Fargo

by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen

Book Overview

A tale of kidnapping and murder in snowbound Minnesota.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0571179630
• ISBN13: 9780571179633
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Faber & Faber
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.41 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.3" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Humor, yes, but don't miss out on touching scenes

Yes, this movie was humorous. No, I don't think it was necessarily an all-out comedy. To wit: The scene where Norm is upset that he only got the "tree cent stamp" and Margie is comforting him by telling him the three-cent stamp is important. Scenes like this, and Margie's soliloquy near the end of the movie about "a little bit of money" add a moving human undercurrent. That's what gives this film far more depth than things like Tarantino movies or other crime films.

Love it or hate it, it's a darn good script.

This screenplay started with the premise, "Wouldn't it be cool if you put a guy through a wood chipper?" and snowballed (no pun intended, honestly) from there, according to the Coens. I think that's part of the amazing originality of this script. Why start with a plot? The storyline is so bizarre and non-linear that it at first you might be inclined to believe the movie actually is based on a true story. Twists, turns, and laugh-out-loud dialogue (for an extra laugh, watch the creative dubbing on TNT sometime: "frugal," "frozen," "flipping," etc.) make this a script worth reading, and well worth its Oscar. And to the Dakotans that have issues with the stereotypical accent: get over it. I'm from North Carolina, and I'm tired of you people whining about how all people in your region don't talk the same way. We southerners don't all talk like rednecks, but neither do we get uptight over movies that tend to forget that. But I digress. This is an excellent peice of writing, as is the rest of the Coen brothers' library. "Raising Arizona" and "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" are also wonderful; I recommend them.

Pretty Darn Good

What a great script! I'm surprised so many locals missed out on the humor of this film. Its easy to see the Coen brothers have a great vision what their films will be while they write. To the Minnesotans and North Dakotans who were harmed as a result of the "yah" stereotype, get over it. The Coens are the best thing to come out of the area since Lawrence Welk.

Amazing Movie And Even Better Script

WOW!If you really want to read a great screenplay pick up FARGO by joel and ethan coen. I love the coen brothers and this is a perfect example why. the characters are all so great and the dialouge is sharp and funny. When you read it for the first time you'll probaly think you know where the story is headed. WRONG. It's full of twists and turns you'd never expect.TAKE MY WORD FOR IT READ THIS BOOK NOW, THATS AN ORDER!

A great story about greed and its consequences.

A fabulous screenplay and an even better movie. Anyone who enjoyed Pulp Fiction or Jacky Brown will like FARGO. Frances McDormand plays a bright policewoman trying to maintain a normal and quiet life with husband Norm. GREAT bad guys you will love to hate. A must see!!!!