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What’s the Story?

Reviewed by Tony Nigro

This early entry from the quirky Coen Brothers concerns an ex-convict named H.I. (Nicolas Cage) who falls in love and marries a police officer named Edwina or "Ed" (Holly Hunter). After learning that they cannot have children, the couple decides to kidnap a baby boy quintuplet from wealthy furniture mogul, Nathan Arizona (Trey Wilson). But when Arizona posts a large reward for his baby's safe return, H.I.'s two former prison buddies (John Goodman and William Forsythe) show up unannounced, and a ruthless, baby-selling bounty hunter (Randall "Tex" Cobb) attempts to hunt him down.

Is It Any Good?

4

RAISING ARIZONA is a traditional farce. There are plenty of laughs (such as H.I. telling convenience store clerk "I'll be taking these Huggies and whatever cash ya got."), but this movie has heart, too: A central theme in the movie is how hard it is to keep a family together.

Of course, car chases, gunfights, and chaos abound, and most of the time in the presence of a young infant. However, none of it has any more devastating an effect than when dynamite explodes in Daffy Duck's face. Indeed, this is merely a cartoon with real actors, and the result being hilarious, but only for mature viewers.

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