The Legacy of ‘Fargo’!

Did you know that Fargo (1996) celebrates its 30th anniversary on March 8? Oh yah, you betcha! Known for its dark humor, violence, and memorable use of Midwestern accents, it’s no wonder the film got inducted into the National Film Registry just 10 years after its release! The film follows the mild-mannered but desperate car salesman Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) who hires two criminals to kidnap his wife in order to pocket the ransom money from her wealthy father. Here’s a look into Fargo’s legacy!

The Movie

Considering that the movie opens with a "This is a true story" title card, one would think that Fargo is, in fact, based on a true story. It’s not. Joel and Ethan Coen instead use this device to immediately suspend the audience’s disbelief, while also setting the movie’s satirical tone… even though the viewer might not realize that until later. The film, which won the Coen Brothers their first Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, really emphasizes the characters and their interactions with one another, highlighting the "Minnesota nice" stereotype. Through the movie’s darkly comedic tone and intense violence, the Coen brothers were able to create a suspenseful mood within an otherwise very mundane, everyday environment. 

The film is also widely praised for its memorable performances. It earned Frances McDormand her first Oscar for her portrayal of the pregnant and heroic Chief of Police, Marge Gunderson. Macy also received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Other memorable performances include Peter Stormare and Steve Buscemi as the hired but incompetent criminals. Stormare plays the mostly silent but very deadly Gaear Grimsrud, while Buscemi plays the irritable and “kinda funny-looking” Carl Showalter.

Unsold Pilot

In 1997, just a year after the original movie’s release, a TV pilot starring Edie Falco as the still-pregnant Marge was directed by Kathy Bates. The series would have been a spin-off of the film, and even had Bruce Bohne reprising his role as Officer Lou, despite the show having no involvement from the Coen Brothers. The unsold pilot did end up airing in 2003 but as a part of the Trio network’s “Brilliant but Cancelled” series, not as a series of its own. 

FX Series

In 2014, Noah Hawley created an anthology series of the same name, which has since won a total of 7 Emmys! While the FX show has a similar vibe to the original film, each season follows an entirely different set of characters in different locations. The series maintains the movie’s dark humor paired with violence, and even keeps up the "true story" disclaimer, including it in the beginning of every episode. 

The first season begins with a setup similar to the movie, following a seemingly innocent man, Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman) seeking -- or, in Lester’s case stumbling upon -- the help of a criminal. Lester initially appears to be similarly meek to the movie’s Jerry but proves himself to be much more violent and malicious by the end of the pilot alone. Later seasons get even crazier, with the inclusion of things as wild as UFOs, and even a 500-year-old immortal being!

The show has featured many stars over the course of its 5 seasons, including but not limited to: Ted Danson and Jon Hamm as sheriffs, Bob Odenkirk and Joe Keery as deputies, and even Chris Rock as a 1950s mob boss! The series has also formed some real-life romances, including Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons from Season 2, and Ewan McGregor and Mary Elizabeth Winstead from Season 3, who both played couples on the show before getting married in real life. 

There are also many characters and situations throughout the series that reference the original movie, like Kieran Culkin as Rye Gerhardt in Season 2. Rye’s put-on "tough guy" persona and loose cannon behavior is very similar to Carl’s from the movie, and he’s even shown shooting and killing someone in the same way that Carl does.

Although "Fargo" hasn’t officially been renewed for a 6th season, Hawley has expressed interest in creating one. Even if it does get renewed, though. it would likely not be released for a while, since Hawley is currently working on Season 2 of another FX series inspired by a movie, "Alien: Earth", which serves as a prequel to the Alien franchise. Regardless of how many seasons it ends up getting, there’s no doubt that the FX series has helped introduce Fargo to a whole new generation while creating new content for the movie’s pre-existing fans, solidifying the film’s place in history by continuing its legacy!

To watch the “true story” unfold for yourself, the Fargo movie is currently streaming on HBO Max and Prime Video. You can also stream all 5 seasons of the "Fargo" series on Hulu!