Over the years, the Coen brothers have created one memorable film after another, but 1996's Fargo stands as one of their biggest crowning achievements. The film's interesting take on the crime genre set in the Midwest earned heaps of awards for its unique storytelling and inspired generations of filmmakers.
From the off-screen courtship between Marge and Norm to a hidden cameo from a beloved buddy of the Coen brothers, here are a few facts, trivia, and hidden details that are as interesting as heck.
The scene where the couple tries to make a deal with Jerry is based on Ethan Coen’s real-life encounter with a car salesman. Ethan Coen: “[It’s] almost a verbatim transcript of my experience.”
The actress who played one of the prostitutes in Fargo was also one of the movie's dialect coaches and taught lead actress Frances McDormand the movie's signature "Yeah?"-"Yeah" head-nod.
The case that held the money in the film No Country for Old Men was also the same case that was used for the same purpose in Fargo (1996). Both movies are made by the Coen brothers.
Steve is Steve and he starts mumbling something. Then she says, “License and registration please?” Just as in the scene we just shot two hours ago. That’s creepy... Steve had a driver’s license, but no registration — it was a rental from the company. Then Steve starts telling the female cop that we are actor from outta’ town and we’re meeting up at the pancake house, etc., etc. She says, “That doesn’t give you right to do illegal U-turns and drive against traffic, does it?”
I was silent — thank God we didn’t have a prop gun in the glove compartment!
To this day I don’t know how Steve got away with no ticket. He continued to talk as if he was in the movie. Finally she walked away and we just looked at each other.
Fargo has a fair amount of references to several Stanley Kubrick movies, as the Coen brothers are big fans of the filmmaker. Steve Buscemi’s Carl uses the term "the old in-and-out," which was a nod to Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange.
