1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- Raising Arizona

#786- Raising Arizona (1987)
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter, John Goodman
Directed by: Joel Coen


Plot Summary: Herbert I. McDunnough is a criminal that falls in love with a policewoman named Edwina, or Ed for short, and the two get married with the intention of starting a family of their own. After finding out that Ed is barren, they hatch a plan to steal one of the "Arizona Quints," quintuplets born from the famous furniture store owner Nathan Arizona. H.I. and Ed break in and steal one of Nathan's sons, Nathan Jr., and begin to raise him as their own son. When some of H.I.'s friends from prison break out and stay with them, they decide to let H.I. in on a plan to rob a bank. Conflicted with his new family life, H.I. must make a difficult decision on whether or not he should return to his criminal ways. Problems arise for H.I. and Ed when H.I.'s friends realize who Nathan Jr. really is and they steal him for a ransom. And an even bigger problem is on its way in the form of a massive, motorcycle riding bounty hunter named Leonard Smalls.


For over a year, I have tried covering months of different movie genres, but I have never attempted to look at different genres of movies that are made by the same filmmakers. To experiment with this, there are tons of directors you could go with, like Steven Spielberg, Stanley Kubrick, or Quentin Tarantino, but I decided to go with Joel and Ethan Coen, two brother that have been entertaining moviegoers for over two decades now. One of my first reviews on here was for arguably their greatest film, No Country for Old Men, but I was more or less looking at it based on how I felt in comparison to the book. Now, I have an opportunity to look at 6 of their greatest films and see what aspects of their direction and writing appear in each film. To start off Coen Brothers month, let's look at one of their earliest successes: Raising Arizona. I had heard the general plot before about how a couple played by Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter steal a baby, but that's all I knew. Already I'm promised pure joy by watching a Nicolas Cage film, but then add the fact that John Goodman, one of my favorite comedic character actors (and from what I can see, a frequent actor in the Coen Brothers films), is in this film too and I was sold on watching it.

The two main characters in Raising Arizona are Herbert I. "H.I." and Edwina "Ed" McDunnough, played by Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter. Already, thanks to their names, these two are memorable characters. The Audience can remember their names because it's a man named "Hi" and a woman named "Ed," names that are not exactly considered conventional. You're able to see the love these two have for each other, even when they're squabbling. Love and marriage is no picnic and H.I. and Ed prove that. I think what's great about these two is that they don't have cruel intentions in mind when they steal Nathan Jr., and while they are committing a felony, they (for the longest time) are guilt free because they felt they were doing the right thing. An acting performance from Nicolas Cage is a highlight in any film he's in and watching him as H.I. is no exception. Just look at that hair and hear how he speaks, you're sure to be entertained throughout the whole movie.

Two side characters that steal the scenes from H.I. and Ed are Gale and Evelle Snoats, played by John Goodman and William Forsythe. While Evelle has a few good one-liners and is the more innocent of the duo, it's Goodman's portrayal of Gale that makes the biggest impression. Gale is a bit of a numbskull by trade, but also walks and speaks with a sense of business savvy, so even if he has a plan, it's still being devised by a pair of idiot brothers. Their greatest moment in the film is their escape from prison that for some reason requires both of them to be screaming the entire time. There's something so hysterical about how these two should NOT be successful at busting out of jail because of how much noise they're making and the fact that they are never caught and keep low key for most of the film that makes it even more funny.

One of the film's most memorable characters is the bounty hunter Leonard Smalls, played by Randall "Tex" Cobb. Cobb gives Leonard a surprisingly extensive vocabulary and diction, not something you would expect from a man Leonard's size. Add just how stereotypically BA (you know what that means) he is, and you have quite the intimidating force. His motorcycle riding is beyond ridiculous, following characters up ladders and through buildings, and a good chunk of the films pyrotechnics are used through the amount of force and power that a man like Leonard exudes. Not much is known about Leonard (except his friends call him Lenny, but he has no friends), and it's the mystery mixed with his intensity that makes him really stand out amongst the already great cast of characters.

Despite little experience with the Coen Brothers, I do know that a good chunk of their comedies are considered "dark comedies." Raising Arizona goes all out in delivering slapstick and punchlines that are comedy in its purest form and is anything but subtle. A lot of the comedy is within each of the characters (as I cited some of their best scenes above), but the best scene happens in the middle of the film, when H.I. regresses and robs a convenience store while buying some Huggies. Naturally, Ed sees this, gets upset and drives away. What ensues is a marvelously hilarious chase scene involving guns, car chases, dogs, a supermarket, and Nicolas Cage running around with a "panty" on his head. It's through the bizarre and over the top delivery that creates a fantastical element of comedy that allows the comedy in Raising Arizona to stand out amongst the Coen Brothers usual brand of dark comedy.


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Since I'm not all too familiar with the Coen Brothers, I think Raising Arizona served as a great starting point. The directors have certainly had more ambitious projects over time (which I am sure to find out throughout the month), but this film shows that simplicity can be rather splendid for the viewer. If you're in the mood for a good laugh, I strongly suggest adding this to your collection.

Raising Arizona and movie images are copyrighted by 20th Century Fox