Fargo is a film about a kidnapping plot that goes very very wrong.

Jerry Lundegaard is a car salesman who has sunk deep into debt and has a simple plan to get out : hire two criminals to kidnap his wife, and then keep part of the large ransom his employer and father-in-law will pay to get his daughter back.

But nothing goes according to plan as the antagonists are continually thwarted at every turn. One of the highlights of the film is how the bad guys are NOT criminal masterminds.

Hot on their trail is the very pregnant and perpetually chipper police chief Marge Gunderson, who gets involved after "some malfeasance" (her exact words) turns up next to a Brainerd, MN highway.

Everything in this film is delightful: William H. Macy and Frances McDormand shine as Jerry and Marge but the entire cast is stellar. The cinematography perfectly captures the snowy terrain. The dialog and family relationships are expertly crafted.

Siskel and Ebert praised this film and noted that there is not one frame too many - everything has a purpose, there is no waste.