Plot Summary: A pregnant police chief is investigating a series of homicides across the frozen tundra. Against a sprawling Minnesota landscape, a car salesman hires two criminals to kidnap his wife. But when the scheme goes sour, and wood chippers get involved, the haphazard kidnapping plot turns deadly serious.
*Recognition: Nominated for Best Picture, Director (Joel Coen), Supporting Actor (William H. Macy), Cinematography (Roger Deakins), and Editing; Won for Best Actress (Frances McDormand), and Original Screenplay (Joel and Ethan Coen); 2006 Entrant into the National Film Registry; AFI 1998 #84, but not 2007; and soon to be five seasons of a critically acclaimed TV series based on the same universe.
What is this movie is about?: Cynical and nihilistic take on crime (not actually based on a real crime), and the importance of contentedness and the small things in life.
Best Performance: Joel and Ethan Coen
Best Secondary Performance: Steve Buscemi
Most Charismatic Award: Frances McDormand
Best Scene: Woodchipper/Marge Arrives to a Triple Homicide
Favorite Scene: Kidnapping Jean/Marge's Speech
Most Indelible Moment: Woodchipper and the Minnesota Nice Accent
Best Line:
Marge Gunderson: So that was Mrs. Lundegaard on the floor in there. And I guess that was your accomplice in the wood chipper. And those three people in Brainerd. And for what? For a little bit of money. There's more to life than a little money, you know. Don'tcha know that? And here ya are, and it's a beautiful day. Well. I just don't understand it.
Honorable Mention:
Jerry Lundegaard: You're darn tootin'!
Marge Gunderson: You betcha!
Jerry Lundegaard: Oh geez!
Funniest Line:
Marge Gunderson: Say, Lou, didya hear the one about the guy who couldn't afford personalized plates, so he went and changed his name to J3L2404?
Officer Olson: Yah that's a good one.
The Stanley Rubric:
Legacy: 9
Impact/Significance: 8
Novelty: 8.5
Classic-ness: 9.25
Rewatchability: 6.5
Audience Score: 9.3
Total: 50.55
Remaining Questions:
What would have happened when the snow melted and someone found the money?
Why overplay the accent?