Raising Arizona

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Raising Arizona

PG-13

Released Mar 1, 1987

1h 33m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

91%

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65 Reviews

85%

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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.

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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.

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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

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Pauline Kael

New Yorker

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

Jan 14, 2013

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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

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Cory Woodroof

For the Win (USA Today)

It’s a joyous satire about what it takes to raise a baby in a chaotic world and a slick crime caper with unforgettable characters and quirks.

Feb 22, 2024

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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

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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

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Mason M

This is nowhere near a mature film, but it is one of the Coen's most simply entertaining. Raising Arizona is a hilarious absurdist comedy, with one of the craziest premises and set-ups I've ever seen in a film. This could've easily been a tiring movie, but it's charm and unique style makes Raising Arizona a great film.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/14/24

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Michael V

Their lawless years are behind them. Their child-rearing years lay ahead... Raising Arizona is a 1987 American crime comedy film written, directed and produced by Joel and Ethan Coen 👶 Not bad, but not my favourite either 😐 Meh, it passed the time. Just. 😐 👍🏼👎🏼 Disliked the basic premise which coloured the rest of the movie… When a childless couple--an ex-con and an ex-cop--decide to help themselves to one of another family's quintuplets, their lives become more complicated than they anticipated.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

09/24/24

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Mark B

Joel and Ethan Coen’s best! The single most quotable movie ever made. “Are you gonna breast feed him ma’am? You appear to be capable.” If you don’t get this movie maybe you should stick with Beavis and Butthead.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

09/19/24

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Zach B

You either get this or you don't. Those who don't are on the wrong side of history.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/21/24

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Audience Member

The Coen Brothers direct Nicholas Cage and Holly Hunter This is a fast-paced farce about an unlikely pair who go to extreme lengths to have a child When an incompetent robber marries a policewoman after he gets out, they discover that they are infertile In order to appease his wife's longings for a child, the man steals one of a set of quintuplets, but mayhem ensues when the child's rich father sends a rabbit-shooting bounty hunter after the kidnappers The Arizona's (the couple that had the several babies) own the biggest furniture sales With one of their children missing is it really up to Hi and Ed to raise it or will they change their minds and call it off? A very short screwball comedy about a couple desperate for a family even if it's not theirs It's purely entertaining especially with the wacky chases involved about this infant You can still feel sympathetic for these forlorn kidnappers A funny and accessible entry by the Coens but still quite introspective

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/19/24

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John S

Dumb plot and movie for southerners

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

05/28/24

Full Review

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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

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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)

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