 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Fargo
- Review Date: July 14, 2005
- R
- Genre: Drama
- 1996
Common Sense Media says
Dark, gritty, and brilliant. Not for kids.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this movie, while brilliant, is absolutely not appropriate for kids. Characters are shot and killed graphically, and one person is fed into a wood chipper. Characters also engage in sex with prostitutes and the sex is shown on screen, though not graphically. Jerry, the main character around whom the whole plot unravels, is a despicable example of a human being. He's a desperate, bumbling father who lies to everyone about money, is engaged in various frauds to cover debts, hires hit men to kidnap his wife for the ransom money, and lies to his son.
What's the story?
Car salesman Jerry Lundegaard's (William H. Macy) world is out of control. On the surface, he's a stoic North Dakotan. Inside, he's so desperate for money that he's arranged for low-lives Carl (Steve Buscemi) and Gaear (Peter Stormare) to kidnap his wife for ransom, hoping to get the money from his wealthy but disapproving father-in-law. But everything goes wrong. Jerry can't reach Carl and Gaear when he wants to call off the kidnapping. Then a deal worth nearly $1 million falls through. A car loan company is snooping around the fraudulent papers he used to get $320,000. After the kidnapping, his gruff father-in-law wants to handle it himself. More importantly, his wife is terrorized, and Carl and Gaear, being basement-level criminals, manage to kill three people on their way out of town. When chief of police Marge Gunderson (Francis McDormand) gets the case, she unravels the scheme with kindness, pathos, and a ravenous appetite.
Is it any good?
FARGO starts with a warning that the story, set in 1987 Fargo, North Dakota, is true: The survivors have asked that their names be changed but, "out of respect for the dead, the rest has been told exactly as it occurred." What unfolds is the kind of banal evil and commonplace crime that make it onto television daily on programs like American Justice. The difference here is in the masterful storytelling and excellent acting.
Watching Fargo is like seeing a Joan Didion story come to life. The characters are well-fleshed-out, their tragedy is clear from the beginning, and the tone communicates a feeling of isolation as writers Joel and Ethan Cohen build to their terrible conclusion. In other words, it's deliciously watchable and terribly violent (and definitely not for kids). The movie was nominated for and received several Academy Awards for a reason -- this is a well-told, well-paced, and well-acted thriller. Francis McDormand won the Oscar for her portrayal of the pregnant police chief. The film also introduced viewers to a funny and sad William H. Macy.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about what to do when you get in trouble. When you tell lies, how do you make up for it? Have you ever had to tell a lie to cover up a lie you've already told? Do you ever feel, like Jerry, that you could get away with anything? How did that work out for Jerry? How important is money for you? What would you do for it?
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AGE
GREAT MOVIE
One of the funniest movies i have seen. The coen brothers do it again!
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AGE
Perfect for teenss but iffy for younguns.
I watched it yesterday and it is my favourite film. I am only thirteen so that is why I am rating it as I have. Ten years ago I don't think I would have been abled to watch it and nobody would have rated it for people under 17 years of age but nowadays younger kids are being exposed to the kind of language used in this movie. I had already heard about the woodchipper part and leading up to it I was really scared but when I saw it I laughed so hard! It is one of the funniest movies that I have seen in a long time, even though it probably isn't supposed to be because it is a true story, and the only thing I would say to look out for is the sex scenes. There are two strong ones. Nevertheless, excelent film! I love Steve Buscemi!
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AGE
The movie Fargo was really good because i love Frances McDormand because she makes me laugh. but F word was used to many times in that movie.
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AGE
great but not one of the coens best
well its a great movie but the coens have done a lot better. however, apart from the woodchipper bit and steve buscemis face for a bit (bleeding) its really not that extreme. there are a few f words but have you been into a school lately?
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AGE
A Movie With Intense Violence and Golden Humor
First of all, the film is mainly about desperation. The lead man was in great need of money he got to a point that he would get the money by kidnapping his own wife through two criminals who happens to be aimless in life other than getting the money. Two characters contain the quality of too much violence in them.
On the other side, we see a character that, even she is pregnant, is doing her best to serve in her job as a policewoman. This character also imposes the virtue of care to everyone around you.
So, this film also perfectly blends intense violence with pitch humor suited to the supposedly "dark" story. In the end, this is a brilliant film that is, otherwise, not appropriate for young children. Even then, age barriers couldn't hinder the exotic intelligence exerted in this film. Perfect!
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AGE
An alright movie
I thought this movie was pretty good but I felt maybe if it moved at a faster pace it would be more thrilling and exciting - but thats probably just me :)
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AGE
14+
This movie is bloody and six people die. One of the guys is constantly smoking.
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AGE
STINKS
It still boggles my mind that this movie is considered brilliant!? It is disgusting, filthy, full of language, murder and violence. What is so brilliant about that? What a waste of talent, time, money, just about everything...
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AGE
Brilliant.
I love this movie. It's truly incredible and unique, and manages to be both funny and thrilling. However, it's probably not for sensitive viewers, since there are lots of f-words and brief but disturbing bursts of bloody violence. There's also two sex scenes, but they literally only a few seconds long each, so they're not a big deal.
An incredible movie with great acting and a witty script, one of my favorites.
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| Studio: | MGM/UA |
| Director: | Joel Coen |
| Cast: | Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi, William H. Macy |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Run time: | 103 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | January 1, 1996 |
| DVD release date: | September 30, 2003 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | strong violence, language and sexuality. |
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