THIS IS A TRUE STORY. The events depicted in this film took place in Minnesota in 1987. At the request of the survivors, the names have been changed. Out of respect for the dead, the rest has been told exactly as it occurred. The preface of Joel and Ethan Coen’s 1996 dark comedy film, Fargo, is perhaps one of the most discussed in recent cinema history. Claiming itself to be based exactly on factual events, the authenticity of these opening lines has long been debunked as simply a device to set the tone. No big deal. Screenwriters have been bending the…