Raising Arizona

Raising Arizona is a 1987 action comedy film directed by the Coen Brothers and starring Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter, William Forsythe, John Goodman, Frances McDormand and Randall “Tex” Cobb. Not a blockbuster at the time of its release, it has since achieved cult status. In a manner typical of Coen Brothers fare, the movie is replete with symbolism, visual gags, unconventional characters, flamboyant camera work, pathos, and idiosyncratic dialogue. The film ranked #31 on the American Film Institute’s 100 Years… 100 Laughs and #45 on Bravo’s “100 Funniest Movies.”

Criminal Herbert I. “Hi” McDunnough (Nicolas Cage) and policewoman Edwina “Ed” (Holly Hunter) meet after she takes the mugshots of the recidivist. With continued visits, Hi learns that Ed’s fiancé has left her. Hi proposes to her after his latest release from prison, and the two get married. They move into a desert mobile home, and Hi gets a job in a machine shop. They want to have children, but Ed discovers that she is infertile. Due to Hi’s criminal record, they cannot adopt a child.

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