Raising Arizona (1987)
TOMATOMETER
AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: A terrifically original, eccentric screwball comedy, Raising Arizona may not be the Coens' most disciplined movie, but it's one of their most purely entertaining.
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Cast
as H.I. McDonnough
as Ed
as Nathan Sr.
as Gale
as Evelle
as Nathan Jr.
as Glen
as Florence Arizona
as Dot
as Florence Arizona
as Prison Counsellor
as Payroll Cashier
as Smalls
as Younger FBI Agent
as Ear-Bending Cellmate
as Nice Old Grocery Man
as Parole Board Chairman
as Parole Board Member
as Parole Board Member
as Hayseed in PickUp
as Whitey
as Minister
as `Trapped' Convict
as Policemen in Arizona House
as Policemen in Arizona House
as Feisty Hayseed
as Fingerprint Technician
as Policeman in Arizona House
as Reporter
as Reporter
as Unpainted Secretary
as Newscaster
as Payroll Cashier
as Scamp with Squirt Gun
as Adoption Agent
as Gynecologist
as Mopping Convict
as Supermarket Manager
as Varsity Nathan Jr.
as Machine Shop Ear-bender
as Glen and Dot's Kid
as Glen and Dot's Kid
as Glen and Dot's Kid
as Glen and Dot's Kid
as Glen and Dot's Kid
as Glen and Dot's Kid
as Arizona Quint
as Arizona Quint
as Arizona Quint
as Arizona Quint
as Arizona Quint
as Arizona Quint
as Arizona Quint
as Arizona Quint
as Arizona Quint
as Arizona Quint
as Arizona Quint
as Arizona Quint
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Critic Reviews for Raising Arizona
All Critics (52) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (47) | Rotten (5) | DVD (3)
Raising Arizona is no big deal, but it has a rambunctious charm.
To their old fascination with Sunbelt pathology, to their side-winding Steadicam and pristine command of screen space, the Coens have added a robust humor, a plot that keeps outwitting expectations and a...dollop of sympathy for their forlorn kidnapers.
The cartoon vision of southwestern tackiness doesn't cut very deep, but the mise-en-scene is packed with clever clutter.
While film is filled with many splendid touches and plenty of yocks, it often doesn't hold together as a coherent story.
Starting from a point of delirious excess, the film leaps into dark and virtually uncharted territory to soar like a comet.
Like Blood Simple, it's full of technical expertise but has no life of its own.
Audience Reviews for Raising Arizona
Mix Looney Tunes, Sam Raimi's 'horror film camera moves', 40s B-movies, and a bit of The Road Warrior, and that's pretty much what you get here with this profoundly absurd farcical comedy from Joel and Ethan Coen. H.I. McDonnough is a non-violent stick-up man who falls in love with mugshot photographer Edwina "Ed". When they find out she's unable to bear children, the two decide to kidnap 1/5 of a set of quintuplets belonging to an unpainted furniture mogul named Nathan Arizona. What follows is a mad cap romp, especially when a set of swingers, two of H.I.'s prison buddies, and an apocalyptic biker get thrown in the mix. The film is absolutely ridiculous and absurd, and the whole is less than the sum of its parts, but it is cohesive in and of itself. It's also really weird, but quite funny, too. This is easily the wackiest film that the Coens have made, and the highlight is an extended chase involving cops, dogs, a nutty soundtrack, and lots of frenetic camerawork, all because of a case of stolen Huggies. The casting is deliriously perfect, and Nicolas Cage is a lot of fun as H.I. Holly Hunter is very funny and sweet as Ed, John Goodman and William Forsythe are a delight as the prison buddies, and Frances McDormand is an overacting hoot as one of the swingers. Randall "Tex" Cobb is also great as the biker. All in all, this is a good film, but not a great one, at least not to me. It's uneven, and really nutty, but any film that had a major influence of My Name is Earl is worth checking out. Oh yeah, and of course the music and cinematography are dynamite as well. But since it's a Coen Bros. film that should go without saying.
Super Reviewer
One of the most criative and entertaining Coen's brothers film.
Super Reviewer
Though I'm not as much of a fan of this as most Coen Bros. fans, there's no denying the great lead performances and the creative nature of this slapstick comedy.
Super Reviewer
Raising Arizona Quotes
| Glen: | "Mind you don't cut yourself Mordecai." |
| Glen: | Mind you don't cut yourself Mordecai. |
| Hayseed in Pick-Up: | "Son...you've got a panty on your head." |
| Hayseed in Pick-Up: | Son... you've got a panty on your head. |
| Evelle: | Do these balloons blow up into funny shapes at all? |
| Feisty Hayseed: | Well no....unless round is funny. |
| Evelle: | Hi...you're young and you got you're health...what you want with a job. |
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