Raising Arizona
From Freepedia
| Raising Arizona | |
| Image:Raising Arizona cover.jpg | |
| Directed by | Joel Coen |
| Written by | Ethan Coen, Joel Coen |
| Starring | Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter |
| Produced by | Ethan Coen |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date | 6 March 1987 |
| Runtime | 94 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $6,000,000 (estimated) |
| IMDb page | |
Raising Arizona is a quirky, offbeat, and humorous 1987 Coen Brothers film starring Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter. William Forsythe, John Goodman, Frances McDormand, and Randall Cobb are also featured. Not a blockbuster at the time of its release, it has since achieved the status of a cult film. Typical Coen Brothers fare, the movie is replete with pseudo-symbolism, visual gags, and sardonic dialogue.
Contents |
Plot synopsis
Arizona recidivist petty criminal H.I. (Hi) McDonnough (Cage) and police officer Edwina (Ed) McDonnough (played by Hunter) fall in love and get married when H.I. promises to reform.
After serious attempts, Ed discovers that she is unable to bear children. The couple cannot adopt because of H.I.'s criminal record. Upon learning of the birth of the "Arizona Quints", H.I. and Ed kidnap one of the quints, Nathan Jr. Finding police efforts to recover his baby inadequate, Nathan Arizona Sr., the quints' father, retains the services of beefy, menacing biker Leonard Smalls (played by Cobb) to perform the task.
H.I.'s new family life goes well until he is visited by his former prison inmate chums Gale (played by Goodman) and Evelle. Under Gale and Evelle's influence, H.I. reverts to his felonious ways. After this, Ed and H.I. begin to see that they are not very well suited to each other. Ultimately, Leonard Smalls tracks down H.I. and tries to kill him. H.I. accidentally pulls the pin from a hand grenade attached to Smalls' ammunition belt and the biker is killed.
Gale and Evelle return to jail and H.I. and Ed return Nathan Jr. to his parents. In the end, as H.I. sleeps, he has a dream in which he and Ed have been happily married for many years and the movie ends with a rousing rendition of Bob Nolan's folksong Way Out There.
Quotes
- H.I.:The doctor explained that her insides were a rocky place, where my seed could find no purchase.
- Dot: You take that diaper off your head; you put it back on to your sister.
- Smalls: Name's Smalls. Leonard Smalls. My friends call me Lenny...only I ain't got no friends.
- Smalls: You wanna find an outlaw, you call an outlaw; you wanna find a Dunkin' Donuts, call a cop.
- Evelle: Mighty good cereal flakes, Mrs. McDonough.
- Gale: So many social engagements, so little time.
- Gale: Ma'am, we sure never meant to influence anybody. Evelle: And if we did, we're sorry.
- From H.I.'s dream: And it seemed real. It seemed like us. And it seemed like well ... our home . . . If not Arizona, then a land, not too far away, where all parents are strong and wise and capable, and all children are happy and beloved.... I dunno, maybe it was Utah.
- Hayseed in the Pickup: Son, you got a panty on your head.
BUD: So we was doin' paramedical work in affiliation with the state highway system-not actually practicin', y'understand-and me and Bill's patrollin' down Nine Mile-
HI: Bill Roberts?
BUD (barking): No, not that motherscratcher! Bill Parker! Anyway, we're approachin' the wreck, and there's a spherical object a-restin' on the highway ... And it don't look like a piece a the car.
Trivia
In several scenes, including when H.I. meets with the parole board, a portrait of Barry Goldwater is visible in the background. Goldwater ran for President in 1964 as a Republican and was a U.S. Senator from Arizona for many years. He is considered one of the most famous people in Arizona history.
The police station scenes were filmed at the Tempe, Arizona police station on 5th Street next to Sun Devil Stadium on the Arizona State University campus.
The family picnic where H.I. punches Glen was filmed at the Lost Dutchman State Park in Apache Junction, Arizona.
External resources
- Coenesque: The Films of the Coen Brothers
- You Know, For Kids! Raising Arizona page
- Raising Arizona at the Internet Movie Database
