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Fargo

Hollywood and English-Language Studio Cinema

Fargo is a 1996 American dark comedy crime film directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, starring Frances McDormand as Marge Gunderson, a pregnant Minnesota police chief investigating a kidnapping scheme that spirals into multiple killings, with William H. Macy as the scheme's desperate instigator. Despite its title, most of the film's action takes place in Minnesota rather than in Fargo, North Dakota itself. Fargo won the Academy Awards for Best Actress, for McDormand, and Best Original Screenplay, and it is widely regarded as one of the Coen brothers' most acclaimed films, later spawning an unrelated FX television anthology series that borrowed its title and setting.

Facts
Classification
Original LanguageSourced to the subject's own account
English 1
Award
Academy Award for Best Actress 2
Award
Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay 2
Award
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Film 2
Award
London Film Critics Circle Award for Film of the Year 2
Award
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film 2
Award
Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay 2
Release YearSourced to the subject's own account
1996 1
Country
United States 1
Sourced to the subject's own accountInfobox also lists United Kingdom as a co-production country.
FAQs

Is Fargo really a true story?

No. The opening claim is a device; only two small details came from real incidents.

No. The film opens with a title card claiming it is a true story, but the script only pretends to be true, according to Ethan Coen. He has said that two small elements came from real events. One was a man who defrauded the General Motors Finance Corporation by tampering with car serial numbers, a case that involved no kidnapping and no murder. The other was a murder in Connecticut in which a man disposed of his wife's body in a wood chipper. Beyond those two details, Coen said, the story is made up.
Connections

Created By

Ethan Coen, Figures
Source Fargo (Wikipedia)
Joel Coen, Figures
Source Fargo (Wikipedia)

In Medium

Film, Media Forms
Source Fargo (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases

Original Language

Also in Language Atlas: the original language of this subject.

Originated In

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.

Sources
1. Fargo (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • lead sentence
    Fargo is a 1996 black comedy crime film written, directed, produced and edited by Joel and Ethan Coen.
  • infobox, Countries field
    United States
  • Fargo, Description, original language
    Fargo is a 1996 American dark comedy crime film directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, starring Frances McDormand as Marge Gunderson, a pregnant Minnesota police chief investigating a kidnapping scheme that spirals into multiple killings, with William H. Macy as the scheme's desperate instigator.
  • Created By: Ethan Coen, Lead
    Fargo is a 1996 black comedy crime film written, directed, produced and edited by Joel and Ethan Coen.
  • Created By: Joel Coen, Lead
    Fargo is a 1996 black comedy crime film written, directed, produced and edited by Joel and Ethan Coen.
View the Source
2. Fargo (Wikidata)
  • Wikidata P166: Academy Award for Best Actress
    Wikidata P166 (award received): Academy Award for Best Actress.
  • Wikidata P166: Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay
    Wikidata P166 (award received): Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay.
  • Wikidata P166: Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Film
    Wikidata P166 (award received): Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Film.
  • Wikidata P166: London Film Critics Circle Award for Film of the Year
    Wikidata P166 (award received): London Film Critics Circle Award for Film of the Year.
  • Wikidata P166: National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
    Wikidata P166 (award received): National Board of Review: Top Ten Films.
  • Wikidata P166: New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film
    Wikidata P166 (award received): New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film.
  • Wikidata P166: Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay
    Wikidata P166 (award received): Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay.
View the Source
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