FARGO c1995 Polygram Filmed Entertainment By Joel and Ethan Coen Transcribed from the home video by Broknstone@aol.com If there are any complaints/corrections to make, do not hesitate to mail me. ____________________________________________________________________________ Disclaimer at beginning of film: This is a true story The events depicted in this film took place in Minnesota in 1987 At the request of the survivors, the names have been changed Out of respect for the dead, the rest has been told exactly as it occurred. ----------------------------------------- Title/Credits (Jerry's car with a tan Sierra attached to the back drives along during theme music on a barely visible road. A bleak, flat, snow-covered land lays next to the road.) ----------------------------------------- Scene 1 Setting - evening. A tan Sierra is attached to Jerry's car. The car pulls up to the King of Clubs rest stop in Fargo, North Dakota. Jerry walks in, takes off his hat, and looks around. He spots the funny looking man and his burly associate in a booth. There are 7 empty longneck beer bottles on the table. Carl is sipping on one while his large buddy is chain smoking. Jerry walks up to them, overly eager. JERRY I'm, ah, Jerry Lundegaard CARL You're Jerry Lundegaard? JERRY Yah. Shep Proudfoot sent... CARL (interrupting) said you'd be here at 7:30. What gives, man? JERRY (surprised) Shep said 8:30 CARL We've been sittin here an hour. (points at buddy) He's peed three times already. JERRY Oh, I'm sure sorry. Shep told me 8:30. It was a mixup, I guess. CARL You got the car? JERRY Yah, you bet. It's out in the lot. (reaches for keys in pocket) Brand new, burnt timber Sierra. CARL Yeah, ok well sit down then. Jerry sits down CARL I'm Carl Showalter and this is my associate, Gaare Grimford. JERRY Yah, how ya doin (nods at Gaare) So. We all set on this thing? CARL Sure Jerry, we're all set on this thing. Why wouldn't we be? JERRY No, I'm, I'm, sure you are. Shep vouched for you and all. I got every confidence here in you fellas. (awkward silence. Jerry tries to crack a smile and fails. He tries again.) I guess that's it then. Here are the keys... CARL No, that's not it Jerry. JERRY Huh? Carl: A new vehicle plus forty thousand dollars Jerry: Yah, but the deal was: the car first, then the forty thousand, as if it was the ransom. (Pause, Jerry looks surprised) I thought Shep told you! Carl: Shep didn't tell us much, Jerry. (Gaare starts to sit up and starts to stare down Jerry) Jerry: Well, ok... Carl: Except that you'd be here at 7:30. Jerry: Yah, well that was a mixup then. Carl: Yeah, you already said that. Jerry: Yah (pause) but it's not a whole pay in advance deal here. See I give you a brand new vehicle in advance. And then... Carl: I'm not gonna debate you here, Jerry Jerry: OK Carl: I'm not gonna sit here and debate. I will say this though - what Shep said didn't make a whole lotta sense. Jerry: Oh no, it's real sound. It's all worked out. Carl: (Pause, a look of disgust) You...want your own wife kidnapped? Jerry: Yah. Carl: You....(stops) the point is - you pay the ransom. What, eighty thousand bucks? I mean, you give us half the ransom, forty thousand, you keep half. It's like robbin Peter to pay Paul! It doesn't make any sense! Jerry: ok, see, it's not me paying the ransom. The thing is, my wife - she's wealthy. Her dad - he's real well off. Now, I'm in a bit of trouble... Carl: What kind of trouble you in, Jerry? Jerry: Well, that's...that's...I'm not gonna get into...see, I just need the money. Now her dad, he's real well off. Carl: Why don't you just ask him for the money? Gaare: Or your fuckin wife, you know. Carl: Or your fucking wife, Jerry. Jerry: Well, it's all part of this...(pauses) They don't know I need it. Ok? So there's that. And even if they did, I wouldn't get it. So there's that on top. But these are personal matters. Carl: Personal matters? Jerry: Yah! Personal matters that needn't be, uh... Carl: Ok Jerry. You're tasking us to perform this mission, but you won't, uh, you won't....Aw fuck it, let's take a look at that Sierra. (Jerry hands Carl the keys) FADE OUT TO BLACK ------------------------------------------ Scene 2 Setting: That night, after Jerry gets home. Minneapolis, Minnesota. It's dinner time at the Lundegaard house. FADE IN FROM BLACK (Jerry opens door. He has a bag of groceries in his hands. Stomps feet to knock off the snow) Jerry: Hon? Jean: (from kitchen) Hi Hon! Welcome back! (Jerry walks into kitchen) How was Fargo? Jerry: Yah, real good. Jean: Dad's here. (Looks over shoulder into living room) Jerry: (Jerry walks up behind Wade, who is watching the TV intently) Howya doin Wade? Wade: Yah, pretty good. Jerry: Whatcha watchin there? Wade: Gophers Jerry: Who're they playin? Wade: (hockey team misses a shot on TV) Arrrgh! (ignoring Jerry) Shot of TV (Jerry walks back into the kitchen) Jerry: (to wife) Is he stayin for supper tonight? Jean: Yeah, I think so (worried look) Dad?! Wade: (clearing throat kind of grunt that resembles "What!") Jean: Are you stayin for supper?! Wade: (another grunt that resembles "Yeah.") ---------------------------------------- Scene 3 Dinner table: everyone is sitting around the table. Scotty picks at his food. Scotty: Can I be excused? Wade: Arrrgh Jerry: Ya done there? Scotty: Mom, can I go out? Jean: Where ya goin? Scotty: Just McDonald's Jerry: Back at 9:30 Scotty: ok (Scotty throws down napkin and leaves table) Wade: He just ate. Didn't finish. Goin to MacDonald's instead of finishing here. Jean: He sees his friends there. It's ok. Wade: It's OK. Just McDonald's? What do you think they do there. They don't drink milkshakes, I assure you. Jean: It's ok dad (Wade shakes his head as Jean collects dishes and takes them to sink) Jerry: (realizes his chances kind of look) Wade, have you had a chance to think about, um, that deal I's talkin about? Those forty acres there in Wisetta? Wade: You told me about 'em. Jerry: Yah, you said you had to think about it. I understand it's a lot of money... Wade: It's a heck of a lot. What'd you say you were gonna put there? Jerry: a lot. It's a... Wade: I know it's a lot! Jerry: I mean a parking lot. Wade: Oh, well, seven hundred fifty thousand is a lot (nods his head and snickers). Jerry: trying to laugh along) Well, it's a chunk, but ah... Wade: Bought a couple lots, late 50's, lost a lot of money. A lot of money. Jerry: Yah, but the difference... Wade: I thought you were gonna show this to Stan Grossman. He passes on this stuff before it gets up to me. Jerry: Well Stan'll say "no" nice, that's why you pay him. I'm asking you here, Wade. This could work out real good for me and Jean and Scotty. Wade: (gives Jerry a spiteful face, then looks back at his food) Jean and Scotty never have to worry. ------------------------------------------ Scene 4 Shot of Tan Sierra passing camera. Extreme long shot of the car driving down a deserted highway. Carl and Gaare are inside the car. Carl is driving while Gaare is looking out the window. Gaare: Where's Pancakes House? Carl: What? Gaare: We stop at Pancakes House. Carl: What are you, nuts? We had pancakes for breakfast. Gotta go to a place where I could get a shot and a beer, a steak maybe. Not more fuckin pancakes, c'mon! (Gaare is staring him down) Carl: Oh, come on man. (laughing) Ok, here's an idea. We stop outside of Brainerd and find a place where we can get laid. What do ya think? Gaare: I'm fucking hungry now, you know. Carl: Yeah, yeah, Jesus. I'm sayin we can stop, get pancakes, and then we'll get laid, alright? (Gaare nods) ----------------------------------------- Scene 5 Car dealership with corny elevator music in the background. Shot of cars lined up with signs on them that say "Gustafson Motors" Shot of the wall of salesmen for Gustafson Motors. Shot of Jerry's picture on the wall - he has a huge, fake grin on his face. Jerry's office: Irate Customer: We sat right here in this room and went over this and over this... Jerry: Yah, but that TruCoat... Irate Customer: I sat right here and said I didn't want any TruCoat! Jerry: Yah, but I'm sayin that TruCoat: you don't get it, you get oxidation problems. It'll cost ya a heck of a lot more than $500. IC: You're sittin there, you're talkin in circles, you're talkin like we didn't go over this already... Jerry: Yah, but this TruCoat... IC: We had a deal here for 19,5! (nineteen thousand, five hundred dollars) You sat there, and darned if ya didn't tell me you'd get me this car, these options, without the sealant for 19,5! Jerry: (hands up in defeat) Alright, I'm not sayin I didn't IC: You called me twenty minutes ago and says ya had it. "Ready to make delivery!" ya says "Come on down and get it!" and, and, I'm payin 19,5 for this vehicle there. (points out towards lot) Jerry: Alright (leaves in defeat) I'll talk to my boss. (Turns around) See, they install that TruCoat at the factory, there's nothing we can do about it (Irate Guy starts to say something) but, but, I'll talk to my boss. IC: (to his wife) These guys here, these guys! Always the same! It's always more! (Jerry walks into his a fellow car salesman's office, his fellow salesman is eating lunch, watching TV, and has his feet up on his desk.) Jerry: Ya goin to the Gophers on Sunday? Salesman: Oh, you betcha. Jerry: You wouldn't have and extra ticket? Salesman: You kiddin? (Jerry walks back with a fake surprised look on his face into his office where his Irate Customer and his wife are waiting) Jerry: Well, he's never done this before, but seein these are special circumstances, he says I can knock $100 off that TruCoat (Jerry has a pleased look on his face) IC: (clearly pissed off) 100. (Jerry nods his head with a huge smile) IC: You lied to me, Mr. Lundegaard. You're a...ball-faced liar! You're a... IC's wife: (to husband) Please! IC: ...A FARKING liar. IC's wife: (to self) Oh my. IC: Where's my goddamn checkbook, let's get this over with. (reaches for checkbook in wife's purse) ---------------------------------------- Scene 6 Shot of Tan Sierra passing a statue of Paul Bunyan that has a sign on it saying "Welcome to Brainerd!" Shot of huge truck pulling away from the Blue Ox Motel Shot of two beds in a hotel room. Carl is in one, Gaare is in the other. They're both having sex with prostitutes. FADE OUT TO BLACK FADE IN FROM BLACK Camera is in same spot, but the lights are out and they're all watching the Tonite Show. ----------------------------------------- Scene 7 Lundegaard kitchen. Scotty is eating breakfast and watching TV. Jean is doing the dishes behind him. She looks a little worried, as usual Jean: I am talking about your potential. Scotty: Mmhmm (obviously doesn't care) Jean: You're not a C student. Scotty: Yeah Jean: Yet yer gittin C grades! It's that aspirity there that concerns your dad and me. Scotty: Uh huh. Jean: You know what an aspirity is? Scotty: (getting annoyed) Yeah! Jean: Ok, well, that's why we...we don't want you goin out for hockey. Scotty: (throws down spoon) Aw man! But, c'mon! Wha's the big deal? It's just and hour a.... (Phone rings) Jean: Hold on. Scotty: Wha's the big deal? Jean: (picks up phone) Hello? (it's Wade) Wade: Yah, hi hon. Jean: Oh, hi Dad! Wade: Is Jerry around? Jean: Yah. Hon?! (to Jerry) Yah, sure, I'll git him for ya. HON!? IT"S DAD!! (Jerry walks in) Scotty: Look, Dad, there's no fuckin way... Jean: SCOTTY!! Jerry: Hey, let's watch that language there. (to phone) How ya doin there, Wade? (Scotty gives up and leaves) Wade: What's goin on there? Jerry: Oh, nothin Wade. How ya doin there? Wade: Stan Grossman looked at your proposal, he says it's pretty sweet. Jerry: No kiddin? Wade: Might be interested. Jerry: No kiddin!? Uh, I need the cash pretty quick there, uh, in order to close the deal. Wade: Come by at 2:30 and we'll talk about it. If you're numbers are right, Stan says it's pretty sweet, and you know Grossman. Jerry: Yah. Wade: 2:30 Jerry: Yah. (click) Ok. (Jerry hangs up phone) ______________________________________________________________________________________ Scene 8 Gustafson Motors, mechanic section where many are working on cars. Jerry walks over to the car that Shep is working on. Jerry: Say Shep, how ya doin there? Say, uh, you know those two fellas you put me in touch with up there in Fargo? Shep: I put you in touch with Grimsford. Jerry: Yah, well he had a buddy there. He um.... Shep: I didn't vouch for him. Jerry: Well, that's ok... Shep: I vouched for Grimsford. Who's his buddy? Jerry: Uh, Carl somethin. Shep: Never heard of 'im, don't vouch for 'im. Jerry: Well that's ok. He's a buddy of the guy you vouched for, so I'm not worryin. I just, I was wondering, you see. I gotta get in touch with them. See this deal I needed them for? I may not need it anymore. Something's happening, see? Shep: Call 'em up. Jerry: Yah, but see, I did that and I haven't been able to get 'em and so I thought maybe you'd know an alternate... Shep: Nope. Jerry: OK! (pissed off kind of laugh), well! Keep workin then! (claps hands, snaps fingers, walks away) ----------------------------------------- Scene 9 Carl is driving down a more crowded road, loud music blares from the radio. Carl coughs, looks over at Gaare who is lighting a cigarette. Carl: Can you crack the fuckin window open, man? (Gaare gives Carl a pissed off look) Carl: You know...it's proven that secondhand smoke is the carcin.., uh, you know, a cancer agent. (Gaare looks back out the window, smoke all around, Carl turns off the radio) Carl: Hey, look at that - Twin Cities. It's the IDS (?) building, the big glass one. It's the tallest skyscraper in the Midwest after the, uh, Sears, in uh, Chicago, John Hancock building, whatever. You ever been to Minneapolis? (Gaare continues to look out the window) Gaare: Nope. Carl: (rolling eyes) Would it....kill you to say something? Gaare: I did. Carl: "No." It's the first thing you've said in the last four hours. (shaking head) That's uh, that's a fountain of conversation, man. That's a geyser, I mean Whoa Daddy, stand back man. Shit. I'm sittin here drivin. I'm doin all the driving, man, the whole fuckin way from Brainerd, drivin, just tryin to...chat. You know? Keep our spirits up, fight the boredom of the road. And you can't say one fuckin thing just in the way of conversation? (Gaare keeps looking out the window) Carl: Aww fuck it. I don't have to talk to you either man. See how you like it. (Carl sighs, drives more, looks at Gaare, sighs, drives more) Carl: Just total fuckin silence.... Two can play at that game, smart guy. we'll just see how you like it. (Carl continues to try to stay silent, but fails) Carl: Just total silence... FADE INTO ------------------------------------------- Scene 10 Jerry is on the phone in his office Riley: Mr. Lundegaard? This is Riley Dietenbach - from the GMAC - how are you doing this morning? Jerry: Real good! How ya doin? Riley: Good, Mr. Lundegaard. You're damn hard to get on the phone. Jerry: Yeah (chuckles) It's pretty darn busy here, but that's the way we like it. Riley: Well that's for sure, now, I just need on these last, uh, financing documents that you sent us. I can't readthe serial numbers of the vehicles... Jerry: (interrupting) Yah, but I already got the, it's ok, the loans are in place, I already got the, the, what, the? Riley: 320,000. You got the money last month. Jerry: Yah, so we're all set then. Riley: But the vehicles that you're borrowing on, I, I just can't read the serial numbers on your application, maybe you could just read them... Jerry: Yah, but the deal's already done, I already got the money! Riley: Yes, but if we had an audit here, I just need to know if these vehicles you're financing with that money, that they really exist. Jerry: Yah, well, they exist alright...(nervous laugh) Riley: Yeah, well, I'm sure they do. But I, I can't read the serial numbers here, so if you could read... Jerry: Yah, but see, uh, I don't have 'em right in front of me... (pretends to look while talking) Why don't I just fax you over a copy? Riley: Yeah, but, a fax is no good. That's what I have, and I can't read the darn thing. Jerry: Ok, I'll have my girls send ya a copy. Riley: Ok, because if I can't correlate this with the specific vehicles, then I gotta call back that money. Jerry: Yah, how much money was that? Riley: 320,000. I gotta correlate that money with the cars that's being let out... Jerry: Yah, ok! No problem! I'll just fax that on over to you. Riley: No no no no no! Faxes... Jerry: I mean send it over! (chuckling) I'll shoot it right on over to ya then. Ok, real good then! (Hangs up the phone, dramatically changes expressions from happy and worry-free to nervous and worried) ------------------------------------------- Scene 11 Jean is sitting down on her couch watching the morning TV show while knitting. (In background) Dale: We're back with Katie Corrowson. Katie: Hi. Dale: Now before we get going here, we want to remind all of our viewers at home that this March, for the second year in a row, Katie and I, along with Twin City Travel, will be leading a 2 week riverboat trip down the Nile. It's a terrific time - I know you've heard about it. We want all of you to come with. And that's the truth (they laugh corny laughs) (Jean smiles at the cuteness on the TV) Dale: Ok, now, for those of you who just joined us, Katie here this morning is going to show us how to make Halladazzled Eggs ourselves at home, now.... (Jean sits up when she hears noises from outside. She sees someone walking up her deck stairs to her deck with a ski mask on and a crowbar in hand) Dale: Katie, I gotta admit, I was a little surprised when I first picked up this up. Katie: Right. Dale: This is an empty egg! (the man peers in the window at Jean. Jean is paralyzed with fear) Katie: (giggling) That's right, Dale! Dale: Well, how do you get the egg - there was an egg in here, right? Katie: Yeah. Dale: Ok, well, I don't know, I mean. You didn't have an empty chicken somewhere that lays empty eggs... Katie: No, no, I guarantee this was and honest to goodness... (The man picks up his crowbar and breaks the window. Jean scream, broken out of her paralyzed state. She runs towards the front door as another man - dressed like the first - walks in the front door. Jean stops as a result of him grabbing her and covering her mouth. she bites his finger and he loses his grip. She runs upstairs. He takes off his mask to survey the damage to his finger. Underneath the mask is Gaare.) Gaare: (to Carl) Ungwipt (?) Carl: Huh? Gaare: I need Ungwipt! (?) (Jean runs into a bathroom with a phone, slams the door shut and fumbles with the lock. She is really freaking out at this point. She is barely able to call 911. The phone cord is pulled out from under the door, forcing her to drop the phone before her call can go through. It breaks as it hits the floor. Jean starts opening the solitary window in the bathroom. She looks down to see how far it is down. Carl and Gaare are trying to break down the door. Carl finally breaks it open and he runs to the open window. Gaare goes straight to the medicine cabinet. Carl runs downstairs downstairs to try and catch her (if she jumped). Gaare pulls open the mirror door and looks through the medicine cabinet for some Ungwipt (?). He finds some and opens it to put on his sore finger. He closes the door. He notices something different as he looks in the mirror. He slowly turns around. Jean comes flying out of the shower with a shower curtain wrapped around her. She startles Gaare and runs out of the bathroom and down the hall. She can't see anything (because of the curtain) and falls down the stairs. Gaare comes walking down the stairs behind her. She is laying still at the bottom. He bends over and nudges her. She is limp.) ------------------------------------------- Scene 12 - inside Wade Gustafson's office. Jerry walks in to see two men sitting. They look up as the door opens. One is recognizable as Wade. Jerry walks over to the other man. Jerry: How are ya, Stan? Stan Grossman shakes his hand. Jerry: How yo doin, Wade? Stan: Good ta see ya again, Jerry. If these numbers are right, this looks pretty sweet. Jerry: Oh, those numbers are right alright, bleemee. Wade: This is do-able. Stan: Congratulations, Jer. Jerry: Yah, thanks, Stan, it's a pretty... Wade: What kind of finder's fee ya looking for? Silence, then a stunned smile. Jerry: ... Huh? Stan: The financials are pretty thorough, so, the only thing we don't know is your fee. Still stunned, long silence. Jerry: ... My fee? Wade, what the heck're ya talkin' about? Wade: Stan and I're okay. Jerry: Yah. Wade: We're good to loan in. Jerry: Yah. Wade: But we never talked about your fee - for bringin' it to us. Jerry: No, but, Wade, see, I's bringin' ya this deal for you to loan me the money to put in. It's my deal here, see? Wade and Stan roll eyes over Jerry's ignorance. Stan: Jerry - we thought you were bringin' us an investment. Jerry: Yah, right! Stan: You're sayin' - what're you sayin'? Wade: You're sayin' that we put in all the money and (looks at Jerry) you collect when it pays off? Wade and Stan snicker about his comment. Jerry: No, no. I - I'd, I'd - pay you back the principal, and interest - heck, I'd go - one over prime? Stan: We're not a bank, Jerry. Wade is angry. Wade: What the heck, Jerry, if I wanted bank interest on seven hunnert'n fifty thousand I'd go to Midwest Federal. Talk to ole Bill Diehl. Stan: He's at Norstar. Wade: He's at - Jerry: No, see, I don't need a finder's fee, I need - finder's fee's, what, ten percent, heck that's not gonna do it for me. I need the principal. Stan: Jerry, we're not just going to give you seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Wade: What the heck were you thinkin'? Heck, if I'm only gettin' bank interest, I'd look for complete security. Heck, FDIC. I don't see nothin' like that here. Jerry: Yah, but I - okay, I would, (looks him in the eye), I'd guarantee ya your money back. Wade: I'm not talkin' about your damn word, Jerry. Geez, what the heck're you?... Well, look, I don't want to cut you out of the loop, but his here's a good deal. I assume, if you're not innarested, you won't mind if we move on it independently.