Raising Arizona

Someone told me that cult films are dangerous ground to do. I say, Nay to that. Nay good sir. Being a long time Coen Brothers fan, it seems natural to start with one of their earliest films. It's hard to rank Coen brothers movies due to the extremely genius plethora of films they have done. On the other hand, this film has got to be H.I. on the list. (If you don't get that joke, you need to watch it again.) This movie follows petty thug HI played by Nic Cage who falls in love with police woman Ed (Holly Hunter). They meet and get to know each other through Hi's many trips to the cop station. Ed takes his mugshot every time, and bang, Love. When Hi and Ed have trouble getting preggers, this upsets Ed to the point of drastic measures. She convinces Hi to kidnap one of the five new kids born to the Arizona family. Nathan Arizona is so distraught that Nathan Jr. has been taken he begins an all out manhunt for the baby nappers.  He hires a bounty hunter played by the hideous Randall "Tex" Cobb. Hi and Ed are enjoying their new family until some of Hi's old buddies escape from the pokey. Played by William Forsythe and Coen Bros favorite John Goodman, these two really add to the humor aspect of the film. Especially when they decide to rob a local bank with the baby on board. Hi and Ed quickly realize kidnapping is not all it's cracked up to be. Guilt and the threat of long term prison or death urges them to undo what they have done. This movie really is one of the funniest in history, and it's definitely Cage's funniest. Out in 1986 it gets a lot more credit from me, basically because of the amount of times I have viewed it. Funny enough, until yesterday, I never owned a copy. Luckily I now do and I will enjoy it.
    "Son, you got a panty on your head."

NBM rates Raising Arizona - A Work of Cinematic Art

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