Fact1: Jerry Lundegaard is desperate for money, Fact2: Jerry On advice of travels to Fargo dealership mechanic and paroled ex-convict Shep Proudfoot, Fact3: Carl and Gaear At carry out kidnapping Jerry 's home, Fact4: state trooper pulls them for driving without temporary tags, Fact5: Gustafson not hand over money without seeing Jean
Output: In the winter of 1987, Jerry Lundegaard, the sales manager at an Oldsmobile dealership in Minneapolis, is desperate for money. He floated a 320,000 GMAC loan and collateralized it with nonexistent dealership vehicles and is unable to pay back the loan. On the advice of dealership mechanic and paroled exconvict Shep Proudfoot, Jerry travels to Fargo, North Dakota and hires smalltime cons Gaear Grimsrud and Carl Showalter to kidnap his wife, Jean, and extort a ransom from his wealthy fatherinlaw and boss, Wade Gustafson, in return for a new car and half of the 80,000 ransom. Jerry pitches Gustafson a lucrative real estate deal, and he agrees to front 750,000. Jerry considers calling off the kidnapping, but learns that Gustafson plans to make the deal himself, giving Jerry a finders fee. At Jerrys home, Carl and Gaear carry out the kidnapping. As they transport Jean to their remote cabin on Moose Lake, a state trooper pulls them over outside Brainerd for driving without temporary tags. When the trooper hears a sound from the back seat, Gaear kills him, then chases down two eyewitnesses and shoots them. The following morning, Brainerd police chief Marge Gunderson discovers that the dead trooper was ticketing a car with dealership plates. Later, two men driving a dealership vehicle checked into the nearby Blue Ox Motel with two call girls, then placed a call to Proudfoot. After questioning the prostitutes, she drives to Gustafsons dealership, where Proudfoot feigns ignorance and Jerry insists no cars are missing. While in Minneapolis, Marge reconnects with Mike Yanagita, an old classmate. Mike awkwardly and aggressively tries to romance Marge, before breaking down, saying his wife has died. Jerry informs Gustafson that the kidnappers have demanded 1 million, and will deal only through him. Meanwhile, Carl, in light of the complication of three murders, demands that Jerry hand over the entire 80,000. GMAC gives Jerry 24 hours to prove the existence of the vehicles or return the loan. Carl is beaten by a furious Proudfoot for bringing him under suspicion. Carl orders Jerry to deliver the ransom immediately. Gustafson insists on making the money drop himself. At the drop point in a Minneapolis parking garage, he tells Carl he will not hand over the money without seeing Jean. An enraged Carl shoots and kills Gustafson, but not before Gustafson shoots Carl in the face. After fleeing the scene, Carl is astounded to discover that the briefcase contains 1 million. He removes 80,000 to split with Gaear, then buries the rest alongside the highway. At the cabin, Gaear has killed Jean; Carl says they must split up and leave the state immediately. Carl and Gaear get into a heated argument over who will keep the dealership car with Carl using his injury as justification. In response, Gaear kills Carl with an axe. Marge learns that Yanagitas dead wife is neither dead nor his wife. Reflecting on Yanagitas convincing lies, Marge returns to Gustafsons dealership. Jerry continues to insist that he is not missing any cars. Marge asks him to check the inventory, then spots him fleeing the dealership, and calls the State Police. The next morning, she drives to Moose Lake on a tip from a local bar owner who reported a funnylooking guy bragging about killing someone. Outside a cabin, she finds the dealership car; nearby, Gaear is feeding Carls dismembered body into a woodchipper. Marge shoots him in the leg as he tries to flee, and arrests him. North Dakota police arrest Jerry at a motel outside Bismarck. Marges husband Norm, whose mallard painting has been selected for a 3cent postage stamp, complains that his friends painting will be on the first class stamp. Marge reassures Norm that lots of people use 3cent stamps; the two happily anticipate the birth of their child in two months.