Oh Jeez! Gambling and Stubborn Politeness in Fargo
The movie Fargo is best enjoyed inside, cranking up your dorm’s heat as high as it can go with some cocoa or a Hot Toddy. Comical midwestern politeness permeates every line in this movie. It’s sort of a template on how I think people should behave. Except the murders and ransoming your wife and all that. Just the politeness. “Oh jeez! My goodness!” How far will these criminals go to elude Officer Marge and the long arm of the law? Pretty damn far. If only ole’ Jerry didn’t get himself in the no-good situation of debt.
Gambling was legalized in Minnesota in 1983. In Fargo, they never really get into why Jerry, the bumbling sorta-protagonist of Fargo, owes so much money. It’s implied he’s a million in the hole. Seems like he might’ve bet the over on the Minnesota Vikings a few too many times. Who was their quarterback in 1996? Warren Moon, aged 40, fresh off a Pro Bowl year in 1995 where he threw for 4000 yards. I bet Jerry thought Moon had another vintage year in him. Remember, this was pre-Randy Moss Vikings. Not a good football team. They went 8-8 and Warren Moon only played half the game due to injury. Paul Molitor was firmly in the twilight of his career for the Minnesota Twins. The Gophers are mentioned a few times in the movie (the Minnesota college hockey team). They were 4-7 on the year. Any way you slice it, this was a bad time for betting on sports in the Twin Cities.
Alas, Jerry had to ransom his wife to get money from his rich step-dad. I bet Thanksgiving’s gonna be awkward!
This movie has some lessons to be gleaned, for sure. 1) If you’re going to gamble, gamble well. 2) Don’t try to act tough to a tough-as-nails pregnant cop. 3) Don’t meet up with that strange guy from highschool who calls you up at 11 at night. He is lying about his wife dying of leukemia. Trust.
Whatever happened to Paul Bunyan? The strong, silent type. Apparently he’s from Brainerd, Minnesota. Steve Buscemi, a certified yapper, is a good foil for his quietly psychopath criminal partner, who looks exactly like my Uncle Matt. This movie’s fantastic, watch it with the whole family! Every line of dialogue is cut with intention and every facial expression has a purpose. Do the Coen Brothers pay homage to their home state of Minnesota, while using violence and comedy in intricately constructed ways? “You betcha!”