It's a thrilling tale of greed that makes you want to be a better person

Rating: 10/10 (17 August 1999)

First of all, the title, "Fargo" is insignificant, that's just the name of the town where the story begins.
And it's rated R for two short sex scenes and there's also a whole lotta swearing!
I rented this thinking it'd be some intense thriller with comedy in it, anyway I guess I was expecting something else because the first time I saw it I didn't think it was all that great. But then I saw it again and Zingo!!! I love it! I even bought the soundtrack.
It shows how going against the law and doing bad things just doesn't work. The movie says that greed will get you to awful places. Here's this guy, Jerry, who looks like he's doing okay, only he just wants more money. So he hires two crooks, who are don't mind breaking laws for money, to do something that puts his wife at a big risk! Weird old Jerry loves his money more than his wife. Sure, his wife's father, he's real well off. But he's a jerk, and is stubborn with his money. Then everything goes horribly wrong and people start dying and/or going to jail.
And then there's the Gundersons, Marge and Norm. Real simple people who aren't rich and are expecting a child and they both work (Norm has a cooshy job at the post office and also enjoys painting, and Marge is a policewoman). Norm is a great husband, bringing Marge lunch or making her breakfast.
By the end of the film you realize that these two folks are happy. And they're the only main characters that come across that way (There's some benign extras, too). All the crooks and jerks aren't happy, they're either mad or panicky or breaking laws and doing bad things and beating each other.
Even Marge's old friend from high school isn't happy. Now I've heard some critics say that this guy, played by Steve Park from tv's "in living color", is just a part of an annoying pointless subplot. But this is actually just character development for Marge. She cares about him and his troubles, and is real sorry to hear about how things are for him, but when she finds out he was lying to get pity, she's real surprized. "I just don't understand it"
"I just don't understand it" is one of the most powerful lines I've heard because how could nice ol' Margie understand all these crooked shenanegans when she knows the truth about things and about getting happiness. Happiness isn't a little money, it's finding someone you love and maybe having a family and not having to run away from the law all the time.
I noticed that some of the parts with the "nice people" were kinda boring. Maybe that's to show that these people may be boring, but at least they're not going to get shot or caught by cops or have guilty consciences or anything, so that's fine.
Needless to say, it's one of my favorites, and if for any reason you don't like R rated movies, just watch the TNT version--that one's just fine.