Overview
A quirky couple's desperate bid for parenthood leads to a wild and hilarious adventure.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- anarchic
- irreverent
- absurd
- cult movie night
- comedy marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a highly inventive and energetic black comedy, praising its distinctive Coen brothers style and comic performances despite some reservations about its excesses.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
H.I. and Ed's attempt to build a family through kidnapping turns household frustration into escalating absurdist crime.
The Arizona setting, desert spaces, chain stores, furniture businesses, and stylized action are presented as outsized comic iconography.
H.I. and Ed's inability to conceive directly motivates the kidnapping of Nathan Jr. and the ensuing concealment.
The McDonnoughs combine marriage, employment, and attempts at household stability with an ongoing kidnapping scheme.
Films like Raising Arizona, and why
Fargo
shares anarchic black comedy, eccentric criminals, heightened regional Americana, and affectionate family dysfunction
The Big Lebowski
shares screwball criminal plotting, absurdist humor, fast pacing, and ordinary people overwhelmed by crime
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
shares broad physical comedy, criminal protagonists, surreal tonal shifts, and stylized American settings
The Ladykillers
shares kidnapping-driven crime comedy, eccentric characters, and a blend of menace with warmth
Movie Details
- Director
- Joel Coen
- Release Date
- 1987-03-13
- Runtime
- 94 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (2422)
Cast
- Nicolas Cage
- Holly Hunter
- Trey Wilson
- John Goodman
- William Forsythe
- Sam McMurray
- Frances McDormand
- Randall 'Tex' Cobb
- T.J. Kuhn
- Lynne Kitei
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Raising Arizona about?
- A desperate would-be family turns a baby kidnapping into a wildly kinetic collision of domestic longing, criminal chaos, and desert absurdity.
- What is Raising Arizona like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Raising Arizona as breakneck, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Raising Arizona violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Raising Arizona as moderate.
- What did critics think of Raising Arizona?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a highly inventive and energetic black comedy, praising its distinctive Coen brothers style and comic performances despite some reservations about its excesses.
- Which films are like Raising Arizona?
- Films with a similar feel include Fargo, The Big Lebowski, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and The Ladykillers.
- How long is Raising Arizona?
- Raising Arizona runs 94 minutes.
- Where can I watch Raising Arizona?
- In United States, Raising Arizona is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
