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IMDb > Raising Arizona (1987)
Raising Arizona
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Raising Arizona (1987) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 40 | slideshow) Videos (see all 10)
Raising Arizona (1987) -- When a childless couple of an ex-con and an ex-cop decide to help themselves to one of another family's quintupelets, their lives get more complicated than they anticipated.
Raising Arizona (1987) -- H.I. has a nightmare about the lone biker of the apocalypse.
Raising Arizona (1987) -- When a childless couple of an ex-con and an ex-cop decide to help themselves to one of another family's quintupelets, their lives get more complicated than they anticipated.
Raising Arizona (1987) -- H.I. holds up a liquor store for some baby diapers.
Raising Arizona (1987) -- H.I. meets with the parole board and tells the truth.

Overview

User Rating:
7.5/10   41,662 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 9% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Joel Coen
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Writers:
Ethan Coen (written by) &
Joel Coen (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Raising Arizona on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
13 March 1987 (USA) more
Tagline:
A comedy beyond belief. more
Plot:
When a childless couple of an ex-con and an ex-cop decide to help themselves to one of another family's quintupelets, their lives get more complicated than they anticipated. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(25 articles)
Streep Nom #7-8: The Abundant Riches of 1987-88
 (From FilmExperience. 5 July 2009, 3:00 PM, PDT)

Top 7 Drinking (Beer/Wine/Alcohol) Movies
 (From Scorecard Review. 2 June 2009, 12:30 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
20 Years Later, This Is Still One Of The Looniest Films I've Ever Seen more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Nicolas Cage ... H.I. McDunnough

Holly Hunter ... Edwina 'Ed' McDunnough
Trey Wilson ... Nathan Arizona

John Goodman ... Gale Snoats

William Forsythe ... Evelle Snoats
Sam McMurray ... Glen

Frances McDormand ... Dot
Randall 'Tex' Cobb ... Leonard Smalls
T.J. Kuhn ... Nathan Arizona Jr. (as T.J. Kuhn Jr.)
Lynne Dumin Kitei ... Florence Arizona
Peter Benedek ... Prison Counselor
Charles 'Lew' Smith ... Nice Old Grocery Man

Warren Keith ... Younger FBI Agent
Henry Kendrick ... Older FBI Agent
Sidney Dawson ... Moses, Ear-Bending Cellmate
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Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:
94 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby
Company:
Circle Films more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The acronyms "P.O.E" and "O.P.E." spray-painted in the washroom and shown in reverse in the mirror are references to the Stanley Kubrick films Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) and The Shining (1980). more
Goofs:
Continuity: In the aforementioned picnic scene, when Dot and Ed are talking, Dot is spreading mustard on the sandwiches; the mustard bottle's label is clearly blocked out (i.e. to avoid product placement). But, when she places the bottle back on the table, part of the label on the other side of the bottle is visible, clearly identifying it (to someone in the Midwest, or someone who has actually used that brand, anyway) as a Plochmann's bottle. They then switch to a shot of H.I., then back to Ed and Dot; the bottle has turned back to hide the label. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
H.I.: [voiceover] My name is H.I. McDonnaugh. Call me Hi.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Dead Horse (2004) more
Soundtrack:
Girls, Do Not Wink more

FAQ

Is this movie based on a novel?
A Note Regarding Spoilers
What is the point of the tattoo shown on Leonard Smalls' arm?
more
10 out of 18 people found the following comment useful:-
20 Years Later, This Is Still One Of The Looniest Films I've Ever Seen, 26 November 2006
9/10
Author: ccthemovieman-1 from Lockport, NY, United States

When I first saw this I thought it was one of the craziest movies I'd ever seen. Twenty years later, I still feel the same way. No matter how many times I view this, I shake my head in amazement at some of the things I see and hear. It's definitely one-of-a-kind.

The wacky characters and outrageous story, of course, are the attractions here but I also enjoyed the low camera angles employed here by the directors, the Coen brothers, and I've always enjoyed Nicholas Cage's strange dialog in the narration.

Everyone in this film - everyone but the little babies - are totally insane, beginning with the lead people, the husband-and-wife team played by Cage and Holly Hunter. I got most of my laughs, however, from the supporting cast of John Goodman and Bill Forysthe as escaped convicts, Trey Wilson as the father of the quints and Randall "Tex" Cobb as "Leonard Smalls." For a pro boxer, Cobb turned out to be a pretty good actor.

If you're looking for something different, something really far out and funny, look no further.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Raising Arizona (1987)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Not A Recently Born Baby! delToro87
Love Coen's other movies, but was disappointed with this. dan872
the tattoo eddalicous
Leonard Smalls joaquindj_cm93
Raising Arizona Funniest Movie Ever! Deal With It.... klausex
Was this film well received when it came out? winkwinknudgenudge
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