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Raising Arizona (1987) More at IMDbPro »

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207 comments in total

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52 out of 75 people found the following comment useful :-
Okay, then..., 6 September 2000

Author: George Litman from Marietta, OH USA

This is one of those surreal experiences that make you wonder whether or not you laughed at what you saw or what you THOUGHT you had seen. Of course, being concocted by Joel and Ethan Coen makes it even more surreal.

As "repeat offender" H. I. McDonnough, Nicolas Cage creates yet another strange, offbeat character that gets under your skin for days after. After returning to the same prison time after time under the eye of Officer Ed (Holly Hunter), he goes straight and they get married, planning to have a big family. It is only then, he finds that Ed is a "barren, rocky place".

So, what's a couple to do?

This is where the "Arizona" of the title comes in, when they steal one of the quintuplets of the Arizona family. Naturally, the father (Wilson) goes all out to find the culprits, even enlisting the aid of a "tracker" (Cobb), who is kind of an existential bounty hunter with a good nose.

From this deceptively simple story line, the Coens create a dreamscape that is mesmerizing, serpentine, loaded with all matter of visual input, deft one-liners and characters that are so off-the-wall that it's hard to forget them and the situations they get into.

Coen Brother stalwart John Goodman plays yet another flaky loon - this time an escaped con - who, along with his little brother (Forsythe) complain that the prison "had no more to offer them".

Of course, the chases, fight scenes and getaway scenes are elaborate, well-choreographed and exciting, as well as funny. How could they not be? This whole movie is one huge snowball rolling down the side of a mountain, growing larger and rolling faster as it reaches the end of its trip.

But to try and explain this movie is an exercise in futility; you'd be better off explaining Kierkegaard to a room full of second-graders. You just have to see it yourself. If your sense of humor is a bit on the dry side and you love fancy camera work and Fellini-esque characters, it's your kind of movie.

Trust me.

Ten stars and a complimentary pack of Huggies for "Raising Arizona", the best Dadaist head trip film with kidnapped babies, exploding bunnies and Frances McDormand in the desert you'll ever find...that has a fight in a trailer.

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37 out of 60 people found the following comment useful :-
Absolutely brilliant! Possibly the Coens brothers funniest movie., 15 August 2003
Author: Infofreak from Perth, Australia

I always say that my favourite Coen brothers movie is the last one I watched. A slight exaggeration, but as they have had very few real misses in their career it's easy to forget just how great most of their movies are. For me 'Raising Arizona' ties with 'The Big Lebowski' as their single most entertaining movie, and Arizona is arguably the funnier of the two if you are looking at sheer belly laughs. This movie is the Coen's most cartoonish and shows that they learned a lot from their involvement in Sam Raimi's 'The Evil Dead' and 'Crimewave'. The movie is full of fun, clever touches and infectious energy. It just never lets up. Calling a movie "a roller coaster ride" is a cliche, but it's a perfect description for this. The opening pre-credit sequence has more packed into it than most movies do in their complete running time! Nicholas Cage has recently got sidetracked making dumb action movies but back in the 80s and early 90s he was one of the most interesting and adventurous leading men in Hollywood, making unusual movies like 'Birdy', this, 'Vampire's Kiss' and 'Wild At Heart'. 'Adaptation' is a step back in the right direction for him. I hope he continues in this vein instead of say, 'Con Air 2'. Cage is just terrific as H.I. and I haven't enjoyed Holly Hunter as much in any other movie. Together they make one of the best on screen couples in many a moon. The supporting cast are all fantastic, especially John Goodman and William Forsythe as H.I.'s prison buddies. The psycho biker played by "Tex" Cobb is a also a brilliant touch. There are so many memorable bits in 'Raising Arizona' I could be here all day pointing them out. Just see for yourself. There were lots of lousy movies made in the 1980s, the Spielberg/Lucas/Simpson/Bruckheimer/John Hughes decade that dumbed down mainstream movies forever, but there were also thankfully some wonderfully inspired ones like this, 'Blue Velvet', 'Brazil', 'RoboCop', 'Repo Man', 'Eating Raoul', 'Beetlejuice', and 'The King Of Comedy'.

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26 out of 39 people found the following comment useful :-
Hysterical, each time I see it, 24 April 2006

Author: ddmcc from United States

A lot of things come together to make this film highly enjoyable; acting, writing, music, pace, directing... It's over-the-top fun. It took me several viewings before it sunk in that the film's base story is about child kidnapping; which is an extraordinarily serious crime. But this film makes you enjoy every minute so it's easy to forget the seriousness of the base story.

While I'm not a fan of Nicholas Cage, I thought this was a perfect vehicle for him. Holly Hunter is always excellent, IMHO. Their attention to detail in crafting their characters was on point and thorough.

"Well alright then." :)

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21 out of 31 people found the following comment useful :-
Reminiscent of the humorous two-dimensional anarchy of Warner Bros. cartoons…, 11 December 2005

Author: ironside (robertfrangie@hotmail.com) from Mexico

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

For all the visual flair and deft performances on display in their films, the Coens' greatest virtue lies in writing… In terms of cheerful stories, witty dialog and the creation of a coherent, plausible fantasy world peopled by vivid characters, their ability to work original and entertaining variations on a genre indicates well for the future…

Opening with a brilliant pre-credits monologue, "Raising Arizona" tells of an incompetent, compulsive petty criminal's love for his prison warder: married but infertile, the couple kidnap a baby, whose tycoon father hires a crazed biker to find and kill the culprits… A surreal, slapstick satire, it takes intense pleasure in exciting plotting, showy and cheap colors, and hilarious screwball characters…

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15 out of 23 people found the following comment useful :-
One fantastic movie!, 30 April 2006

Author: Scott LeBrun from Winnipeg, Canada

H.I. "Hi" McDonnough (Nicolas Cage) is a repeat offender (his favorite thing to do is rob convenience stores) who falls in love with Edwina (Holly Hunter), the cop who always takes his mug shots. He swears off his criminal ways, proposes, and they spend some happy time together before they realize that they can't have a child of their own. Hearing that "unpainted furniture" kingpin Nathan Arizona, Sr. (Trey Wilson) has just become father to a set of quintuplets, they figure to take one of the children and raise it as their own. What the heck, he's got more kids than he can handle, right?

"Raising Arizona" is an endearing, loopy, sometimes wild and frenetic oddball movie with entertaining and likable characters. The chase scenes are absolutely breathtaking. Watch them for those incredible camera movements! The dialog is pretty funny at times, especially as spoken by this eclectic cast, also including John Goodman, William Forsythe, Sam McMurray, Frances McDormand, and Randall "Tex" Cobb as a repugnant motorcycle-riding bounty hunter. M. Emmet Walsh has an amusingly obnoxious cameo as a guy who won't shut up.

This does have a little bit of everything: comedy, drama (yes, this is also a movie with real heart, in spite of the film's generally offbeat approach), action, crime, and farce, all blended together to make a satisfying whole by film-making brothers Joel and Ethan Coen, a worthy follow-up to their memorable film noir tribute (and debut), "Blood Simple".

"Raising Arizona" is an enjoyable experience all the way through. Highly recommended.

Sadly, co-star Wilson only made a few more films before passing away in 1989. His rants are among the funniest comedy moments in the film.

10/10

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24 out of 41 people found the following comment useful :-
A Coen Classic, 31 July 2004
Author: (caspian1978@hotmail.com) from Attleboro, MA

The Coen Brothers first "masterpiece" black comedy was a 1987 surprise hit that raised the bar in the comedy genre. Future Academy Award winners Cage and Hunter star in what may be one of the most original stories ever to come out of Arizona. Goodman shows the world he can be funny as the misunderstood and somewhat crazy escaped convict. Cage and Hunter have so much love to give, they steal a baby from Mr. Arizona himself. A modern day (80's) fantasy that chooses an interesting setting to tell its tale. The hilarious innocence is non-stop as Raising Arizona showcases relationship, friendship, vanity, ignorance, and the search for peace and forgiveness. Who knows....maybe it was Utah?

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36 out of 66 people found the following comment useful :-
Perhaps the funniest film ever made, 30 July 2003

Author: Coventry from the Draconian Swamp of Unholy Souls

The Coen Brothers are genius !! That's not an opinion, that's a fact. I can appreciate and respect all kind of different opinions on all sort of matters, but not on this one. If anyone says the Coen brothers are bad, overrated or not funny, they are just plain wrong. Raising Arizona is the funniest story I've ever seen. It can go over the top as much as it wants and still it doesn't become bad. That's a great achievement only the Coen Brothers can do. Jim Carrey can't do it and neither can Mike Myers. At the same time, this story is emotional and warming. How often do you see a combination like that. Joel and Ethan Coen often use the same actors and actresses. And they're right cause those who play in their films belong to Hollywoods very best. John Goodman, Holly Hunter...and in this film Nicolas Cage !! Nic plays one of his best roles so far. Perhaps even THE best. Holly Hunter is great as always and this role fits her perfectly. I believe it was also written especially for her. No need to say John Goodman and William Forsythe give away flawless performances as well. Try also to pay attention to the rather small part played by Frances McDormand. Raising Arizona is about a criminal falling in love with a police woman. They wanna celebrate their love with a baby but they are unable to have one themselves. Than the news breaks! A rich couple in the area received quintets. 5 healthy young babies. Hi and Ed (our couple) think it's unfair and they decide to steal one of them so they could raise their own little family. Now, the few lines I've wrote appear already in the intro of the movie. I can hear you think : with what else are the going to fill the movie. Well, go and see. If you haven't seen this film yet it's a real shame. It's a must see for everyone!!! Some scenes are so hilarious you'll have trouble breathing, I assure you. This film doesn't need stupid faces or teenager sex jokes to be funny.

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13 out of 21 people found the following comment useful :-
pure lunacy, 14 October 1998
Author: Jeff (spoonjef@aol.com) from L.A. California

Pure lunacy is what Raising Arizona is. It's got everything you could ask for in a film; kidnapping, jailbreaks, Hell's Angels, explosions and guns, guns guns. Nic Cage is great in the role of a very befuddled conveniance store robber who falls in love with Holly Hunter's Ed. Throw in John Goodman and William Forsythe as a couple of car stealing, bank robbing brothers and you got yourself scenes that will make you giggle when you think back about them. The entire state of Arizona seems trigger happy in the Coen's eyes. Clerks, cops, and crooks pull out firearms and let loose like the finale of the 1812 Overture. Plus, where else can you hear really good yodeling?

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25 out of 45 people found the following comment useful :-
"They GOT more than they can handle!", 30 August 2005

Author: Billie from United States

"Raising Arizona" is one of what I consider to be the five instantly classic films by the team of Ethan and Joel Coen, the others being "Blood Simple", "Fargo", "Oh Brother Where Are Thou", and "The Big Lebowski".

But "Raising Arizona" is my personal favorite, and probably the most quotable films I have ever seen, with some of the best dialogue ever written for film.

The story in brief: H.I. (Nicholas Cage) and "Ed" (Holly Hunter, in one of my favorite roles of hers) portray, respectively, an ex-con and a cop who meet when he keeps getting arrested for robbing convenience stores. They fall in love, get married, decide that "there is just too much love" between them, and they need a "critter to share it with". Upon finding that "Edwina's insides were a rocky place" where H.I.'s "seed could find no purchase", they try to adopt, but are turned down because of H.I.'s record. Then they read in the newspaper about local unpainted furniture storeowner Nathan Arizona (Trey Wilson), owner of "Unpainted Arizona", and his wife having quintuplets as a result of fertility pills, and who joke that "They got more than they can handle". The couple hatch a plan to take one of the babies and raise it as their own.

What results is an ongoing, fast-paced, hilarious set of misadventures, complicated by the appearance of a ruthless, heartless outlaw named Leonard Smalls (Randall "Tex" Cobb) Nathan Arizona hires to find the missing baby, and two felon friends from H.I.'s past (John Goodman and William Forsythe), who make a childbirth-like escape from prison. Sam McMurray (the smarmy dad in "Drop Dead Gorgeous") is H.I.'s....smarmy boss, Glen. Frances McDormand (real-life spouse of Joel Coen, and star of other Coen films such as "Blood Simple" and "Fargo") is his excitable wife Dot. M. Emmet Walsh ("Blood Simple") has a scenery-chewing cameo role as H.I.'s talkative co-worker.

When Ed finally opens up her 5'2" can of Southern-fried whup-ass, throwing her badge to the dirt, striding towards Leonard Smalls as she bellows with all her might, "Gimme back that baby, you warthog from HELL!!!" I always fling my arms up and shout "You go girl! Kick his ass!"

And the way Hunter cries is hilarious.

Holly Hunter was great in this role, as one would expect. She's a very talented actress, in both serious and comedic roles.

Nicholas Cage and Holly Hunter made a great on screen couple, Cage with his hair standing out in every direction, looking like a hapless, browbeaten puppy half of the time, and Hunter as his diminutive firecracker of a wife who loves him and tries to keep him honest (oh yeah except for that little kidnapping excursion).

I could go on and on about this film but suffice to say that so far I haven't met anyone who didn't find "Raising Arizona" hilarious. And as any great Coen brothers film, it has a certain mythic quality that's hard to describe, but is present all of of the brothers' best efforts. When I was single, I often used Coen brothers films as a barometer of sorts for prospective boyfriends. For instance, I remember seeing "Fargo" on a first date, and when we came out of the theater, the guy (whose name I have since forgotten anyway) remarked "Huh, I didn't think much of that", while I was thinking how blown away I was by the film! I immediately thought to myself "So much for him! This relationship won't last long."

For more great Coen comedy, check out "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" (2000), which is loosely based on Homer's epic poem "The Odyssey". Another great Coen comedy is "The Big Lebowski" (1998), which also includes my favorite singer/songwriter Aimee Mann in a brief cameo, and boasts a cult following that has resulted in an annual "Lebowskifest" for fans of the film.

"Blood Simple" (1984) is probably my favorite film noir modern-day classic tale of lust and betrayal, and is my personal second-favorite Coen brothers film. "Fargo" (1996), which won the Screen writing Oscar, and an Oscar for Frances McDormand, is another must-see Coen classic.

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5 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Cohen brothers comedy of great entertainment and fun, 15 July 2005

Author: ma-cortes

The picture concerns about a ex con(Nicolas Cage) who falls in love with a policewoman (Holly Hunter)which makes his picture each time he goes to prison.Both want sons but cannot have any. Then they decide to abduct one at a couple with five children.Meanwhile a ex convicts friends pair(John Goodman and William Forshyte) meddle themselves in their marriage life.Besides a bounty hunter(Randall Tex Cobb)called the lone biker of apocalypse sets off in pursuit of the protagonists for the obtaining the reward offered by the child's dad. The film blends irony,humor,tongue in check,chase scenes,slapstick and is very amused and entertained. It's a splendid comedy with set pieces cartoon where the action and humor is continued since the presentation until the finishing. Enthusiastic performances by the two stars,Nicolas Cage is perfectly cast and Holly Hunter is sympathetic and attractive.The movie has its moments here and there and is pretty enjoyable and bemused. Breathtaking cinematography is by Barry Sonnenfeld who makes a great camera work,after became in a famed director with many smash hits(Men in black).Excellent music is by Carter Burwell(Rob Roy),he's habitual musician of Cohen brothers films. Rating:High recommendation.Above average.Well worth watching.

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