Movie Review: Raising Arizona (1987)

★★★★★

Raising Arizona is chaotic, quirky, and weirdly sweet. Nicolas Cage with that mustache? Comedy gold.

Lori B.

Washington

Some comedies are about making you laugh. Raising Arizona is about making you laugh and wonder how on earth a movie can be this ridiculous and still have so much heart.

As a reviewer for BoxReview.com, I can tell you this isn’t just another quirky Coen brothers project; it’s the one that cemented their reputation for blending outlandish scenarios with genuine emotion. It’s equal parts screwball farce, cartoon logic, and heartfelt love story.

The Premise: Love Leads to a Very Bad Idea

H.I. “Hi” McDunnough (Nicolas Cage) is a repeat offender with a knack for robbing convenience stores. Edwina “Ed” (Holly Hunter) is the police officer who keeps taking his mugshot and eventually, his heart.

After a whirlwind romance and marriage, they realize they can’t have children. When they learn that local furniture tycoon Nathan Arizona’s wife has given birth to quintuplets, they hatch a plan to “borrow” one of the babies, reasoning that the Arizonas have more than they can handle.

Of course, nothing goes smoothly. Soon, they’re on the run from a relentless bounty hunter, two bumbling escaped convicts, and their own consciences.

Nicolas Cage as Hi: A Cartoon Come to Life

Cage’s performance here is a masterclass in comedic physicality. He’s a lovable screw-up, wide-eyed and twitchy, with a voice that sounds like it’s permanently stuck between a confession and an apology.

What often gets overlooked is how earnest Cage plays Hi. Even at his most ridiculous sprinting through a grocery store with pantyhose over his head, he’s driven by a genuine desire to do right by Ed. That sincerity keeps the movie from becoming pure farce.

Holly Hunter as Ed: The Voice of (Some) Reason

Hunter brings a fierce determination to Ed, which makes her equally funny and touching. Her clipped delivery, emotional outbursts, and sudden moral reckonings give the movie a rhythm that keeps you on your toes.

There’s a great scene where Ed’s maternal instincts and her no-nonsense cop persona collide; it’s one of those Coen moments that’s both hilarious and oddly moving.

John Goodman and William Forsythe: The Escaped Convicts

Goodman and Forsythe play Gale and Evelle, two prison escapees who crawl out of the ground like cartoon moles. They’re equal parts threatening and pathetic, adding a layer of chaos to Hi and Ed’s already precarious situation.

What’s brilliant is how they mirror Hi and Ed, just another “family” of outlaws, bumbling their way through the world.

Randall “Tex” Cobb as Leonard Smalls: The Biker from Hell

Leonard Smalls is a pure Coen brothers invention, a leather-clad bounty hunter who feels like he rode in from a Mad Max set. He’s absurdly over-the-top, but also genuinely intimidating.

Smalls is more than just a villain; he’s a looming symbol of the consequences catching up to Hi and Ed. Every time he appears, the film’s cartoonish energy dips into something darker.

Underappreciated Element: The Cinematography

Barry Sonnenfeld’s camera work is almost its own character here. The exaggerated wide-angle shots, breakneck chases, and whip pans give Raising Arizona its cartoon logic.

Take the famous “diaper heist” sequence: the camera follows Hi in one continuous, chaotic ballet of running, hiding, and dodging complete with barking dogs and a woman in curlers brandishing a broom. It’s Looney Tunes by way of Arizona suburbia.

The Humor: Slapstick Meets Wordplay

The comedy in Raising Arizona works on multiple levels:

• Physical gags — From Hi’s robberies to Gale and Evelle’s prison escape, the film embraces exaggerated movement and timing.

• Dialogue — The Coens’ signature, slightly elevated language, turns even mundane conversations into quotable moments.

• Situational absurdity — The premise itself is ludicrous, but the characters treat it with complete sincerity, which makes it funnier.

The Tender Side: Love and Redemption

Beneath the chaos and absurdity is a surprisingly sweet core. Hi and Ed’s misguided baby-snatching is born from their genuine longing for a family.

The film’s ending, with its dreamlike reflection on what could be, is quietly beautiful. It’s a reminder that the Coens can land an emotional punch right after making you laugh until you wheeze.

The Soundtrack: Banjo, Yodels, and Pure Energy

Carter Burwell’s score mixes banjo, whistling, and yodeling into a high-energy backdrop that perfectly matches the film’s manic pace. The music doesn’t just accompany the action; it is the action, propelling chase scenes and heightening comedic beats.

Why Raising Arizona Still Works Today

Decades later, it remains one of the most accessible Coen brothers films because it’s not weighed down by cynicism. It’s goofy, fast-paced, and unapologetically strange, but it’s also heartfelt.

The themes of wanting more from life, trying to change, and stumbling through mistakes are timeless, even if your mistakes don’t involve stealing a baby from a millionaire’s home.

Final Thoughts

Raising Arizona is a rare film that manages to be completely absurd without losing its emotional center. It’s a comedy that runs on heart as much as hijinks, filled with memorable performances, quotable lines, and set pieces that feel like live-action cartoons.

If you’ve never seen it, you’re in for one of the most delightfully strange rides of the '80s. And if you have, it’s worth revisiting just to catch all the little details the Coens pack into every frame.