before the second time Marge interviews him you can see him scrawling illegible numbers that sort of looks like VINs but could never be read; presumably he’s hoping to fax these off and hold Deiffenbach off a few more days.
So, Jerry needs $350,000 or he’s screwed. To that end he comes up with TWO plans to get the money; if one doesn’t work out the other will save him. Plan A is the parking lot deal. It’s never explained if this is legitimate or not; if it is, he’s probably hoping to skim enough money to make up the shortfall at the auto dealership. Plan B, of course, is the plan to have his wife kidnapped and “split” the ransom with Showalter and Grimsrud.
Now, Jerry tells his father in law the ransom is $1,000,000 because, well, he wants a million bucks and figures he can get it; he can pay off the auto dealer shortfall and have dough to spare. He tells the idiot kidnappers it’s only $80,000 because he doesn’t want them to get all his money. So he’s playing BOTH guys, hoping to walk away with $960,000 (minus the cost of the car he gave the kidnappers, I’d assume.)
So in point form:
Wow.
It’s great to see this thread.
Favorite scene? Impossible to choose.
Of course, the foot-in-the-chipper ranks high…
It isn’t just the strong Minnesota accents, per se–and you’re right, chique, they are a little off–but what makes their speech really funny is the subject matter, the way they’re so serious about food, and the details of daily living.
Like, when Margie seems as intensely interested in finding a good place for lunch (“Is it reasonable?”), nearly, as she is about figuring out the case. Or, the fishing-worms. Or, reassuring her husband that the price of stamps will go up, thus ensuring the distribution of his duck design. I don’t know, it’s just that whole mentality. I love it; it’s so wholesome, and real…but it cracks me up. I could never live there, I’d be laughing all the time.
“…a little money…”
The shot of that long, featureles fence…
And I just love Steve Buscemi.
How is his name properly pronounced, btw?
What I mean is, how does he pronounce it himself?
I actually squirmed in my chair and felt so bad for that couple who were trying to buy the car Jerry was scamming them on!
That “let me talk to the boss” line was so dead on!
Great film!
Quasi
I’m referring to when Jerry’s father in law was over for dinner and watching hockey. I could have sworm Jerry comes in and aks if he’s watching the NOrth Stars and he replies back “No! Gophers!”
hillybillywoman, I actually met Steve Buscemi’s second cousin (or so she claimed), and she pronounced it “Boo Shay Me.”
I believe that was a legitimate deal. Jerry’s FIL says, “We’ve looked it over and it’s a sweet deal.” I don’t think FIL would go for it if it were illegal. As crusty as he was, I think he was honest. The problem is that Jerry wants the FIL to loan him money to make the deal, which would make him a nice profit and solve his present money problems. But he doesn’t understand that business doesn’t work that way. This sort of deal requires him to come up with the money, not to get a “loan” from investors. Since he couldn’t come up with the money, the FIL and his partner want to move on the deal themselves and give Jerry a fair finder’s fee – which is much less than Jerry needs.
As to why he embezzled $350,000 in the first place, Jerry thought (or rationalized) he was doing it for his family and that it would all work out in the end. As it happens, I know people like that. They’re not “bad”; they just don’t think things through and end up getting themselves in trouble. They’re always looking for the “big score”, but are uninterested in working themselves up gradually.
Ditto on this being a great thread. I always thought that Jerry stole the money from GMAC to pay off another debt he incurred. They don’t talk about any gambling problems, drugs or anything else so maybe he did start off stealing from GMAC. I could see why thought (not that I am justifying it). His FIL was an ass who didn’t like him one bit. Jerry thought if he could become independently wealthy apart from his FIL then he wouldn’t have to be such a coward. The FIL always waved the money in front of him saying he couldn’t have any but his daughter and grandson could.
My favorite scene: I don’t remember line for line but I laugh my ass off every time. “Complete and total silence. Not one f**in word”. Of course he just can’t shut up long enough for there to be any silence.
Also: “It’s a Raddisson, so ya know it’s good”.
“He’s kinda funny lookin”.
“Margie, I’m so lonely”.
“Yeah, I decided not to park here”.
It is a very big deal. They won the National Championship this year… in Minnesota. So imagine a whole state of Minnesotans all yelling “Go Gophers!”. It was crazy (In a wholesome Minnesota sort of way)…
“well you know that Truecoat…”
“I don’t want that”
“Yeah you don’t want that… But you know that True coat they put that on in the factory…”
After watching this movie I will never pay for True coat (is that a real product?)
Best moments:
Mike Yamagita (what a creep)
The shot of the money being buried in the Snow and Steve using the ice scraper to identify the spot
The look on Macy’s face when the ripped off customer curses him out for adding the truecoat to the charges but still pays. (Macey looks both desperate for the cash and guilty as hell for screwing the guy)
Any Shot of the Statue of Paul and Babe.
The guy shovelling the Snow.
“You’re a Fuing Liar… a Fucing Liar, where’s my checknook?”
Yeah, I was with some U of M students that night. I had to drive through Dinkytown (for those of you not in the know, it’s an area of Minneapolis where a lot of students live) to get home, and passed several couches aflame.
Prince may not be in there, but Bruce Campbell sure is.
After Buscemi’s character has been shot and he returns to the hideout, Bruce Campbell is on the TV for just a few seconds as Buscemi argues with his partner.