Flashback: My #1 Film (1996)

Of the films I've selected as the year's best Fargo probably wouldn't rank among the top tier but it is one of the most important in that it shaped and influenced my view of film like no other. When I first saw it I felt as if I was being taken to school because I learned so much about movies from it. At that point I had never seen Raising Arizona or Barton Fink and had no idea who these Coen Brothers were. But I knew I had never seen anything like this.

I remember watching an episode of Siskel & Ebert where they both agreed Fargo was the best film of the year with no other movie standing a chance in topping it. And it was only March. Their passion convinced me to seek it out and like so many of these titles it took me a few viewings to completely warm up to it. Once I did there was no turning back. Dark comedy is mixed seamlessly with crime drama as the acting, cinematography and music (how was Burwell's score not nominated?) combined to create an unforgettable experience that's only enhanced with each watch.

Frances McDormand justifiably won the Best Actress Oscar and her police chief Marge Gunderson is one of our greatest, most likable film heroes because she's just like us. Only a little smarter. Her speech in the squad car at the end is so profound in its simplicity, making you wonder why all movie characters can't be written as sharply and have such a firm grasp on reality. Brilliant.

Other Contenders: The English Patient, Jerry Maguire