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.

Director:

Joel Coen

Writers:

Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

Stars:

Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter, Trey Wilson

1 win & 1 nomination.

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 Kitei	...	Florence Arizona (as Lynne Dumin Kitei)
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

Storyline

Recidivist hold-up man H.I. McDonnough and police woman Edwina marry, only to discover they are unable to conceive a child. Desperate for a baby, the pair decide to kidnap one of the quintuplets of furniture tycoon Nathan Arizona. The McDonnoughs try to keep their crime secret, while friends, co-workers and a feral bounty hunter look to use Nathan Jr. for their own purposes.

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Plot Keywords:

baby | arizona | quintuplets | bounty hunter | kidnapping | 

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Taglines:

Their lawless years are behind them. Their child-rearing years lay ahead...

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 March 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Arizona Junior

Filming Locations:

Camelback Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$22,847,564 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Circle Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Nathan Arizona is being interviewed one of the microphones has "KOIN" written on it. This is a reference to the filmmakers, the Coen brothers.

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Goofs

When Glen comes back with a neck-brace the curtain on the window of the trailer door changes to a Venetian blind, and then when H.I. goes back inside the louvers change from closed to open.

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Quotes

[first lines]
H.I.: [voiceover] My name is H.I. McDonnaugh. Call me Hi.

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Crazy Credits

filmed on location in Valley of the Sun, Arizona -- a great place to raise your kids

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Connections

Referenced in Forrest Gump (1994)

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Soundtracks

"Ode to Joy"
from Symphony #9
Written by Ludwig van Beethoven

User Reviews

Hysterical, each time I see it

A lot of things come together to make this film highly enjoyable; acting, writing, music, pace, directing... It's over-the-top fun. It took me several viewings before it sunk in that the film's base story is about child kidnapping; which is an extraordinarily serious crime. But this film makes you enjoy every minute so it's easy to forget the seriousness of the base story.

While I'm not a fan of Nicholas Cage, I thought this was a perfect vehicle for him. Holly Hunter is always excellent, IMHO. Their attention to detail in crafting their characters was on point and thorough.

"Well alright then." :)