![Minnesota Nice is a fascinating, 30-odd minute documentary about one of the finest, strangest and funniest films to come out of America of the last couple of decades, Fargo.
Previously on Cinephilia and Beyond:
Fargo original screenplay by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
Joel and Ethan Coen discuss the writing and filming of Fargo, its precise characterizations, acting performances and the visual style that emphasizes the spiritual landscape of the bleak Midwestern setting
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Minnesota Nice is a fascinating, 30-odd minute documentary about one of the finest, strangest and funniest films to come out of America of the last couple of decades, Fargo.
Previously on Cinephilia and Beyond:
- Fargo original screenplay by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
- Joel and Ethan Coen discuss the writing and filming of Fargo, its precise characterizations, acting performances and the visual style that emphasizes the spiritual landscape of the bleak Midwestern setting
![cinephilearchive:
Fargo original screenplay by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen for your reading pleasure [pdf]. (NOTE: For educational purposes only)
In the interview which follows, initially published in 1996, Joel and Ethan Coen discuss the writing and filming of Fargo, its precise characterizations, acting performances and the visual style that emphasizes the spiritual landscape of the bleak Midwestern setting.
The Coen Brothers: Fargo, Crime and Realism
The Bleak Spaces and Blank Faces of FARGO
William H. Macy tells Dave Davies about how intensely he lobbied for the role of Jerry Lundegaard in Fargo:
“I auditioned for a smaller role and they said, ‘That’s really good. You want to read Jerry?’ And I said, ‘Yes, and so I went out of the room, spent 20 minutes, came back in, read Jerry.’ And they said, ‘That’s real good. You want to work on it and come tomorrow?’ I said, ‘Yes.” … I was up all night. I memorized the whole script. I wanted this role, so I went back in. They said, ‘That’s real good, that’s real good. We’ll be in touch.’ And then I heard through my agent that they were in New York auditioning, so I – jolly, jolly — got my ass on an airplane and crashed the audition. And I was making a joke — and luckily it landed — but I said, … ‘I’m afraid you’re going to screw up your movie and cast someone else in this role,’ and they went, ‘Hahaha,’ and I said, ‘No, seriously, I’ll shoot your dog if you don’t give me this role.’ And I think Ethan (Coen) had just gotten a dog.”](http://24.media.tumblr.com/9ad455533ed66d3cb4135d9a94b4a594/tumblr_mfjxv7pzzd1rovfcgo1_1280.png)
Fargo original screenplay by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen for your reading pleasure [pdf]. (NOTE: For educational purposes only)
In the interview which follows, initially published in 1996, Joel and Ethan Coen discuss the writing and filming of Fargo, its precise characterizations, acting performances and the visual style that emphasizes the spiritual landscape of the bleak Midwestern setting.
The Coen Brothers: Fargo, Crime and Realism
The Bleak Spaces and Blank Faces of FARGO
“I auditioned for a smaller role and they said, ‘That’s really good. You want to read Jerry?’ And I said, ‘Yes, and so I went out of the room, spent 20 minutes, came back in, read Jerry.’ And they said, ‘That’s real good. You want to work on it and come tomorrow?’ I said, ‘Yes.” … I was up all night. I memorized the whole script. I wanted this role, so I went back in. They said, ‘That’s real good, that’s real good. We’ll be in touch.’ And then I heard through my agent that they were in New York auditioning, so I – jolly, jolly — got my ass on an airplane and crashed the audition. And I was making a joke — and luckily it landed — but I said, … ‘I’m afraid you’re going to screw up your movie and cast someone else in this role,’ and they went, ‘Hahaha,’ and I said, ‘No, seriously, I’ll shoot your dog if you don’t give me this role.’ And I think Ethan (Coen) had just gotten a dog.”
A truly magnificent script, please read and study: Fargo original screenplay by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen [pdf]. (NOTE: For educational purposes only)
In the interview which follows, initially published in 1996, Joel and Ethan Coen discuss the writing and filming of Fargo, its precise characterizations, acting performances and the visual style that emphasizes the spiritual landscape of the bleak Midwestern setting.
The Coen Brothers: Fargo, Crime and Realism
Minnesota Nice is a fascinating, 30-odd minute documentary about one of the finest, strangest and funniest films to come out of America of the last couple of decades, Fargo.
“I auditioned for a smaller role and they said, ‘That’s really good. You want to read Jerry?’ And I said, ‘Yes, and so I went out of the room, spent 20 minutes, came back in, read Jerry.’ And they said, ‘That’s real good. You want to work on it and come tomorrow?’ I said, ‘Yes.” … I was up all night. I memorized the whole script. I wanted this role, so I went back in. They said, ‘That’s real good, that’s real good. We’ll be in touch.’ And then I heard through my agent that they were in New York auditioning, so I – jolly, jolly — got my ass on an airplane and crashed the audition. And I was making a joke — and luckily it landed — but I said, … ‘I’m afraid you’re going to screw up your movie and cast someone else in this role,’ and they went, ‘Hahaha,’ and I said, ‘No, seriously, I’ll shoot your dog if you don’t give me this role.’ And I think Ethan (Coen) had just gotten a dog.” —William H. Macy tells Dave Davies about how intensely he lobbied for the role of Jerry Lundegaard in Fargo
A rare TV documentary — The Coen Brothers (2000). During the promotional campaign for O Brother, Where Art Thou? in 1999, the BBC showed a 50 minute documentary about the Coen brothers. It was mainly concerned with the Coen’s past and featured interviews with many of the actors that have worked with the Coens along with family, friends and crew members.
The most interesting part of this documentary for me, was a scene where a bookcase was shown (I think it was in the Coen brother’s office). On the bookcase were around 40 screenplays that the brothers had written and not yet made. Titles included; Intolerable Cruelty (since made, of course), Coast To Coast (which is about a Chinese plan to take over the world using cloning which apparently featured 28 Albert Einsteins!), Voices, Chatahoochee, Leap In The Dark, Johnny Skidmarks (which was written by their friend and collaborator, William Preston Robertson and made into a movie in 1998 by director John Raffo and starring John Lithgoe, Peter Gallagher and one Frances McDormand), Meet Bobby Buttman, The Concierge (I don’t know if it is or not but how excellent would a movie about Heinz the Baron Krauss Von Espie be?), Mr. Murder, Cult Cop, The Land of Youth, A Man In Shades, Justified Sin, Quark Victory, Red Harvest and Respect Your Godfather. No news on any of these unless stated I’m afraid. —You Know, For Kids!
Fargo Documentary
“Fargo is a 1996 American dark comedy-crime film produced, directed and written by brothers Joel and Ethan Coen. It stars Frances McDormand as a pregnant police chief who investigates a series of homicides, William H. Macy as a car salesman who hires two criminals to kidnap his wife, Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare as the criminals, and Harve Presnell as the salesman’s father-in-law.
The film earned seven Academy Award nominations, winning two for Best Original Screenplay for the Coens and Best Actress in a Leading Role for McDormand. It also won the BAFTA Award and the Award for Best Director for Joel Coen at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival.
In 2006 it was deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and inducted into the United States National Film Registry. It is currently the most recently made feature length film in the Registry.”
