What Is the ‘Fargo’ Easter Egg in ‘Little Miss Sunshine’?

Did you know that aBryan Cranstoncharacter from an Oscar-winning movie also appeared inFargo? That’s not to say Bryan Cranston himself appeared inFargo, but a character of his certainly did, 10 whole years before Cranston even played the role. The role in question is a double-crossing businessman named Stan Grossman, who ignores the feelings and desperation of his films' respective protagonists to better focus on his business ambitions. Stan Grossman was played byLarry BrandenburginFargoand then later by Cranston in 2006’sLittle Miss Sunshine. Understandably confusing, given their unconnected universes, but here’s how it all happened…

Minnesota car salesman Jerry Lundegaard’s inept crime falls apart due to his and his henchmen’s bungling and the persistent police work of the quite pregnant Marge Gunderson.

The Coen Brothers Created Stan Grossman for ‘Fargo’

The 1996 movieFargofollowsWilliam H. Macy’s Jerry Lundergaard, a man so desperate for cash that he hires two goons to kidnap his wife, so they can split Jerry’s father-in-law’s ransom money three ways. Things go south, however, when Jerry’s father-in-law Wade Gustafson (Harve Presnell) opts to hunt the culprits rather than pay. Wade is assisted by his right-hand man Stan Grossman, played by Brandenburg. Grossman serves as a comparative figure to Jerry, a son-in-law Wade would have preferred.Little Miss SunshinestarsGreg Kinnearas Richard, a man set on making his motivational speaking interests into a career but failing to get it off the ground. Cranston appears as Stan Grossman, Richard’s agent who strings him along and avoids his calls until he is eventually confronted as the double-crosser that he is. A double-crosser named Stan Grossman? Could it be the very same person? This isn’t a coincidence by any means.

‘Little Miss Sunshine’ Used “Stan Grossman” as Shorthand for “Jerk”

According toen-academic.com,Little Miss SunshinescreenwriterMichael Arndttold Time Out Mumbai that, “woven into the plot is a tribute toFargo, the superb 1996 comedy by theCoen Brothers. Richard’s potential entry into the publishing world is through a man named Stan Grossman, also the name of a recovery agent inFargo. I just assumed that people knew it was a tribute toFargo, but people didn’t realize until we started shooting.” Due to the popularity ofFargo, Arndt recognized that, to countless fans, the name Stan Grossman subconsciously carried baggage as a man who embodies everything our protagonist wished he could be. It also foreshadowed that this would be the man who would eventually trigger the protagonist’s downfall. Arndt utilized this in his characterization and created a character archetype so infuriating to our antiheroes that it transcends cinematic worlds. Both men are cruelly oblivious to the issues their dismissals cause their respective protagonists. While Stan Grossman is the reason for both protagonists' failed plans, he is free from the burden of the repercussions, free to ruin another day.

The Stan Grossman Archetype Has Been Utilized in the Fargo Franchise Too

The Stan Grossman archetype has since gone on to appear in countless incarnations throughout theFargotelevision series. The show, created byNoah Hawley, follows similar but original stories that take place in the same corner of the US as the original movie. It often uses character types similar to those from the film to recreate the tone of the original, and Stan Grossman is a vital cog in that machine. The most recent season featuresDave Foleyas Danish Graves, the Stan Grossman toJennifer Jason Leigh’s Lorraine Lyon. The third season also had its own version of the Jerry-Stan relationship when Ray Stussy (Ewan McGregor) becomes jealous of his twin brother’s best friend and right-hand man Sy Feltz (played by Cranston’sYour Honorco-starMichael Stuhlbarg).

Noah Hawleydiscussed his use of Coen Brothers references in theFargoseries, explaining that when you recognize these Easter Eggs and references, “subconsciously you’re expecting what happens in the movie, and part of you wants that to happen because it was so satisfying in the movie. So when you do something different it creates a tension — the opposite happens and that’s surprising.” This is, in essence, what Michael Arndt was also doing by using the name Stan Grossman inLittle Miss Sunshine. It brings a poetic quality to the similarities between the stories and uses the audience’s subconscious baggage to the film’s advantage.