Raising Arizona

PG-13

Released Mar 1, 1987

1h 33m

Comedy

List

91%

Tomatometer

65 Reviews

85%

Audience Score

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

Full Review

Pauline Kael

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

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

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

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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

Full Review

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

Full Review

John S

Dumb plot and movie for southerners

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

05/28/24

Full Review

Some Guy F

The reviews of this movie really overstate it's quality. It's a mid-tier Coen Brothers movie. There's a reason Looney Toons run for about 10 minutes, eventually the thin plots overstay their welcome and don't offer much of a reason for the ridiculousness to continue. It's not that long of a movie and rushes through bits, but I think it should be even more rushed.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/05/24

Full Review

Nunya B

I was in high school when I rented this on VHS. For me, it defines the "cult comedy" genre. Perfectly odd. Classically corny.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/01/23

Full Review

Teddy B

A cynical, heartfelt, intelligent, and sympathetic comedy that finds its strength in the Coen Brothers' unique direction that ties the film together for an extremely sweet ending as well as a wholesomely winsome and charming movie altogether.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/28/23

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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