Raising Arizona

Play trailer

Raising Arizona

PG-13

Released Mar 1, 1987

1h 33m

Comedy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

64 Reviews

85%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

An ex-con and an ex-cop meet, marry and long for a child of their own. When it is discovered that Hi is unable to have children they decide to snatch a baby. They try to keep their crime a secret, while friends, co-workers and a bounty hunter look to use the child for their own purposes.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics 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.

Read Critics Reviews

Peter Keough

Chicago Reader

Coens have not achieved the maturity needed to appreciate the vision of a Capra or Sturges, and their gifts are too rich and deep for the likes of Heckle and Jeckle.

Rated: 2/4

May 9, 2022

Full Review

Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

Raising Arizona is no big deal, but it has a rambunctious charm.

Jan 14, 2013

Full Review

Richard Corliss

TIME Magazine

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.

Mar 13, 2009

Full Review

Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

Two features into their career, Raising Arizona shows that the Coens are as effective with comedies as they were with neo-noir.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 7, 2024

Full Review

Josh Slater-Williams

Vague Visages

A distinct calling card for their more overtly comedic instincts; a frenetic farce that combines slapstick sensibilities and giddy playfulness with the English language...

Nov 14, 2023

Full Review

Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

Amiably gonzo pretty much nonstop.

Rated: A+

Aug 31, 2022

Full Review

Read all reviews

Michael B.

Does the pope wear a funny hat?

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/15/25

Full Review

grain j

Funny movie with lots of goofiness, worth seeing

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/13/25

Full Review

M T

This is a perfect movie. There aren't many. I have yet to find a single flaw or something I would change. It has a tone and direction like no other movie. If you have not seen it turn off all distractions and give this movie all the attention it deserves. Fargo is great, this is better.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/09/25

Full Review

Goose R.

Nicolás Cage and Holli Hunter star on this outrageous funny movie from the Coen Brothers. Hi and Ed can’t have babies so they decide to steal one from a rich couple that just had quintlets. One of my favorite movies of all time 🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿/5 on Hulu

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/09/25

Full Review

Gareth v

A wildly imaginative and endearingly weird comedy with soul. Vintage Coen brothers, fast, funny, and oddly profound. One of the best movies of 1987.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/24/25

Full Review

Audience Member

The comedy in this movie is somehow lost on my family, but I laugh through Raising Arizona no matter how many times I watch it. It tickles my funny bone like no other, and based on the popular ratings, I see I'm not alone —hilarious script and acting.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/21/25

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Joel Coen

Director

Nicolas Cage

H.I. McDonnough

Holly Hunter

Edwina "Ed" McDonnough

Trey Wilson

Nathan Arizona, Sr.

John Goodman

Gale Snopes

William Forsythe

Evelle Snopes

The Squeeze

14%

26%

The Squeeze

Watchlist

Hiding Out

38%

70%

Hiding Out

Watchlist

In the Mood

67%

68%

In the Mood

Watchlist

Three Men and a Cradle

72%

56%

Three Men and a Cradle

Watchlist

We're No Angels

48%

41%

We're No Angels

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Top 5 Nic Cage Movies

1:32

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

An ex-con and an ex-cop meet, marry and long for a child of their own. When it is discovered that Hi is unable to have children they decide to snatch a baby. They try to keep their crime a secret, while friends, co-workers and a bounty hunter look to use the child for their own purposes.

Director: Joel Coen
Producer: Ethan Coen
Screenwriter: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Circle Films, Inc.
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 1, 1987, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 2, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $21.1M
Runtime: 1h 33m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

Most Popular at Home Now