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Raising Arizona
1987
A childless couple unable to adopt decide that a couple who just had quintuplets won't mind if they steal one of the babies. Thus begins the Coen brothers' madcap romp RAISING ARIZONA. Holly Hunter stars as Ed, a cop who is devastated when she learns that she cannot get pregnant. Nicolas Cage is her husband, H.I., an ex-con who .. Read more
| Starring | Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter, William Forsythe, John Goodman |
|---|---|
| Director | Joel Coen |
| Genres | Comedy |
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Raising Arizona
A childless couple unable to adopt decide that a couple who just had quintuplets won't mind if they steal one of the babies. Thus begins the Coen brothers' madcap romp RAISING ARIZONA. Holly Hunter stars as Ed, a cop who is devastated when she learns that she cannot get pregnant. Nicolas Cage is her husband, H.I., an ex-con who wants nothing more than to make his wife the happiest woman in the world. So if she wants a baby, she's going to have a baby, one way or another.
Heading up the supporting cast of bizarre characters are John Goodman and William Forsythe as crazy cousins who have just busted out of prison, Sam McMurray and Frances McDormand as Ed and H.I.'s swinging friends, and Randall "Tex" Cobb as a motorcycle madman hired to rescue the baby. RAISING ARIZONA is the Coen brothers' most consistently funny film. Carter Burwell's score, replete with infectious yodeling, is relentless, Barry Sonnenfeld's cinematography is beautifully wacky, and the manic dialogue is the brothers' most quotable. The film is a treat for the ears and the eyes, a one-of-a-kind sensation from a marvelous pair of filmmakers.
| Starring | Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter, William Forsythe, John Goodman, Frances McDormand, Trey Wilson, Sam McMurray, Randall 'Tex' Cobb, M. Emmet Walsh |
|---|---|
| Director | Joel Coen |
| Studio | 20TH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 30 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Comedy |
| Language | English |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Subtitles | Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish |
| Released | DVD: 13 Oct 2003 Production year: 1987 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (5)
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A delirious mix of slapstick, surrealism and sentimentality, this film by Joel and Ethan Coen — of Fargo fame — remains their warmest, most complete work next to that Oscar-winning triumph. Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter are the couple who decide to kidnap one of a set of famous Arizona quintuplets when they discover they can't have children, only to find themselves pursued by the lone biker of the apocalypse. Cage and Hunter (in her breakthrough role) are superb, and there are winning supporting performances from John Goodman and William Forsythe as two cons on the run. However, in the end it is the dazzling invention of the Coen brothers that shines through. From the audacious pre-credits sequence the pace never slackens for a second and, prior to the technical wizardry of Jim Carrey's The Mask, this is probably the closest anyone will ever get to a live-action Tex Avery cartoon.
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The superbly labyrinthine plotting of Blood Simple must have been a hard act to follow; praise be, then, to the... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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15 out of 17 people found this review helpful
More than meets the eye
This movie is much more than an outrageous and unique comedy. One reason for its cult following has been consistently missed by the critics: repeated viewings reveal surprising layers of meaning and an intricate web of symbolism.
At the heart of this film is the timeless debate known as 'nature vs. nurture': are we more a product of our genes, or of our environment? How much of an effect does our upbringing have on our likelihood to turn out as either a law-abiding member of society (a society which in this movie is of dubious merit, as represented by Hi's job and his unctuous boss) or as a criminal deviant from its norms?
The symbolism in this film is rich and evocative--while always contributing to the comedy. Note how often the adult characters cry and carry on like infants. Note the way the escaped convicts are 'born' into the outside world. Note the marriage of a convict and a police officer, and the difference in their families visible in the brief wedding shot. Note the juxtaposition of milk poured over cereal with the infant's feeding bottle, as Evelle observes, 'Ya don't breast feed him, he'll hate you for it later. That's why we wound up in prison.' And note the frequent use of phrases such as 'that's natural,' as opposed to 'you're not being true to your nature' or 'mother didn't love me.' As Hi observes, 'maybe it's my upbringing, maybe it's just that my genes got screwed up, I don't know.'
The quasi-biblical, poetical and aphorism-laden language the characters use in the-state-adjacent-to-Utah is both touching and funny. Every word of the film is a finely polished gem. Ed's little plan is 'the solution to all our problems, and the answer to all our prayers.' Her infertile womb is a 'rocky place where my seed can find no purchase.' And as Hi later writes in a touching letter to his dearest Edwina, 'I feel the thunder gathering even now...I cannot tarry...better I should go, send you money, and let you curse my name.' On the other hand, the crotchety Arizona characters also have a remarkable literalness of expression. A packet of balloons does not blow up into funny shapes, not 'unless round is funny.' And as the old codger in the bank robbery points out, 'If I freeze, I can't rightly drop, and if I drop, I'm gonna be in motion!'
Even the music in this film is perfectly executed, from the hilarious yodeling and whistling of the main theme to the way the chilling accompaniment of a nightmare is later revealed to be a haunting children's nursery song, and then mutates into an ethereal melody in the film's final scenes. The characters, despite their flaws, are all surprisingly sympathetic. And the film is tightly constructed, without a single unnecessary scene or moment. It ends with a bang, not a whimper, its final words resonating with significance and yet leaving one wanting more, like a swift exit after a great punch line.
At the deepest core of this film lies a mystery wrapped in an enigma: who is the once-orphaned 'motorcycle demon from hell,' and what is his relation to Herbert I. McDonnough? The answer to this puzzle relates intimately to the 'nature vs. nurture' theme. While I think I know the answer, I'll leave it for you to figure out, based on the clues ('show the tattoo!') liberally scattered throughout the film. 'Okay then!' -
Most recent members' review
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Downbeat humour but warmhearted with it.
It?s fair to say that the Coen brothers seem pretty much incapable of making a poor film. ?Raising Arizona?, ripe with their instinctively urbane style, is no exception. It?s an eminently watchable movie, short and sweet and very likeable.
As you?d expect, it?s warm-hearted without being cloying or schmaltzy or twee. The bitter-sweet strands that made later works ?Fargo? and ?The Big Lebowski? so richly rewarding are not so much in force here but the brothers? sideways take on life?s inequities is very much evident. -
News and features
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Knowing Nicolas Cage
- 23 Mar 2009
Put your questions to Nicolas Cage. You know Nicolas Cage, the Oscar-winning star of Leaving Las Vegas, Adaptation, Raising Arizona and the hugely successful National Treasure franchise, to name just a few. But how well do you know him? Nic's new movie Knowing is released in cinemas this Friday, 27th March, so of course we'll be catching up with him during the week to bring you all you need to know about Knowing. However, we'd also like you to submit your questions for the actor. Ever wanted... Read more
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