Have spent my entire life in California, but my paternal grandparents (born in the 1920s) were from Brainerd. I grew up hearing them say darn tootin and you betcha, and telling us about Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. When I first saw the movie, it was a fun trip hearing the characters speak like my grandparents.
I live in the Twin Cities metro and sometimes will get questions about the movie from people out of state...like....the accents? In outstate there are some regional dialects. My father in law was from western MN and his speaking style was like Mr. Mohra...the bartender sweeping his driveway....that "well that's not too good for him" captures it perfectly.
Yes, he certainly sounded authentic. Wouldn’t be surprised if many of the actors with smaller parts were native to the region. I also know remember my grandmother using the phrase “quicker than a duck on a June bug” when playing Gin Rummy. Not sure if that is a Minnesota saying too, but I bet it is. Of course, I heard many tales of the huge mosquitos, and surprisingly, there apparently were a lot of bats in the Brainerd area back in the day.
@@HoyaSaxaSD I believe the actor playing Mr. Mohra is a popular local stage and theater actor in Minneapolis so that would make sense. The actor who played Jerry's coworker with the Gopher tickets spoke at our local Lions Club about the experience of making the movie.
Yer darn tootin'! I remember reading that William Macy said to the Cohens that he was the right man for the part. They were initially skeptical, but Macy convinced them, and I'm really glad he did!
Love Buscemi but this movie belongs to Macy. His portrayal of a character so desperate to get out of a hole he dug himself into was something only he could've pulled off.
Fargo really is a damn near perfect movie- and Jerry is one of the most compelling villains of all time. Precisely because it is revealed so early on that he is in over his head. You almost- ALMOST feel sorry for him. Even Marge is fooled initially, only because she is so persistent does she crack the case.
"Sir, you have no call to get snippy with me. I'm just doing my job here." Her shift into a deeper, deliberate tone, the look in her eyes, the entire change in her facial expression, have made this one of my favorite scenes of all time.
Great movie. I was disappointed to discover that it was not as "based on true events" as I would hope. Still, the Coen brothers were at the top of their game here.
@@paullittle9187 This movie is a masterclass in telling a kidnapping gone wrong in a way that it would likely unravel in the real world. The way the movie progresses makes you think "This doesn't make sense" because, in the real world, crimes unfold in messy and convoluted ways.
There are a lot of words and terms that can be used to describe Jerry. Stupid. Greedy. Selfish. Terrible businessman. Bad planner. But there's one that really sticks out to me: Weak. He seems so meek and tiny compared to everyone else in the movie. He wants to be a strong man, and he tries to act strong, but he just isn't. Even when he's angry to the point of throwing fits of rage(like when he's swinging around the ice scraper or slamming stuff against his office table) he seems weak when he's doing it. He's probably one of the most emasculated characters in film.
Instead of kidnapping the wife, Jerry should have had them kill Wade. His millions would then have gone to Jerry's wife, and they live like royalty forever after.
Jerry never wanted to kill anyone, though. The deaths that ensued were unintended. He wouldn’t have been able to bring himself to intentionally get Wade killed.
@@saimcheeda93Jerry never intended for everything to go sideways. He even says it was supposed to be a “no rough stuff” deal when Carl calls about wanting all the money. He only abandoned his kid after everything went wrong.
I thought the single most telling moment occurred when he threw the scraper to the ground and then had to pick it up, He can only be actively aggressive towards inanimate objects, but even they defeat him.
I think if we were able to ask Jerry, he'd say the reason he behaved the way he did is because Wade never had any faith in him. If Wade had just backed him in some of his schemes, Jerry would have been a huge success and he'd have never been pushed to try to con his father-in-law into ransoming his wife. Of course, Jerry would have been wrong. The reason Wade didn't have faith in Jerry is because he was an untrustworthy screw-up. But, Jerry had deluded himself into believing everything wrong in his life was someone else's fault.
I’ve met a number of people like Jerry-though none of them got quite as deep into criminality as Jerry did. They’re basically dishonest fuck-ups: they cut ethnical corners, fuck up repeatedly, and are doomed not to learn from their mistakes because they never take responsibility for them. They avoid the kind of introspection that could reveal to them that they are themselves the source of most of their problems.
@@chuckinhouston9952 Thank you. I had a lot of opportunity to learn about this during my time as dean of students at a small independent school. If I could get a student to take responsibility for his/her mistake, there was a good chance they wouldn’t repeat it. When they refused to take responsibility (either by lying or blaming someone else), I knew that this was a student who was likely to get in trouble again.
@@jdewitt77thats true but it was a bullshit plan to begin with. Even if everything had gone without a hitch, Jerry's wife would have been traumatised for life and really the money would have been traced to Jerry eventually.
When Jerry said to Marge “We’re doing all we can here”, you can see how disheveled he looks because nothing has gone according to plan in his world. Everything has gone awry and it seems that’s the end of the climatic point. This is such a good film and you did a great job connecting the screenplay!
The most fascinating aspect of the film for me is how frustrated and caught off guard Jerry is that this horribly Ill conceived plan is falling apart. Even from the first meeting they mixed up the time at the bar. He was so out of his depth and had no thought or inkling of any back up manoeuvres.
@@mynameispeaches I was always surprised that Jerry should have been expecting ONE guy at the bar and then there’s two - and the guy you’re expecting barely talks. If I’m plotting to have someone kidnapped and I am expecting to meet someone and there are extra people, my first reaction is “wtf who are you?” but Jerry says nothing.
@@JackBirdbath I forgot about that! That's the issue with going from no criminal activity on your resume straight to a complicated kidnapping. You just don't notice those red flags :)
The two encounters between Margie and her old high school friend---one on the phone, one in person at a Radisson's---are significant because after she realizes that he has BULLSH*TTED her about his "wife", she has a bag of junk food, thinks about it, then goes back to confront a similar bullsh*t artist---Jerry Lundegaard.
I think what's important to note is that the meeting with Mike exposed something within herself as well. She was meeting him secretly, dressed up nicely, concerned about her hair, at a nice restaurant. She knows Mike likes her and here she is dolling herself up for him. Everything's going perfectly in her life: loving husband, great career, baby on the way. Then this big old "What If?" named Mike Yanagita calls her one night and entices her. She had completely forgotten about him and now she's nervous about looking good for him. What she learns about herself is that she's not immune to temptation. She resisted it because Mike didn't match her fantasy but who's to say if he were confident and smooth she wouldn't have been seduced by him? By making this discovery she is not only shaken by Mike's deception but also the allure that brought her to him in the first place. It makes her think differently of herself and of Jerry.
@@SomethingSomethingg No. Marge was never going to sleep with Mike, no matter if he were charming or seductive. She got dressed up and fixed her hair because of her midwestern upbringing. You do not show up slovenly for any social meeting with anyone. All the commenters saying that there was a chance that she would have had an affair with Mike are projecting. She was polite, social, and friendly. So she said yes to the meeting, and dressed up because good manners required it. She would have done the same for an old female friend. The end.
@@SomethingSomethinggMarge dressing up to meet Mike was just her being polite. She had zero interest in him. Proof? She *immediately* shoots him down when he asks to sit next to her, giving him a polite excuse (being polite again).
@@sergiovela9961Right! Mike immediately made a move on her by sitting next to her in the booth and she immediately rebuffed him, asking him to sit across from her. She had no intention of getting nailed by him.
I never realized that the reason Wade doesn't let Jerry deliver the money is because of the idiocy surrounding the "deal" Jerry had brought to him earlier. Not that it would've mattered though, as Jerry was already tied to the hot car and Gaear had already killed Jean.
@@kennethsouthard6042 Not the deal itself, but Jerry's offer: give me the money and I'll give you one over prime on the principal... On a type of asset that previously lost you a lot of money!
Yeah, that definitely took a lot of the humor out of it for me. Especially the part where she's hooded and can't see and is bumping into things. And the son is crushed and Jerry just doesn't get it, to him she's collateral damage in his failed plan.
@@peztopher7297 I don’t think he took any joy in having his own wife kidnapped. Jerry probably did get it, but he didn’t want to talk about it for fear of revealing himself.
@@capncake8837 Maybe he's just in denial. But he's just so self-interested and as Angela noted above it becomes an avoidable tragedy. They should have just divorced and I'm sure FIL would have taken care of them as long as necessary.
I love how his voice cracks when I says "I'm the Executive Sales Manager".... it's the truth but it _feels_ like a lie to him, he's been in over his head his whole life....
@@johnbrennan4449 Maude's husband is obviously a different actor. William H. Macy, which is probably his official stage name because of the other Macy in the SAG, goes by Bill Macy when he's been interviewed many times since his role in Fargo.
I have watched this movie at least two times a year for the past 20 years. If I had to pick a favorite movie, I probably choose this. I play an ongoing game with my kids to see who can tell when I use dialogue from the movie in everyday conversation. Did I mention I LOVE this movie 😊
I think a lot of Jerry’s nervousness comes from being a fish out of water. If you think about it, almost every scene he’s in he is either doing something he’s clearly never done before (negotiating with Carl and gaear) or is doing something he obviously just doesn’t understand (finders fee scene). Combined with a rather passive attitude it causes him to freeze and panic whenever he is pushed to even slight conflict
@Kay Mitchell idk man but when you compare the second questioning with jerry to marges questioning of Shep, it becomes clear how naive Jerry is. Shep knows better, he doesn’t even talk unless she asks him a direct question. But jerry who is inexperienced mumbles on timid and afraid. I’m not saying the narrator is wrong but you can’t that isn’t a factor that doesn’t play in to Jerry’s character. He isn’t built to handle any level of uncomfortableness
I was always thought it was funny how he did all of the legwork on the deal and when Wade wouldn't finance it, he actually walked away from the $75,000 finder's fee and essentially put the money in Wade's pocket.
Fantastic video! Very well edited, written & narrated. I especially love your use of the score that supports and becomes the rhythmic action of what you're saying. Great job!
In the Jerry/Marge scene, it's the Minnesota Nice factor at play. Marge has come back because by now she knows Jerry lied to her. She still wears her MN Nice but, she puts the pressure on him and Jerry crumbles under it and can barely handle being confronted, aka MN Nice doesn't equip you for that. Then he breaks and storms out, then "he's fleeing the interview, he's fleeing the interview!"
The look on Jerry's face when Marge says, "Can I talk to Mr. Gustafson?" was perfect. Mr. G is in the trunk of a car just outside the office; you could talk to him, but the conversation would be a trifle one-sided!
In fiction, criminals are often portrayed as aggressive swaggering thugs and/or cooly collected sociopaths who do evil for evil's sake without the slightest hesitation or compunction (as we typically see in Tarantino's films). However, Jerry's downward slide into criminality is shown to be a much more complicated and insidious affair. To any reasonable observer, it appears laughably obvious that his foolish, short-sighted schemes have no realistic chance of success and will only get him into deeper trouble. But like a gambling addict at a slot machine, he pursues them anyway in the desperate hope that he may get that one lucky break which will magically solve all his problems at once. Jerry shows many signs of suffering from what is known in psychiatry as a Cluster C avoidant personality disorder. Such a person typically fears direct contact and confrontation with other people. As a consequence, this frustrated neurotic individual can only get what he wants by using sneaky, manipulative, underhanded passive-aggressive tactics. It appears that Jerry's avoidant passive-aggressive tendencies are so deeply ingrained in his personality that, to his way of thinking, there is simply no other option but to keep going down the same crooked path of dishonest criminal behavior until external circumstances force a change. In the end, there is nothing for him to do but flee the terrible disaster that he has created for himself and everyone around him. Like most personality disorders, Jerry is a cognitively blinkered, self-absorbed narcissist who lacks a properly grounded, realistic perspective on life. Tortured by overwhelming anxiety and frustration, he lives on the pins and needles of his own fears and desires. This causes him to constantly ruminate over his own needs (real or imagined) at the expense of everything and everyone else in his life. Not surprisingly, he is given to either magical or catastrophic thinking when deciding on a course of action, as circumstances keep turning against him like the ground shifting beneath his feet. Because he can never emerge from his narcissistic bubble, he lacks any insight whatsoever into his own illogical behavior and utterly fails to see how he is responsible for his own plight. As such, it is a foregone certainty that his silly misguided plan to have his wife kidnapped in order to grift a portion of the ransom money from his father-in-law (and the kidnappers) would spin out of control and set off a deadly chain of events that he never had the cognitive resources to anticipate. While on the face of it his initial crimes would seem motivated by nothing more common selfishness and greed, Jerry's strange pattern of extreme neurotic passive-aggressive avoidance suggests a much deeper and messier pathology. His rash and disordered behavior indicates chronic feelings of inadequacy, inferiority, alienation and failure that have likely warped and deformed his personality since childhood. So much so that Jerry almost seems like a figure out of Kafka.
That is an excellent summary of this character. I agree with the personality disorder you diagnosed him with. Avoiding the reality of his own life, when you think about it. He is disrespected by his father in law but it seems his wife more or less accepts him. Interesting that he puts more stock in what his FIL thinks than his own wife, or even himself. By the way, his avoidance of his wife, by killing her off, is probably at the root of his current pathological decline, and need to recover his dignity through ill gotten money, his only. and false, measure of himself.
@@ericenvironmentalist9429 I think Jerry's neurotic pattern of passive-aggressive avoidance may explain a lot of white collar crime and the more involved criminal schemes that involve manipulation and deception and murkier psychological motivations than simple greed and malice. We don't often see this kind of behavior portrayed in the movies, despite the fact that it is probably a lot more common than we tend to think. In crime films, it is often women (such as the classic noir femme fatale) who behave in this way, not men. This makes Jerry a rather unusual and unlikely existential male anti-hero. In life as in fiction, men who demonstrate habitual tendencies toward failure and cowardice are particularly unpleasant and contemptible. When such characters are portrayed, they are usually handled in a very simplistic and dismissive way, so that the audience may not have to bother worrying and thinking about them too much. Mike Yanagita is presented to us as a simpler version of Jerry; his pathological behavior is much easier for the audience to spot and dismiss with a feeling of self-satisfied condenscension and little or no real compassion. In contrast, Jerry is quite different in that he is a rather complicated weakling, whose problems and inner life the audience is invited to identify with as if they were their own. This makes Jerry a much more difficult and disturbing character -- we share in his anxiety and desperation and almost find ourselves absurdly hoping that his preposterous schemes will work.
JERRY: "This could work out real good for me and Jean and Scotty." RICH GRANDAD: (after scornful look) "Jean and Scotty never have to worry." Lmao ouch
It's an interesting video, but I think you got a few things wrong. 1) it's clear that Wade had no respect for Jerry, but that ain't due to a lack of honesty, it's due because Jerry has like no physical courage and fortitude. Look what happens in the scene when Jerry gets dominated by the kidnappers, they basically order him about and even mock the way he speaks. 2) Wade did not go to the drop off because he didn't trust Jerry, Wade was a control freak, and he was doing what he always did--take control of the situation, even by force if necessary. Wade was a narcissist who believed he could control everyone and everything, even violent criminals. The third and final thing you're wrong about is the concept of inferiority itself. Inferiority, like superiority is actually a flawed concept. In the same way no one is ever really superior, no one is ever really inferior either. Superiority and inferiority does not exist, except for in our minds. Like "No country for old men", this movie is not about power dynamics, it's actually about consequences.
I honestly think Jerry loves Wade more than Jean. Not in a sexual or romantic way, but in a deeply reverend way. He's pathetically obsessed with impressing him, while caring so little about the one person who does love and respect him, Jean. One gets the impression Jerry preyed on and married Jean just for his accessibility to Wade. Wade represents everything Jerry isn't: wealthy, successful, feared, and dominant. Tragically, Jean and Scotty are none of these things and thus mean little to Jerry. Notice how Jerry even had the respect to put Wade's corpse in the trunk of his car. Also, notice how Jerry finally snaps when Marge asks to speak to Wade.
@@jdewitt77After Wade went to meet Carl on the top level of the parking garage and was shot dead. Jerry arrived a few minutes later and found Wade's body and put him in the trunk.
@@xsteelfeverx8004 you think he did that out of "respect"? he had to get rid of the body so there wouldn't be any questions. and he can't love or respect anybody, starting with himself. he had his own wife kidnapped and the rest of the story is him trying to weasel out of things. also, he probably despises wade.
I was raised in Minnesota, and I can tell you this the woman in the same place Minnesota women perfectly you can’t tell the difference between her and a real Minnesota woman! Absolutely astounding!
@A'TiaShaun Baker maybe, but I think he was lying to his son. It's why he was so upset wade wanted to deliver the money himself instead of using Jerry as a middle man. Watch how he treats his wife and son throughout the film, no real compassion or loyalty at all. If he really just needed the 350 thousand why did he ask for a million? Something he even lied to the criminals about. Because he was planning on bailing and starting a new life.
He probably was when Wade decided to take the money himself as by that time the plan was already spiralling out of control, but I doubt that was his intent at the beginning. Why get the other criminals involved in the first place? He could have just killed Jean, told Wade she'd been kidnapped and then made off with the ransom.
This movie really got my attention, although I didn't know what to expect when we went to the theater. As Jerry's harebrained scheme starts to become unraveled, I have to admit to a deep sense of "Schadenfreude," in that I was *not* him.
You could like at it like that, or you could see it as his even 1% of trust in Jerry (who said not to go the police) is what cost him everything. I know these pathological liar types in real life and the trouble is the ones that seem just harmless enough to keep around
@@ArisFilms going to the police would have definitely gotten the wife killed. it was wades false sense of superiority that cost him his life, Jerry's "pathological lies" at least were ultimately well meaning because had his plan worked he would've had the money and his wife, and could tell wade to go f*** himself. it also was because of other peoples prejudices of him that drove him to use underhanded tactics because you see he always tries the nice guy tactic first and typically gets blown off. wade is a deceitful, disingenuous person without being a "pathological liar" (like most people) by intentionally misunderstanding jerrys offer when he realized it was profitable.
Jerry was a weak person, but it doesn't mean his FIL was a good guy. Jerry reminds me of the character in Duel played by Dennis Weaver. Dennis Weaver was respected by no one he encountered during the film. And not respected by his wife. If they were to make a remake, Macy would be a good actor to fill the role.
I disagree on Weaver's character. Weaver's character while being disrespected was a good guy who triumphed in the end as opposed To Jerry who was off to further disrespect in prison.
Do you all forget that by the time Marge confronted him again Jerry was already beyond screwed? He had his dead father-in-law's body in his trunk. Stan Grossman knew about the money drop and was likely going straight to the Minneapolis PD to spill the beans about the ransom, etc. that very day whether Marge shows up or not.
Jerry married his wife because he wanted part of Wade‘s fortune, and Wade knew it. I have a brother in law who was a fortune hunter type… perpetually underemployed, my sister kept having to beg my father to pay the mortgage to keep up the lifestyle her lazy husband wanted. She also worked her butt off, her husband was always “getting laid off”, addicted to drugs, and she knew a divorce would result in her paying her husband alimony after “sticking up for the marriage” for so long. I think Jerry had some kind of vice, an expensive addiction of some sort, but the movie purposefully avoided discussing it, only referring to his vices as “personal matters”.
I bet Jerry was a gambler. I’m sorry about the brother in law. What happened to him? You mentioned he “was” a fortune hunter type. Did you introduce him to a wood chipper? 🤣
I've seen these dynamics play out in the real world many times. I myself married a girl from a well to do family and they hated me. I wasn't anything like Jerry but boy they hated me.
I've always loved the second interview scene with Jerry. You can see the exact moment the penny drops with Marge; I don't think she figures out the entire scheme exactly but you can tell by her pause and change in demeanour that she realises Jerry's hiding something and knows a lot more than he's willing to let on. McDormand plays it perfectly, you can see "why is this guy being so weird? Why is he refusing to answer such a simple question? The only reason would be because... He doesn't want me to see the inventory"
4:53 You forgot to mention that after Jerry gets mad, he says "We're doin' all we can'" and then wipes his mouth, giving away the fact that he is lying.
Although in the beginning of this movie stated it was a true story But Cohen brothers said in a interview that it was mostly fictional yet a woman began her journey to seek the unfounded treasure but of course came up empty handed. End of story.
I respectfully disagree with the idea that Marge doesn't suspect Jerry specifically when she interviews him the second time. I think it's implied that the reason she went back in the first place was entirely because of the call from her friend telling her about how Mike Yanagita was lying. She knew something was up because Jerry reminded her of Mike. She could sense something was off about the way both of them behaved and once she found out what was going on with Mike she decided to dig into Jerry to find what he was hiding.
I don't think she suspected Jerry during the interview until he drove off the lot. The only reason she went back to the dealership was because of Mike Yangita's constant lies.
Can't figure out how the GMAC financing scam works. Jerry falsified car sales to.....get the commissions? Somehow got loan approval for non-existant customers & cars? Those loans would be paid to the dealership...? Also....I m curious what he's done with the money. Why'd he need it?
I remember the expression on one of the "dates" the kidnappers have. Total sneer accompanied with a comic disgust. Nobody knows her name, but she obviously has comic skills.
I'm not sure I'd call Jerry's attitude "inferiority". If he felt inferior, why would he think he could scam his superiors? Thinking you can dupe someone is a sense of power over them.
He tried to scam his superiors because he was desperate and deluded. Jerry does everything in an avoidant roundabout passive-aggressive way because he fears confrontation but still needs to get money out of people to solve his problems somehow.
My biggest question is why was Jerry so in debt with the GMAC loans and also needing the ransom? He seemed to be a straight shooter with a boring mundane life so there was never any idea given of how he was in so much debt. Any guesses?
I disagree with your analysis regarding the moment Marge suspects Jerry is involved. Even though Jerry is evasive and flustered during Marge’s questioning about how he knows whether all cars are accounted for, and even though Marge shows her annoyance with him - “there’s no call to get snippy” - she nevertheless makes it clear that she still doesn’t suspect him of malfeasance, which is proven by how utterly shocked and rattled she gets when seeing him flee the interview. Only in that moment does she realize he’s involved. If she had suspected his involvement prior to that moment she wouldn’t have been so stunned nor would she have waited so patiently and casually in his office while he walked out to do the inventory. If she had been suspicious of him she would have watched him exit the office. She would have studied him. Scrutinized him. Instead she relaxed when he agreed to do the inventory, taking it at face value. She even smiled appreciatively at his wife’s photo while waiting for him to return.
All Jerry had to say was " OK, I'll do an inventory count and get back to your office tomorrow " . That would give him some time to figure out his next move.
I disagree that Wade is morally superior to Jerry. Possibly, but the movie is very unclear on this point. Jerry is weak, extremely weak, but he’s not necessarily unkind or vicious. Wade is, though. I don’t excuse anything Jerry does, but he has absolutely no power and is completely desperate. Wade, on the other hand, has tons of power but can’t even give his son in law a low interest loan (which would help his son in law, the husband of the daughter he supposedly loves, have some dignity through independence). He’s basically a callous bastard. Jerry, for all the violence he bumbles into, is really not a violent, aggressive or mean person, whereas Wade is obviously cruel.
I think (perhaps) both sides here supposes that the Cohen brothers tell a morally CLEAR story. Their stories are often very .. bitter (can I use that term?), indicating that the world is absurd and unfair. A commentator once said that in the Cohen universe, the just characters are never rewarded for their integrity and justice, but make ONE mistake and a terrible "righteous" revenge hails down on the poor person from "God or the Universe" in many of the Cohen brothers' films (from a commentary on "A Serious Man"). About this film, I think: We don't know what came first, Wades calleous disregard, or Jerry's insecurity and scheming. But the two are like a toxic relationship, they bring out the absolute worst in each other)
@@busylivingnotdying Actually, I don’t think the Cohen brothers present a clear moral story at all, and agree with 99% of what you say; but I stand by my position that Wade, as portrayed in the film, is a cruel, callous bastard (however he may have gotten to that point; perhaps there is an unstated, but implied, backstory that Jerry drove him to this; if Jerry were portrayed as even a bit more manly, one might infer he married the daughter after knocking her up in high school; or maybe he used his salesman’s cunning to entreat her in some way) and Jerry is merely a weakling. Definitely all these questions could go in lots of directions, but the evidence in the film only presents Wade as a bastard, whether or not Jerry is responsible for this. Frankly, Jerry is like an elusive mouse that wreaks havoc on someone’s home. Even without malice, and acting on pure survival instinct, it’s a nasty creature that can make one’s life a living hell, to the point that trapping and killing it is an exquisite satisfaction. I’d say that the Cohens, for all the absence of any clear moral message, probably imply it’s a basic cruelty that anybody should be reduced to that level, and they’d deplore institutions or conditions that promote that. Accordingly, Wade rejects the opportunity to break that cycle for Jerry, by trying to protect him, subsidize or whatever. On the other hand: again, there could be some implied unstated backstory that Wade already got burned enough because of Jerry, in the marriage to his daughter or otherwise.
@@AnonYmous-ry2jn Yeah, I too just get the ... STAY AWAY FROM WADE feeling. He's a powerful man who is shrewd, sure, and successful at business, but MAN is he condescending and full of himself! (Good thing it isn't a true story) 🤣 So, I think I know how you feel (I feel the same). I can't stand that type of character!
she became suspicious when she met the asian guy because he lied about his past so this made marge think that lundergard was lying too so she went in the second time with an agenda
"Oh, for Pete's sake. He's fleeing the inner-view. HE'S FLEEING THE INNER-VIEW!" 😆
Great film - thanks for the analysis of good old Jerry.
Oh for Land sake, another phrase unique to Upper Midwest.
Have spent my entire life in California, but my paternal grandparents (born in the 1920s) were from Brainerd. I grew up hearing them say darn tootin and you betcha, and telling us about Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. When I first saw the movie, it was a fun trip hearing the characters speak like my grandparents.
I live in the Twin Cities metro and sometimes will get questions about the movie from people out of state...like....the accents? In outstate there are some regional dialects. My father in law was from western MN and his speaking style was like Mr. Mohra...the bartender sweeping his driveway....that "well that's not too good for him" captures it perfectly.
Yes, he certainly sounded authentic. Wouldn’t be surprised if many of the actors with smaller parts were native to the region.
I also know remember my grandmother using the phrase “quicker than a duck on a June bug” when playing Gin Rummy. Not sure if that is a Minnesota saying too, but I bet it is. Of course, I heard many tales of the huge mosquitos, and surprisingly, there apparently were a lot of bats in the Brainerd area back in the day.
@@HoyaSaxaSD I believe the actor playing Mr. Mohra is a popular local stage and theater actor in Minneapolis so that would make sense. The actor who played Jerry's coworker with the Gopher tickets spoke at our local Lions Club about the experience of making the movie.
Having spent my entire life in Minnesota I can attest that these accents are pretty spot on.
I think it makes the people seem friendly 😁
Great movie. William H. Macy nailed that part of a nervous weasel. Nobody could've played it better.
Yer darn tootin'! I remember reading that William Macy said to the Cohens that he was the right man for the part. They were initially skeptical, but Macy convinced them, and I'm really glad he did!
There could not have been a better performance for that part - Macy was brilliant
“He’s fleeing the interview!!”
This movie was a masterpiece. Superb writing and casting. Anything with Steve Buscemi in it is worth watching IMO.
Love Buscemi but this movie belongs to Macy. His portrayal of a character so desperate to get out of a hole he dug himself into was something only he could've pulled off.
Agreed. Coen brother write and direct great roles. And Jerry looks like an all-American boy!!
I think it would have been better if he was running from a T-rex.
I thought Steve Buscemi was that guy that always plays a pervert/ child molester
It still is
It'd be quite a coincidence if they weren't ya know...connected 😃
Ya i see...Mam,i answer your question..Lol
@@dinodino6907 You're darn tootin!!
Fargo really is a damn near perfect movie- and Jerry is one of the most compelling villains of all time. Precisely because it is revealed so early on that he is in over his head. You almost- ALMOST feel sorry for him. Even Marge is fooled initially, only because she is so persistent does she crack the case.
"Sir, you have no call to get snippy with me. I'm just doing my job here."
Her shift into a deeper, deliberate tone, the look in her eyes, the entire change in her facial expression, have made this one of my favorite scenes of all time.
“Ma’am, I answered your question!”
To me, this was the nexus moment that the Police Officer began to wonder if this tool was involved.
I worked for a car dealer. Cars were counted every AM before opening by an attendant.
25 years later, people are still analyzing this wonderful film. Well done, though.
Great movie. I was disappointed to discover that it was not as "based on true events" as I would hope. Still, the Coen brothers were at the top of their game here.
@@JustWasted3HoursHere that’s kinda fucked why does it matter
@@Dampishcar123 Well, it does give it a bit more authenticity if it is actually based on real events. It's still a great movie regardless.
Why'd they say it was based on true events when it wasn't?
@@paullittle9187 This movie is a masterclass in telling a kidnapping gone wrong in a way that it would likely unravel in the real world. The way the movie progresses makes you think "This doesn't make sense" because, in the real world, crimes unfold in messy and convoluted ways.
First time you see this movie 🎥 is so special, with the cold and the music 🎶 😮so awesome 👌
There are a lot of words and terms that can be used to describe Jerry. Stupid. Greedy. Selfish. Terrible businessman. Bad planner. But there's one that really sticks out to me:
Weak. He seems so meek and tiny compared to everyone else in the movie. He wants to be a strong man, and he tries to act strong, but he just isn't. Even when he's angry to the point of throwing fits of rage(like when he's swinging around the ice scraper or slamming stuff against his office table) he seems weak when he's doing it. He's probably one of the most emasculated characters in film.
Instead of kidnapping the wife, Jerry should have had them kill Wade. His millions would then have gone to Jerry's wife, and they live like royalty forever after.
One hitch: Jerry would have a conscience nagging him to the end of his days.
Wouldn’t he?
Killing a very powerful man like that? They'd have been caught. Too risky
Jerry never wanted to kill anyone, though. The deaths that ensued were unintended. He wouldn’t have been able to bring himself to intentionally get Wade killed.
@@g0679 if he had a conscience he wouldn't have had two violent criminals have their way with his wife and then abandoned his son to go on the run
@@saimcheeda93Jerry never intended for everything to go sideways. He even says it was supposed to be a “no rough stuff” deal when Carl calls about wanting all the money. He only abandoned his kid after everything went wrong.
I thought the single most telling moment occurred when he threw the scraper to the ground and then had to pick it up, He can only be actively aggressive towards inanimate objects, but even they defeat him.
I think if we were able to ask Jerry, he'd say the reason he behaved the way he did is because Wade never had any faith in him. If Wade had just backed him in some of his schemes, Jerry would have been a huge success and he'd have never been pushed to try to con his father-in-law into ransoming his wife. Of course, Jerry would have been wrong. The reason Wade didn't have faith in Jerry is because he was an untrustworthy screw-up. But, Jerry had deluded himself into believing everything wrong in his life was someone else's fault.
I’ve met a number of people like Jerry-though none of them got quite as deep into criminality as Jerry did. They’re basically dishonest fuck-ups: they cut ethnical corners, fuck up repeatedly, and are doomed not to learn from their mistakes because they never take responsibility for them. They avoid the kind of introspection that could reveal to them that they are themselves the source of most of their problems.
Very well stated
@@chuckinhouston9952 Thank you. I had a lot of opportunity to learn about this during my time as dean of students at a small independent school. If I could get a student to take responsibility for his/her mistake, there was a good chance they wouldn’t repeat it. When they refused to take responsibility (either by lying or blaming someone else), I knew that this was a student who was likely to get in trouble again.
Sometimes everything that goes wrong IS somebody elses fault. In a way I feel sorry for Jerry.
@@jdewitt77thats true but it was a bullshit plan to begin with. Even if everything had gone without a hitch, Jerry's wife would have been traumatised for life and really the money would have been traced to Jerry eventually.
When Jerry said to Marge “We’re doing all we can here”, you can see how disheveled he looks because nothing has gone according to plan in his world. Everything has gone awry and it seems that’s the end of the climatic point. This is such a good film and you did a great job connecting the screenplay!
Ma'am! I answered your question!
The most fascinating aspect of the film for me is how frustrated and caught off guard Jerry is that this horribly Ill conceived plan is falling apart. Even from the first meeting they mixed up the time at the bar. He was so out of his depth and had no thought or inkling of any back up manoeuvres.
@@mynameispeaches I was always surprised that Jerry should have been expecting ONE guy at the bar and then there’s two - and the guy you’re expecting barely talks.
If I’m plotting to have someone kidnapped and I am expecting to meet someone and there are extra people, my first reaction is “wtf who are you?” but Jerry says nothing.
@@JackBirdbath I forgot about that! That's the issue with going from no criminal activity on your resume straight to a complicated kidnapping. You just don't notice those red flags :)
Excellent breakdown of the strengths and weaknesses of the characters. Beautifully done. Superb script and acting. Love this movie.
The two encounters between Margie and her old high school friend---one on the phone, one in person at a Radisson's---are significant because after she realizes that he has BULLSH*TTED her about his "wife", she has a bag of junk food, thinks about it, then goes back to confront a similar bullsh*t artist---Jerry Lundegaard.
I think what's important to note is that the meeting with Mike exposed something within herself as well. She was meeting him secretly, dressed up nicely, concerned about her hair, at a nice restaurant. She knows Mike likes her and here she is dolling herself up for him. Everything's going perfectly in her life: loving husband, great career, baby on the way. Then this big old "What If?" named Mike Yanagita calls her one night and entices her. She had completely forgotten about him and now she's nervous about looking good for him. What she learns about herself is that she's not immune to temptation. She resisted it because Mike didn't match her fantasy but who's to say if he were confident and smooth she wouldn't have been seduced by him? By making this discovery she is not only shaken by Mike's deception but also the allure that brought her to him in the first place. It makes her think differently of herself and of Jerry.
@@SomethingSomethingg No. Marge was never going to sleep with Mike, no matter if he were charming or seductive. She got dressed up and fixed her hair because of her midwestern upbringing. You do not show up slovenly for any social meeting with anyone. All the commenters saying that there was a chance that she would have had an affair with Mike are projecting. She was polite, social, and friendly. So she said yes to the meeting, and dressed up because good manners required it. She would have done the same for an old female friend. The end.
@@SomethingSomethinggMarge dressing up to meet Mike was just her being polite. She had zero interest in him. Proof? She *immediately* shoots him down when he asks to sit next to her, giving him a polite excuse (being polite again).
@@sergiovela9961Right! Mike immediately made a move on her by sitting next to her in the booth and she immediately rebuffed him, asking him to sit across from her. She had no intention of getting nailed by him.
I never realized that the reason Wade doesn't let Jerry deliver the money is because of the idiocy surrounding the "deal" Jerry had brought to him earlier. Not that it would've mattered though, as Jerry was already tied to the hot car and Gaear had already killed Jean.
I don't think Wade would have let Jerry deliver the money at all.
It couldn't have been that idiotic of a deal, since Wade had decided to pursue it himself.
@@kennethsouthard6042 Not the deal itself, but Jerry's offer: give me the money and I'll give you one over prime on the principal... On a type of asset that previously lost you a lot of money!
Tbh Wade was just as idiotic as Jerry, but in a different way.
It's sooo awful that she gets killed anyway it just goes to show how fast a shady thing can just go horribly wrong and become way way worse ..
Yeah, that definitely took a lot of the humor out of it for me. Especially the part where she's hooded and can't see and is bumping into things. And the son is crushed and Jerry just doesn't get it, to him she's collateral damage in his failed plan.
@@peztopher7297 I don’t think he took any joy in having his own wife kidnapped. Jerry probably did get it, but he didn’t want to talk about it for fear of revealing himself.
@@capncake8837 Maybe he's just in denial. But he's just so self-interested and as Angela noted above it becomes an avoidable tragedy. They should have just divorced and I'm sure FIL would have taken care of them as long as necessary.
Coen brothers are true cinematic geniuses.
The world needs a prequel to see why Jerry needs the money in the first place.
I have often thought that...but maybe it's better to just let everyone draw their own conclusions.
Just offhand, I’d say Jerry Lundegaard was a rotten gambler. No luck at the cards, betting on the ponies, they all went wrong for him.
I love how his voice cracks when I says "I'm the Executive Sales Manager".... it's the truth but it _feels_ like a lie to him, he's been in over his head his whole life....
Brilliant movie. Bill Macy's best work.
He was great in Jurassic Park 3
@Brandon Boothby Yes, same actor. He goes by Bill Macy.
@@warsurplus Bill Macy played Maude's husband.
@@johnbrennan4449 Maude's husband is obviously a different actor. William H. Macy, which is probably his official stage name because of the other Macy in the SAG, goes by Bill Macy when he's been interviewed many times since his role in Fargo.
@@Growinggolfing 😂😂😂that's great
I have watched this movie at least two times a year for the past 20 years. If I had to pick a favorite movie, I probably choose this. I play an ongoing game with my kids to see who can tell when I use dialogue from the movie in everyday conversation. Did I mention I LOVE this movie 😊
I think a lot of Jerry’s nervousness comes from being a fish out of water. If you think about it, almost every scene he’s in he is either doing something he’s clearly never done before (negotiating with Carl and gaear) or is doing something he obviously just doesn’t understand (finders fee scene). Combined with a rather passive attitude it causes him to freeze and panic whenever he is pushed to even slight conflict
@Kay Mitchell idk man but when you compare the second questioning with jerry to marges questioning of Shep, it becomes clear how naive Jerry is. Shep knows better, he doesn’t even talk unless she asks him a direct question. But jerry who is inexperienced mumbles on timid and afraid. I’m not saying the narrator is wrong but you can’t that isn’t a factor that doesn’t play in to Jerry’s character. He isn’t built to handle any level of uncomfortableness
I was always thought it was funny how he did all of the legwork on the deal and when Wade wouldn't finance it, he actually walked away from the $75,000 finder's fee and essentially put the money in Wade's pocket.
“Minnesota Nice” = passive-aggressive, manipulative, fake niceness.
He may have understood the finders fee, but 75K doesnt get him out of his debt, he needs 750k.
@@gohibniugoh1668
Heck, $75,000, that wasn't gonna do it for him!
the exotic landscape of the northern plains make this movie so romantic and warm even in winter...
Fantastic video! Very well edited, written & narrated.
I especially love your use of the score that supports and becomes the rhythmic action of what you're saying. Great job!
In the Jerry/Marge scene, it's the Minnesota Nice factor at play. Marge has come back because by now she knows Jerry lied to her. She still wears her MN Nice but, she puts the pressure on him and Jerry crumbles under it and can barely handle being confronted, aka MN Nice doesn't equip you for that. Then he breaks and storms out, then "he's fleeing the interview, he's fleeing the interview!"
You deserve WAY more subscribers. This was great.
The look on Jerry's face when Marge says, "Can I talk to Mr. Gustafson?" was perfect. Mr. G is in the trunk of a car just outside the office; you could talk to him, but the conversation would be a trifle one-sided!
my brother thought he was still in the trunk of the car too, just because we don't actually see jerry disposing of him. i don't get you guys.
In fiction, criminals are often portrayed as aggressive swaggering thugs and/or cooly collected sociopaths who do evil for evil's sake without the slightest hesitation or compunction (as we typically see in Tarantino's films).
However, Jerry's downward slide into criminality is shown to be a much more complicated and insidious affair. To any reasonable observer, it appears laughably obvious that his foolish, short-sighted schemes have no realistic chance of success and will only get him into deeper trouble. But like a gambling addict at a slot machine, he pursues them anyway in the desperate hope that he may get that one lucky break which will magically solve all his problems at once.
Jerry shows many signs of suffering from what is known in psychiatry as a Cluster C avoidant personality disorder. Such a person typically fears direct contact and confrontation with other people. As a consequence, this frustrated neurotic individual can only get what he wants by using sneaky, manipulative, underhanded passive-aggressive tactics.
It appears that Jerry's avoidant passive-aggressive tendencies are so deeply ingrained in his personality that, to his way of thinking, there is simply no other option but to keep going down the same crooked path of dishonest criminal behavior until external circumstances force a change. In the end, there is nothing for him to do but flee the terrible disaster that he has created for himself and everyone around him.
Like most personality disorders, Jerry is a cognitively blinkered, self-absorbed narcissist who lacks a properly grounded, realistic perspective on life. Tortured by overwhelming anxiety and frustration, he lives on the pins and needles of his own fears and desires. This causes him to constantly ruminate over his own needs (real or imagined) at the expense of everything and everyone else in his life. Not surprisingly, he is given to either magical or catastrophic thinking when deciding on a course of action, as circumstances keep turning against him like the ground shifting beneath his feet.
Because he can never emerge from his narcissistic bubble, he lacks any insight whatsoever into his own illogical behavior and utterly fails to see how he is responsible for his own plight. As such, it is a foregone certainty that his silly misguided plan to have his wife kidnapped in order to grift a portion of the ransom money from his father-in-law (and the kidnappers) would spin out of control and set off a deadly chain of events that he never had the cognitive resources to anticipate.
While on the face of it his initial crimes would seem motivated by nothing more common selfishness and greed, Jerry's strange pattern of extreme neurotic passive-aggressive avoidance suggests a much deeper and messier pathology. His rash and disordered behavior indicates chronic feelings of inadequacy, inferiority, alienation and failure that have likely warped and deformed his personality since childhood. So much so that Jerry almost seems like a figure out of Kafka.
That is an excellent summary of this character. I agree with the personality disorder you diagnosed him with. Avoiding the reality of his own life, when you think about it. He is disrespected by his father in law but it seems his wife more or less accepts him. Interesting that he puts more stock in what his FIL thinks than his own wife, or even himself. By the way, his avoidance of his wife, by killing her off, is probably at the root of his current pathological decline, and need to recover his dignity through ill gotten money, his only. and false, measure of himself.
@@ericenvironmentalist9429
I think Jerry's neurotic pattern of passive-aggressive avoidance may explain a lot of white collar crime and the more involved criminal schemes that involve manipulation and deception and murkier psychological motivations than simple greed and malice.
We don't often see this kind of behavior portrayed in the movies, despite the fact that it is probably a lot more common than we tend to think. In crime films, it is often women (such as the classic noir femme fatale) who behave in this way, not men. This makes Jerry a rather unusual and unlikely existential male anti-hero.
In life as in fiction, men who demonstrate habitual tendencies toward failure and cowardice are particularly unpleasant and contemptible. When such characters are portrayed, they are usually handled in a very simplistic and dismissive way, so that the audience may not have to bother worrying and thinking about them too much.
Mike Yanagita is presented to us as a simpler version of Jerry; his pathological behavior is much easier for the audience to spot and dismiss with a feeling of self-satisfied condenscension and little or no real compassion. In contrast, Jerry is quite different in that he is a rather complicated weakling, whose problems and inner life the audience is invited to identify with as if they were their own. This makes Jerry a much more difficult and disturbing character -- we share in his anxiety and desperation and almost find ourselves absurdly hoping that his preposterous schemes will work.
Fiction! I thought it was based on a true story! Just kidding, I know
Just a brilliant movie all the way through. Masterpiece.
@2:53 could Jerry's pose being different from all the others mean something about him as well?
Great video! I love these kind of analysis video! I like the psychology and deep dives into interpretations!
JERRY: "This could work out real good for me and Jean and Scotty."
RICH GRANDAD: (after scornful look) "Jean and Scotty never have to worry."
Lmao ouch
It's also the only time in the scene he looks right at Jerry
It's an interesting video, but I think you got a few things wrong. 1) it's clear that Wade had no respect for Jerry, but that ain't due to a lack of honesty, it's due because Jerry has like no physical courage and fortitude. Look what happens in the scene when Jerry gets dominated by the kidnappers, they basically order him about and even mock the way he speaks. 2) Wade did not go to the drop off because he didn't trust Jerry, Wade was a control freak, and he was doing what he always did--take control of the situation, even by force if necessary. Wade was a narcissist who believed he could control everyone and everything, even violent criminals. The third and final thing you're wrong about is the concept of inferiority itself. Inferiority, like superiority is actually a flawed concept. In the same way no one is ever really superior, no one is ever really inferior either. Superiority and inferiority does not exist, except for in our minds. Like "No country for old men", this movie is not about power dynamics, it's actually about consequences.
I honestly think Jerry loves Wade more than Jean. Not in a sexual or romantic way, but in a deeply reverend way. He's pathetically obsessed with impressing him, while caring so little about the one person who does love and respect him, Jean. One gets the impression Jerry preyed on and married Jean just for his accessibility to Wade. Wade represents everything Jerry isn't: wealthy, successful, feared, and dominant. Tragically, Jean and Scotty are none of these things and thus mean little to Jerry. Notice how Jerry even had the respect to put Wade's corpse in the trunk of his car. Also, notice how Jerry finally snaps when Marge asks to speak to Wade.
When did Jerry put Wade's corpse into his car? I don't remember that scene.
@@jdewitt77After Wade went to meet Carl on the top level of the parking garage and was shot dead. Jerry arrived a few minutes later and found Wade's body and put him in the trunk.
reverent
@@xsteelfeverx8004 you think he did that out of "respect"?
he had to get rid of the body so there wouldn't be any questions. and he can't love or respect anybody, starting with himself. he had his own wife kidnapped and the rest of the story is him trying to weasel out of things. also, he probably despises wade.
@@plasticweapon Huh? I was just answering the guys question above my comment lol
did RUclips really remove the Mike scene from the full version of the film on their platform? If so.. I have a major problem with that.
Bill Macey plays his part so well.
An amazing movie! Timeless!
he's fleeing the interview!
Jerry is the master of misunderstandings. The rest of his psychology is a consequence of this in my eyes.
Excellent commentary on one of my favorite movies.
Wonderful analysis. The film and acting is top notch!
I was raised in Minnesota, and I can tell you this the woman in the same place Minnesota women perfectly you can’t tell the difference between her and a real Minnesota woman! Absolutely astounding!
I'm totally sold on the idea Jerry was taking all the money and running away, never even planning to pay his wife's ransom.
@A'TiaShaun Baker maybe, but I think he was lying to his son. It's why he was so upset wade wanted to deliver the money himself instead of using Jerry as a middle man. Watch how he treats his wife and son throughout the film, no real compassion or loyalty at all. If he really just needed the 350 thousand why did he ask for a million? Something he even lied to the criminals about. Because he was planning on bailing and starting a new life.
He probably was when Wade decided to take the money himself as by that time the plan was already spiralling out of control, but I doubt that was his intent at the beginning. Why get the other criminals involved in the first place? He could have just killed Jean, told Wade she'd been kidnapped and then made off with the ransom.
That has occurred to me as well.....makes sense too...weasel that Jerry was.
This movie really got my attention, although I didn't know what to expect when we went to the theater. As Jerry's harebrained scheme starts to become unraveled, I have to admit to a deep sense of "Schadenfreude," in that I was *not* him.
underrated content right here. well done.
"Ah, what the christ."
"Cripes"?
@@Greatdome99 no
Wades mistrust in and contempt of Jerry costs him his life...
You could like at it like that, or you could see it as his even 1% of trust in Jerry (who said not to go the police) is what cost him everything. I know these pathological liar types in real life and the trouble is the ones that seem just harmless enough to keep around
@@ArisFilms going to the police would have definitely gotten the wife killed. it was wades false sense of superiority that cost him his life, Jerry's "pathological lies" at least were ultimately well meaning because had his plan worked he would've had the money and his wife, and could tell wade to go f*** himself.
it also was because of other peoples prejudices of him that drove him to use underhanded tactics because you see he always tries the nice guy tactic first and typically gets blown off.
wade is a deceitful, disingenuous person without being a "pathological liar" (like most people) by intentionally misunderstanding jerrys offer when he realized it was profitable.
He was still an old crabby jackass...tried to horse trade his own daughter!
Being stupid cost him his life.
@@MikeNaples Not being a bank cost him his life
I notice his wife. When someone’s around she’s super super busy. She scrambles eggs for ten minutes viciously.
Great comment, scrambled eggs ....viciously.
Jerry was a weak person, but it doesn't mean his FIL was a good guy.
Jerry reminds me of the character in Duel played by Dennis Weaver. Dennis Weaver was respected by no one he encountered during the film. And not respected by his wife.
If they were to make a remake, Macy would be a good actor to fill the role.
I disagree on Weaver's character. Weaver's character while being disrespected was a good guy who triumphed in the end as opposed To Jerry who was off to further disrespect in prison.
This was the first time I ever saw Francis and she was just awesome
Cool analysis. I’ve always found it interesting how many similarities Lester Nygaard shared with Jerry.
William H. Macy was robbed of an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, as is usually the case. Cuba Gooding Jr. won that year. We all know why.
Do you all forget that by the time Marge confronted him again Jerry was already beyond screwed? He had his dead father-in-law's body in his trunk. Stan Grossman knew about the money drop and was likely going straight to the Minneapolis PD to spill the beans about the ransom, etc. that very day whether Marge shows up or not.
But what I want to know is: Has Stan Grossman called?
Jerry is more terryfing than lot of evil characters because he's perfectly HUMAN
Good video, I'd watch more of these characters in-depths from you
Little Bill really moved up in the world, and then he threw it all away. Faithful wife, real job, but it still wasn't enough. Damn it Lil' Bill!!!!!
Jerry married his wife because he wanted part of Wade‘s fortune, and Wade knew it.
I have a brother in law who was a fortune hunter type… perpetually underemployed, my sister kept having to beg my father to pay the mortgage to keep up the lifestyle her lazy husband wanted. She also worked her butt off, her husband was always “getting laid off”, addicted to drugs, and she knew a divorce would result in her paying her husband alimony after “sticking up for the marriage” for so long.
I think Jerry had some kind of vice, an expensive addiction of some sort, but the movie purposefully avoided discussing it, only referring to his vices as “personal matters”.
I bet Jerry was a gambler.
I’m sorry about the brother in law. What happened to him? You mentioned he “was” a fortune hunter type. Did you introduce him to a wood chipper? 🤣
@@Bob-kk2vg my sister surely wished she did! She was also stuck doing most of the yardwork, too!
I've seen these dynamics play out in the real world many times. I myself married a girl from a well to do family and they hated me. I wasn't anything like Jerry but boy they hated me.
Ya know how some fathers are...nobody’s good enough for their daughter, except maybe themself, which could get a little weird.
That's what you get for marrying a princess.
@@peekaboots01 you live and learn
Jerry’s character is wonderful. In my opinion William H. Macy steals the show.
I've always loved the second interview scene with Jerry. You can see the exact moment the penny drops with Marge; I don't think she figures out the entire scheme exactly but you can tell by her pause and change in demeanour that she realises Jerry's hiding something and knows a lot more than he's willing to let on. McDormand plays it perfectly, you can see "why is this guy being so weird? Why is he refusing to answer such a simple question? The only reason would be because... He doesn't want me to see the inventory"
"I'm just--I'm cooperatin' here!"
4:53 You forgot to mention that after Jerry gets mad, he says "We're doin' all we can'" and then wipes his mouth, giving away the fact that he is lying.
Darn tootin, if his wife Felicity didnt go to prison for college entrance scam.
The lord of the algorithm blessed you. Good vid btw
Although in the beginning of this movie stated it was a true story
But Cohen brothers said in a interview that it was mostly fictional yet a woman began her journey to seek the unfounded treasure but of course came up empty handed. End of story.
Jerry is the Bizarro Ned Flanders
Darn Tootin’
Simple but great movie!
Yer darrn tootind!
Fantastic video Bravo
Is it still an inferiority complex if they really are inferior?
A complex about a trait that is confirmed.
Never have been able to watch Fargo, it was difficult for me to watch, but I recognized the actor on the caption from jurassic park 3.
7:40 What a scary looking face on a statue!!
Dammit Jerrry..Your not sellin' me a damn car !
"look jerry, you're not sellin' me a damn car"
She was so pretty too
Wade knew, that Jerry wasn‘t just looking for a finder‘s fee
I respectfully disagree with the idea that Marge doesn't suspect Jerry specifically when she interviews him the second time. I think it's implied that the reason she went back in the first place was entirely because of the call from her friend telling her about how Mike Yanagita was lying. She knew something was up because Jerry reminded her of Mike. She could sense something was off about the way both of them behaved and once she found out what was going on with Mike she decided to dig into Jerry to find what he was hiding.
Losers and narcissists can be dangerous for the same reason - they think the world owes them something.
I don't think she suspected Jerry during the interview until he drove off the lot. The only reason she went back to the dealership was because of Mike Yangita's constant lies.
"Your darn tootin!"
Can't figure out how the GMAC financing scam works. Jerry falsified car sales to.....get the commissions? Somehow got loan approval for non-existant customers & cars? Those loans would be paid to the dealership...? Also....I m curious what he's done with the money. Why'd he need it?
I remember the expression on one of the "dates" the kidnappers have. Total sneer accompanied with a comic disgust. Nobody knows her name, but she obviously has comic skills.
I'm not sure I'd call Jerry's attitude "inferiority". If he felt inferior, why would he think he could scam his superiors? Thinking you can dupe someone is a sense of power over them.
He tried to scam his superiors because he was desperate and deluded. Jerry does everything in an avoidant roundabout passive-aggressive way because he fears confrontation but still needs to get money out of people to solve his problems somehow.
My biggest question is why was Jerry so in debt with the GMAC loans and also needing the ransom? He seemed to be a straight shooter with a boring mundane life so there was never any idea given of how he was in so much debt. Any guesses?
Gambling at the local Indian Casino.
My guess: a serious of failed business deals which Jerry hoped would both impress and provide financial independence from his father-in-law.
I think the fraud with the GMAC loans was attempt to cover some other business failure Jerry screwed up.
Why is your audio recorded like you're standing behind the listener? And the booming?
Love love this beautiful movie.
I disagree with your analysis regarding the moment Marge suspects Jerry is involved. Even though Jerry is evasive and flustered during Marge’s questioning about how he knows whether all cars are accounted for, and even though Marge shows her annoyance with him - “there’s no call to get snippy” - she nevertheless makes it clear that she still doesn’t suspect him of malfeasance, which is proven by how utterly shocked and rattled she gets when seeing him flee the interview. Only in that moment does she realize he’s involved. If she had suspected his involvement prior to that moment she wouldn’t have been so stunned nor would she have waited so patiently and casually in his office while he walked out to do the inventory. If she had been suspicious of him she would have watched him exit the office. She would have studied him. Scrutinized him. Instead she relaxed when he agreed to do the inventory, taking it at face value. She even smiled appreciatively at his wife’s photo while waiting for him to return.
All Jerry had to say was " OK, I'll do an inventory count and get back to your office tomorrow " . That would give him some time to figure out his next move.
I disagree that Wade is morally superior to Jerry. Possibly, but the movie is very unclear on this point. Jerry is weak, extremely weak, but he’s not necessarily unkind or vicious. Wade is, though. I don’t excuse anything Jerry does, but he has absolutely no power and is completely desperate. Wade, on the other hand, has tons of power but can’t even give his son in law a low interest loan (which would help his son in law, the husband of the daughter he supposedly loves, have some dignity through independence). He’s basically a callous bastard. Jerry, for all the violence he bumbles into, is really not a violent, aggressive or mean person, whereas Wade is obviously cruel.
I think (perhaps) both sides here supposes that the Cohen brothers tell a morally CLEAR story. Their stories are often very .. bitter (can I use that term?), indicating that the world is absurd and unfair.
A commentator once said that in the Cohen universe, the just characters are never rewarded for their integrity and justice, but make ONE mistake and a terrible "righteous" revenge hails down on the poor person from "God or the Universe" in many of the Cohen brothers' films
(from a commentary on "A Serious Man").
About this film, I think:
We don't know what came first, Wades calleous disregard, or Jerry's insecurity and scheming. But the two are like a toxic relationship, they bring out the absolute worst in each other)
@@busylivingnotdying Actually, I don’t think the Cohen brothers present a clear moral story at all, and agree with 99% of what you say; but I stand by my position that Wade, as portrayed in the film, is a cruel, callous bastard (however he may have gotten to that point; perhaps there is an unstated, but implied, backstory that Jerry drove him to this; if Jerry were portrayed as even a bit more manly, one might infer he married the daughter after knocking her up in high school; or maybe he used his salesman’s cunning to entreat her in some way) and Jerry is merely a weakling. Definitely all these questions could go in lots of directions, but the evidence in the film only presents Wade as a bastard, whether or not Jerry is responsible for this. Frankly, Jerry is like an elusive mouse that wreaks havoc on someone’s home. Even without malice, and acting on pure survival instinct, it’s a nasty creature that can make one’s life a living hell, to the point that trapping and killing it is an exquisite satisfaction. I’d say that the Cohens, for all the absence of any clear moral message, probably imply it’s a basic cruelty that anybody should be reduced to that level, and they’d deplore institutions or conditions that promote that. Accordingly, Wade rejects the opportunity to break that cycle for Jerry, by trying to protect him, subsidize or whatever. On the other hand: again, there could be some implied unstated backstory that Wade already got burned enough because of Jerry, in the marriage to his daughter or otherwise.
@@AnonYmous-ry2jn Yeah, I too just get the ... STAY AWAY FROM WADE feeling. He's a powerful man who is shrewd, sure, and successful at business, but MAN is he condescending and full of himself! (Good thing it isn't a true story) 🤣
So, I think I know how you feel (I feel the same). I can't stand that type of character!
Love this movie!
It was a damn good film that l would watch again and again
Wade doesn’t respect Jerry because Jerry is a weasel and Wade can see it from a mile away.
Amazing explanation
she became suspicious when she met the asian guy because he lied about his past so this made marge think that lundergard was lying too so she went in the second time with an agenda
Well done!
The first scene I wanted to look at was not having commentary