Raising Arizona

Great screwball comedy! I like the mix of dry delivery/slapstick humor in the film. After seeing it twenty plus years ago I still enjoy it.

Cute movie

I think I'm gonna watch this one again. Its been a VERY long time. Pretty funny.

I can't believe this is only receiving 3 stars from the faithful. Wow, you guys are nuts! This is one of the classics. John Goodman and whole slew of entertaining people in a very funny film.

The movie Raising Arizona was absolutely hilarious!!! Nicholas Cage was amazing! Cohen brothers are awesome like always.

When I first saw this movie 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, somethin... Read more

Comedies don't normally age well because there are only so many times you can hear a joke without getting sick of it and so films of that ilk normally represent sort of a time capsule of what the key events and issues of the time were that concerned people and hence what was funny to them at that time. For those of us that are not of that time dated jokes leave us asking "huh?". Once in a while though, we get the exception that still manages to retain its humour despite the years and just like that other sleeper and underappreciated gem "Cat Ballou", "Raising Arizona" is one heck of a great film. The scriptwriting is first class and the theme of a desperate couple feeling the anguish of not being able to have children is timeless making this comedy relevant for all times unlike the vast majority of comedies that are out there. "Tootsie" has been ranked by AFI as the funniest comedy of all time and I did think so myself when I first watched it many years ago but when I revisited... Read more

I think this movie is one of the best of the Coen Brothers. It is not a masterpiece but a sign of the great movies to come and a work of art in its own right. Holly Hunter is a police officer and Nicholas Cage is a life long criminal who fall in love and settle down together. Their attempt to have a child is thwarted by her infertility and his criminal history. The couple decide to steal a baby from a couple who recently had quintuplets and fellow criminals decide to hold the baby for ransom leading to some crazy situations including the fact that they don't seem to be able to keep track of the baby. Very cute and funny.

RAISING ARIZONA has never been my favorite Coen film, but I recently re-watched it, and with an unusual sense of obligation (for me) took in the special features,read all the notes, researched it a bit online--and found myself developing a budding affection for the film. In fact, I found myself wondering why I had had such an active dislike for the flick in the first place. Now I want to see it again. The thing about shaggy dog stories is that you have to be in the mood for them. Absurdities can seem a little precious and kind of irritating if you're in the wrong frame of mind. As the Amazon man (above) says, some people will find this movie this movie utterly "original" and captivating, and others will find it "over the top." And some will keep changing their minds, depending on whether their lumbago is bothering them or something. I think maybe I wanted the Holly Hunter character to be a little more grounded, you know maybe like Marge in FARGO. Her "Ed" seems like she... Read more

that was cute

I must see...

full of great lines

Nicholas Cage....and I still don't enjoy it

Pretty funny in an offbeat sort of way.

NOt sure at all.. but Id love to see it actually... the description looks interesting...

this movie should be the basis for a religion

It was really funny.

Nicolas Cage baby!

I loved this movie and would love to see it again, it's been years.

This is the shit! are you reformed? well.....ok then!!!!!

Don't really remember it

havent' seen it, can't judge good or bad

havent seen it

This movie was fun. They steal the baby then steal to take care of the baby...pretty funny movie

ok kinda stupid

I know, I know...I've GOTTA see this. But I haven't. It is in my Netflix que, however.

I would go four and one half stars. I don't consider it the Coen brothers best it was when they started to really get noticed by the mainstream. The cast is very good, the story a little weak, and the humor is spotty. But "A" for effort and for pushing the envelope big-time.

ORIGINAL COMMENT:  Destined to become a cult classic. All I can add is to state you should read the review posted by VirileVagabond. UPDATE:  I saw it again last week on cable, and it still has its vigor.  I think that it is well on the way to become a cult classic.

Back when Nicholas Cage wasn't annoying

Very dry humor in this one and not much of a story.

The Cohen brother masterpiece.

Raising Arizona (released in 1987) is the Coen Brothers' sophomore film and is considered by many to be their best. The movie starts with an extended, philosophically tinged monologue by smalltime criminal H.I. Hi McDonnough (Nicolas Cage) on how he meet his ex-cop wife Ed (Holly Hunter) and their struggles to have baby. The couple read about how the wife of local business bigwig Nathan Arizona, Sr. (Trey Wilson) has just had quintuplets so they decide that they should get a share of the bounty and kidnap one of the infants. Arizona hires a rough, no questions asked bounty hunter Leonard Smalls (Randall Tex Cobb) to track down the missing baby while Hi's neighbors (Sam McMurray and Frances McDormand) and hoodlum friends (John Goodman and William Forsythe) get suspicious and want the baby for themselves. After evading all the traps and snares set by all the antagonists, including a hair raising chase with a stolen box of Huggies, our heroes ultimately decide that honesty is the best... Read more

Probably one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. Nicholas Cage and Holly Hunter are hilarious as the quirky couple searching for a toddler to adopt. John Goodman was very funny as a small-time crook, too. This movie made me laugh out loud.

A very witty, quirky and intelligent comedy, with Nick Cage in one of his best performances. The convenience store diaper robbery is particularly good.

ok i am the only one i think from what i glanced at that hated this movie. :( sorry:( i really have no opinion i just didnt like it for some reason.

Young Cohen brothers made good stuff even back in the day.

I just couldn't get into this flick, maybe it's the fact that Nick Cage is pure unadulterated evil.

I laughed so hard I cried.

This movie sucked. O Brother Where Art Thou?, now that's a funny movie.

Funniest movie of the 80's. Best line- when Nathan Arizona responds to the FBI's questioning of his stolen infant's pajamas: "I DUNNO! THEY HAD YODAS AND SH#@ ON THEM!"

More than a comedy, this is an all-around excellent film. Cage and Hunter are marvellous as a couple who, out of desperation, take matters into their own, though somewhat confused, hands. This film could have been dark or jaded, but it was handled with such a light touch that it turns out to be a positive affirmation of love and hope.

After I saw this movie, I started driving by convenience stores that were not on the way home

Marvelous - it even manages to make Cage's tired routine work.