Movie-A-Day #149: Raising Arizona

Renz

An Army of One
Joined
May 10, 2003
Posts
13,078
Reaction score
2
Location
lat: 35.231 lon: -111.550
Amazon.com
Blood Simple made it clear that the cinematically precocious Coen brothers (writer-director Joel and writer-producer Ethan) were gifted filmmakers to watch out for. But it was the outrageously farcical Raising Arizona that announced the Coens' darkly comedic audacity to the world. It wasn't widely seen when released in 1987, but its modest audience was vocally supportive, and this hyperactive comedy has since developed a large and loyal following. It's the story of "Ed" (for Edwina, played by Holly Hunter), a policewoman who falls in love with "Hi" (for H.I. McDonnough, played by Nicolas Cage) while she's taking his mug shots. She's infertile and he's a habitual robber of convenience stores, and their folksy marital bliss depends on settling down with a rug rat. Unable to conceive, they kidnap one of the newsworthy quintuplets born to an unpainted-furniture huckster named Nathan Arizona (Trey Wilson), who quickly hires a Harley-riding mercenary (Randall "Tex" Cobb) to track the baby's whereabouts. What follows is a full-throttle comedy that defies description, fueled by the Coens' lyrical redneck dialogue, the manic camerawork of future director Barry Sonnenfeld, and some of the most inventively comedic chase scenes ever filmed. Some will dismiss the comedy for being recklessly over-the-top; others will love it for its clever mix of slapstick action, surreal fantasy, and homespun family values. One thing's for sure--this is a Coen movie from start to finish, and that makes it undeniably unique.

This is hands down my favorite Coen Brothers film and one of my favorite comedies. All the characters are funny in this film. William Forsythe and John Goodman are terrific as bank-robbing brothers on the run.

The chase scenes and accompanying soundtrack are truly hilarious. There are so many little things that make you laugh in this movie. Nicholas Cage gives one of his funniest performances as the two-bit hoodlum trying to go straight as Goodman and Forsythe try and get him to join their next crime spree. Holly Hunter is great also.

This is a classic comedy!
 

Attachments

  • Raising_Arizona.jpg
    Raising_Arizona.jpg
    26.7 KB · Views: 65

Chaz

observationist
Joined
Mar 11, 2003
Posts
11,327
Reaction score
7
Location
Wandering the Universe
What a completely strange and wacky movie.
Not one of my favorite movies but parts of it are downright hilarious.

Very quotable movie and still laugh when I think about it.
 

Brian

PANEM ET CIRCENSES
Joined
Mar 4, 2003
Posts
8,022
Reaction score
280
Location
With the mob
See signature line below.

Now you know where it came from and my take on the movie.

One of my all time favorites.
 
Top