Fargo
US (1996): Drama/Comedy/Crime
Leave it to the wildly inventive Coen brothers (Joel directs, Ethan produces, they both write) to concoct a fiendishly clever kidnap caper that's simultaneously a comedy of errors, a Midwestern satire, a taut suspense thriller, and a violent tale of criminal misfortune. It all begins when a hapless car salesman (played to perfection by William H. Macy) ineptly orchestrates the kidnapping of his own wife. The plan goes horribly awry in the hands of bumbling bad guys Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare (one of them being described by a local girl as "kinda funny lookin'" and "not circumcised"), and the pregnant sheriff of Brainerd, Minnesota, (played exquisitely by Frances McDormand in an Oscar-winning role) is suddenly faced with a case of multiple murders. Her investigation is laced with offbeat observations about life in the rural hinterland of Minnesota and North Dakota, and Fargo embraces its local yokels with affectionate humor. At times shocking and hilarious, Fargo is utterly unique and distinctly American, bearing the unmistakable stamp of its inspired creators. (Amazon.com)
7 nominations, 2 Awards
· Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role 1996: Frances McDormand
· Best Achievement in Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) 1996: Ethan Coen & Joel Coen
· Best Picture of the Year 1996: Ethan Coen, producer (Working Title/Gramercy)
· Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role 1996: William H. Macy
· Achievement in Directing 1996: Joel Coen
· Achievement in Cinematography 1996: Roger Deakins
· Achievement in Film Editing 1996: Roderick Jaynes (pseudonym used by Ethan & Joel Coen)