Raising Arizona (1987)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Reid V

  
  Probably one of the best opening scenes ever put to celluloid. It is quirky, lovable, a fascinating study of the nature vs. nurture debate, and a clear indication that in the coming years the Coens would be a force to be reckoned with.

• xGary X

  
  A childless ex con and his wife abduct the baby of a local celebrity but things become complicated when his escaped prison buddies show up on their doorstep with a demonic bounty hunter on their tail. Raising Arizona is the closest the Coen brothers have come to straight comedy and it… More
  A childless ex con and his wife abduct the baby of a local celebrity but things become complicated when his escaped prison buddies show up on their doorstep with a demonic bounty hunter on their tail. Raising Arizona is the closest the Coen brothers have come to straight comedy and it has a lot of very funny moments, largely provided by the excellent supporting cast in the form of John Goodman's career criminal, Trey Wilson as the amusingly earthy Nathan Arizona and Sam MacMurray's hilariously awful family. It all seems a little slight compared to the more mature, sophisticated work the Coens have been responsible for since but there are plenty of laughs (the entire format of TV sitcom My Name Is Earl was pilfered from here) and it stands up as a fun offbeat comedy that makes great use of Nicolas Cage's talent for redneck comedy.

• KJ P

  
  This may not be a Coen Brothers masterpiece, but Raising Arizona definitely has more heart that a movie would normally be able to handle. From a dumb criminal to a paroled life changer, H.I. (Nicholas Cage) is out of prison as he is able to convince a police woman that he has changed.… More
  This may not be a Coen Brothers masterpiece, but Raising Arizona definitely has more heart that a movie would normally be able to handle. From a dumb criminal to a paroled life changer, H.I. (Nicholas Cage) is out of prison as he is able to convince a police woman that he has changed. They fall in love and hope to start a family, but things don't always work out the way they are planned. They cannot have a child of their own so they decide to steal one from a wealthy family who has recently had quintuplets. Most of the time, I feel bad for the family that the baby is stolen from which only makes it that much more awkward to laugh at as the criminals are on the loose. Nevertheless, it is wonderfully written, witty, and one hell of a fun ride. It may be hard to to watch at times, due to it's odd feeling, but Raising Arizona is undeniably great!

• Martin S

  
  It's a little wierd. But it's also a little funny. There was one scene that was really great...and the otheres are pretty okay. Nicolas Cage is pretty much pre-ass era...so he's allright. I totaly misunderstood the plot when I read it and thought it sounded like a fun… More
  It's a little wierd. But it's also a little funny. There was one scene that was really great...and the otheres are pretty okay. Nicolas Cage is pretty much pre-ass era...so he's allright. I totaly misunderstood the plot when I read it and thought it sounded like a fun movie. They should have made it like I read it.

• Steven C

  
  "Raising Arizona" is a Coen Brothers comedy. Therefore it's only goal is to show stupid people acting crazy. What makes this better than some of their other lighter films is the energy of the film. This is a great screwball comedy for the simple fact that it has a wacko… More
  "Raising Arizona" is a Coen Brothers comedy. Therefore it's only goal is to show stupid people acting crazy. What makes this better than some of their other lighter films is the energy of the film. This is a great screwball comedy for the simple fact that it has a wacko plot, wacko performances (Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter, John Goodman, Frances McDormand) and that ever moving camera. It's silly, it's fun and pretty darn crazy. (Something "Burn After Reading" can't say, that's for sure).

• Unknown H

  
  Old school classic black comedy at a reasonable level, you cannot deny that Raising Arizona isn't original.

• Jeff "

  
  Raising Arizona was one of the first Coen Brothers films that I saw along with Fargo. The film was recommended to me by my dad, and he told me it was one of the most bizarre comedies he's seen. He was right. Raising Arizona introduced me further to the Coens eccentric brand of… More
  Raising Arizona was one of the first Coen Brothers films that I saw along with Fargo. The film was recommended to me by my dad, and he told me it was one of the most bizarre comedies he's seen. He was right. Raising Arizona introduced me further to the Coens eccentric brand of humour. Not only that, but it gave me a taste for their wacky characters that tend to grace all their films. Raising Arizona is a hilarious film from start to finish. Right from it's yodeling opening credits to its finish, Raising Arizona is one of the most interesting, and original comedies in the genre. This is an overlooked film by the Coen Brother, and I don't understand why. The story, acting and pacing are all terrific. The film is flawless. It brings big laughs and its ridiculous story is something truly special. Also Raising Arizona is one of Nicholas Cage best films, after a certain period of time he would make more bad films than good. However in Raising Arizona, he really shines and gives one awesome performance. Raising Arizona is one of the finest earliest efforts from the Coen Brothers, and it made me have a biiger interest in their work. This is an overlooked film, that shouldn't be. Raising Arizona is a classic comedy with plenty of laughs and definitely some memorable moments. Every Coen Brothers fan should seek this one out for sure. A classic, and it shows their skills as great filmmakers.

• Thomas B

  
  Hilarious and scatterbrained but not my favourite Coen so far. Full review later.

• Kase V

  
  A fun performance from Cage and a fun film in all. If only it weren't so damn annoying at times. I don't know why. Coen Brothers display their comedy touch, but not to the greatest effects. Fun, but forgettable.

• Brad W

  
  Coens are film heroes

• Jason C

  
  Very original movie, and 20 years later there's still nothing like it. Entertaining movie, even if it's not as funny as I remembered it. Gale and Glen still steal the show for me.

• AJ V

  
  I love this movie, it's my favourite Coen brothers film. The cast is perfect, it has a great combination of comedy and adventure, and the story is fantastic. I highly recommend it.

• Lewis C

  
  "If I'm as bad as you, what good are we? What good are we to each other? You and me's just a fool's paradise." I do enjoy it when the Coens get quirky. Raising Arizona isnt quite the homespun quirkiness of Fargo (which I loved), the paranoia-fueled… More
  "If I'm as bad as you, what good are we? What good are we to each other? You and me's just a fool's paradise." I do enjoy it when the Coens get quirky. Raising Arizona isnt quite the homespun quirkiness of Fargo (which I loved), the paranoia-fueled quirkiness of Burn After Reading (which I loved), the southern-fried quirkiness of 'O Brother Where Art Thou, or the combination of bowling and WTF-level awesomeness and quirkiness that was The Big Lebowski. But, it has more than enough of it's own unique brand of quirkiness to spare, and it's a pretty funny movie as a result. I'll admit that I'm not much of a Nick Cage fan, but in movies like this and Kick-Ass where he gets to be over-the-top and zany, I think it works. He and Holly Hunter are the stars of the movie, and there desire to have a child and their (mis)adventures when they get one, kept me interested the entire time. And they're balanced quite well by the supporting roles of John Goodman, Sam McMurray, Trey Wilson, and William Forsythe. Raising Arizona is unique in a way that Coen fans have come to expect, and while I don't put it the top of their work, I find it difficult to believe that many Coen fans will be disappointed by it. Check it out.

• Dan S

  
  A hilarious comedy featuring two great performances from Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter as a white trash couple who canâ??t conceive, and as a result elect to steal a baby from the mayor of Arizona after his wife has quintuplets. Cage really brings a lot to his character, and what… More
  A hilarious comedy featuring two great performances from Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter as a white trash couple who canâ??t conceive, and as a result elect to steal a baby from the mayor of Arizona after his wife has quintuplets. Cage really brings a lot to his character, and what entails after the kidnapping of the couple's "child" is one of the more hilarious chase scenes in film. This movie is not as good as the darkly comical Fargo, but it's up there, the Coens are masters of film-making, whatever the genre. This is one of the funniest films Iâ??ve seen in my lifetime, and it never grows tiring with each viewing.

• James A

  
  The scene with John Goodman and William Forsythe emerging from the ground is still one of my favorite scenes in movie history.

• Conner R

  
  There's really nothing bad you can say about it, this is about as flawless as comedies get. Combined with a unique story, characters and vision; there are very few comedies that hold such legitimate weight. Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter are so perfect together, making all of the… More
  There's really nothing bad you can say about it, this is about as flawless as comedies get. Combined with a unique story, characters and vision; there are very few comedies that hold such legitimate weight. Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter are so perfect together, making all of the humor come incredibly natural and fun. Trailer Trash rarely ever gets as much respect or effort put into it, Joel Coen should be praised for making them look as good as they do. Even though it wasn't necessary, this has a great visual style and makes it more than just a typical romantic comedy.

• Mark W

  
  This was only the Coen brothers' second film after their dark debut "Blood Simple", and it couldn't be further from that style. Here they have crafted a wickedly wacky and hilarious comedy proving that their talents are comfortable in any genre. H.I. McDunnough… More
  This was only the Coen brothers' second film after their dark debut "Blood Simple", and it couldn't be further from that style. Here they have crafted a wickedly wacky and hilarious comedy proving that their talents are comfortable in any genre. H.I. McDunnough (Nicolas Cage) is a repeat offender for petty theft and can't quite keep out prison. It's in the slammer though, that he meets his sweetheart Ed (Holly Hunter) the police photographer and not before long the unlikely pair are hitched, on the straight and narrow and ready to start a family. Problem is, Ed finds out she's infertile and deeply longs for a baby. It's just happens around this time that local and well-known furniture salesman Nathan Arizona's wife has just given birth to quintipulets. H.I. & Ed decide that having four babies is more than anyone can handle and decide to kidnap one for themselves. It's here that all sorts of problems begin for H.I. & Ed as they try to keep their new family together with escape convict friends paying a visit and a rogue bounty-hunter biker on their trail. The first and still one of the best of The Coen Bros' comedies. Filmed with a surprising kinetic energy and full of their usual array of outlandish and zany characters. Nic Cage has rarely been better, he is absolutely brilliant as the hen-pecked buffoonish human form of Woody the Woodpecker. What a joy it would be to see Cage reprise these type of roles and what a joy it is to watch such a sharp and exciting comedy from quite possibly the most consistant filmmakers around today. Excellent entertainment and shows how a good comedy should be made.

• Jens S

  
  Like most films from the 80s, this early Coen Brothers comedy may not have aged well in some regards but is still hilarious to watch. That's mostly thanks to the funny performances (it's hard to find today's Nic Cage in him here), the quirky characters played by the… More
  Like most films from the 80s, this early Coen Brothers comedy may not have aged well in some regards but is still hilarious to watch. That's mostly thanks to the funny performances (it's hard to find today's Nic Cage in him here), the quirky characters played by the Coen's usual suspects (Goodman, McDormand) and the wonderfully odd camera work and soundtrack. The most pleasant surprise is how heart-warming the film is underneath its loud, wacky surface, especially the last scene is maybe the most touching the Coens ever delivered. Highlight of the film would have to be the diaper chase, which is nothing less than one of the funniest sequences ever put on film. A movie like the white trash neighbors you love for their kind heart, despite of their ugly look. The Coens wrote two comedies for eternity: Big Lebowski and this one.

• Michael G

  
  Raising Arizona, the Coen brothers' second and one of their most definitive movies is also one of their most fun. After not seeing it for many years, Raising Arizona still holds up for the most part (the music's horribly dated--sorry Carter Burwell) but definitely shows its… More
  Raising Arizona, the Coen brothers' second and one of their most definitive movies is also one of their most fun. After not seeing it for many years, Raising Arizona still holds up for the most part (the music's horribly dated--sorry Carter Burwell) but definitely shows its age at a few points. As well as Barry Sonnenfeld did with the cinematography I still would love to see what Roger Deakins would've done with Raising Arizona. The cast is superb (this is one of like 5 movies I can stand Nicolas Cage in) and the dialogue is as colorful as it is hysterical.

• Tim S

  
  Love me some Coen Bros. :D

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