Family values film

Rating: Null/10 (28 August 2003)

To me, Fargo, is the Coen brothers "family values" movie. Who really comes out happy in the end? Marge and her husband. They have an untraditional marriage with Marge as the stable breadwinner and her husband the artist, but seem blissfully tho' undramatically happy(Read: ignore the TV ads and just live as if there were no media by which to judge oneself). Gunderson's father-in-law undervalues his son-in-law, who lives down to his expectations. I got the impression that the father-in-law's disapproval causes Gunderson's actions more than Gunderson's actions caused the F-i-l's disapproval. People do tend to rise or fall to meet our expectations. Gunderson places less value on his family than on success at any cost, as does his father-in-law, who undercuts Gunderson's idea and co-opt his project. He has no concept of caring for another person's self-esteem and giving the other guy credit where credit is due. For christ's sake, this is his daughter's husband and the father of his grandson! Marge's old high school friend is devastated by life, and in the hotel bar we see Marge flustered for the only time in the film. Why? Because dysfunction is a mystery to her. Marge, Midwest solid, does her job, supports her husband's artistic ambitions (and is rewarded when his stamp design wins the contest), earns the close-to-the-vest respect of her Minnesota peers, catches the bad guy with little drama/melodrama, and all while 50 months pregnant! Talk about affirmation! Life is good if you value what's lasting and true - family values - and do your best. In the prowler in the end, we see Marge confused by the motivations of such as the thugs. Goodness cannot conceive of dysfunction/evil,nor understand the dysfunctional/evil. (One exception to the theme might be the poor sod who gets blown away doing his job working the parking garage. God is unpredictable.) Blessedly, though I am a Texan, I was living in St. Paul, Minnesota during the first run of the film and got to experience many local's reactions to it. I believe the movie is a paean to the values I found to be quite pervasive in St. Paul and in Minnesota-generally. Also the ambiance in the movie was so evocative of my experience of Minnesota winter. The weather IS trying to kill you. One must stick to the basics to just survive. Another insight: Macy plays his character as though he were an eight year old boy - his blundery lies, his naive attempts to exit the window and hold onto the door jamb when being arrested, etc. Watch his performance with that in mind. An actor has to have something to "play" and I think that's what Macy does with this part.
All in all: what a fable and morality play for our times. One of the best films I've seen - and I've seen 'em ALL!