fargo

[seal!]

why did they say it was based on a true story, did they just think it would be funny, or what?

[Clanad]

The movie was loosley based on four seperate incidents and made into the conglomeration.  Although named Fargo, which is a city in the state of North Dakota, all the incidents took place in neighboring Minnesota. The producers, the Coen brothers are known for their black humor...

[magicdice]

seeing at the start that it's a "true story" changed my attitude towards a lot of the happenings

and also it proves the point that this is fiction, you can say what you like and it doesn't have to be true

[5029]

The Coen brothers just thought it would be funny to add this on to the start of the film.  It is not based on a true story

 

http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0116282/trivia