- Fargo is a critically acclaimed dark comedy from 1996, written and directed by The Coen Brothers. It stars Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, and Steve Buscemi. Taking place in the Midwest circa 1987, the plot concerns Jerry Lundegaard (Macy), a bankrupt car salesman who stages the kidnapping of his wife in order to cheat the ransom out of her wealthy father. But then things go wrong. McDormand won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as pregnant police officer Marge Gunderson.