Cult Classic Movie: Raising Arizona

By Nate Storey

Directed by Joel Coen
Written by Joel and Ethan Coen
Starring:
Nicolas Cage as H.I. McDunnough
Holly Hunter as Edwina ‘Ed’ McDunnough
John Goodman as Gale Snoats
William Forsythe as Evelle Snoats

Synopsis:

Raising Arizona is the story of a poor couple who long to have a child of their own, but are unable to conceive and are prevented from adoption because of patriarch H.I. McDunnough’s criminal record. As a last desperate act, they decide to steal a baby from the wealth Arizona family, which recently celebrated the birth of quintuplets. Just when everything seems to be going alright, the McDunnough’s are visited by Gale and Evelle Snoats, fellow former inmates of H.I.’s who have just tunneled out of prison. There’s also a bounty hunter on the trail of the missing quintuplet.

Why It’s Great:

First of all, the idea of stealing a baby is inherently funny. Second of all, the film is written and directed by the Coen Brothers, who have a serious inability to do no wrong. This is one of the movies that is continuously placed on lists of greatest comedy ever. And third, the John Goodman in Film Rule applies, which states that any film that has John Goodman in it will be several times better than it would have been without him. Case in point: Coyote Ugly and Evan Almighty

Trivia:

H.I. wears a uniform with the name “Hudsucker Industries” on it. The company in the Coen Brothers’ later movie The Hudsucker Proxy also features this company, though much more prominently.

Florence, Arizona is the site of a State Prison, as well as the name of the mother of the quintuplets in the movie.

The Coen brothers wrote Holly Hunter’s character (Ed McDunnough) with her in mind.

The lullaby that Ed sings to Nathan, Jr. is the song “Down in the Willow Garden”, a folk song about a man sentenced to death after brutally murdering his fiancée.

Quotes:

H.I.: I tried to stand up and fly straight, but it wasn’t easy with that sumbitch Reagan in the White House. I dunno. They say he’s a decent man, so maybe his advisors are confused.

Evelle: H.I., you’re young and you got your health, what you want with a job?

H.I.: We figured there was too much happiness here for just the two of us, so we figured the next logical step was to have us a critter.

Evelle: Do they blow up in funny shapes?
Grocer: Nope. Unless round’s funny.

H.I.: Now, Y’all who’re without sin can cast the first stone