RAISING ARIZONA

US, 1987, 94 minutes, Colour.
Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter, John Goodman, William Forsythe, Frances Mc Dormand.
Directed by Joel Coen.

Raising Arizona is an entertaining and delightful comedy. It is set in the American South West, the Texas Arizona territory of oddball stories like Uforia and David Burns' True Stories.

The film was written and directed by the Coen brothers, Joel and Ethan. They worked on the horror thriller The Evil Dead and then went on to direct and write the acclaimed thriller Blood Simple. Here they change tack completely. Nicolas Cage is excellent as the reformed hold-up man who marries a policewoman and finds that they cannot have children. They decide to kidnap one of the Arizona quins. There are hilarious repercussions for themselves, two friends who escape from prison and an apocalyptic avenging devil on a motor-cycle who tries to recover the child.

The film is offbeat, visually and verbally witty, gently satiric about the American Dream.

1. The response to the film, its acclaim?

2. A piece of Americana, humour, satire? The American South West and the open spaces, the affluent lifestyle, the poor? The American Dream?

3. The work or the Coens and their working in various genres? Their visual and verbal wit? Cleverness, humour, sentiment, niceness?

4. The use of the Arizona landscapes? The prisons, the trailer parks, homes, banks, the roads? The style, the editing and pace? The satire on American television and advertising? the satire on American kitsch?

5. The title and its reference to Hi, to Nathan Jnr?

6. Hi and the prologue, the voiceover, its style, nonchalant but earnest, the history of his escapades, imprisonment, going before the Board? Recidivist? Nicolas Cage's effective presence, voice? The robberies and the awkwardness? The arrests, interrogation and photos? The meetings with Ed? The humour of the prison? His final arrest, release, before the Board, answering what they wanted? His freedom, proposing, marrying Ed?

7. The sequences of prison, familiarity of prison genres, characters, behaviour, the cells, work, the cliches, the humour with the psychiatrist and rehabilitation?

8. Hi and Ed and their South-Western? marriage?

9. Their home, the trailer, their love for each other? Hi at work and the man who continually told him stories? Sitting in their deckchairs catching the sunsets? Their needs, wanting the child, the difficulties in trying? The interviews with the doctor? Ed's barrenness? Medicines, adoption procedures - and his record?


10. The introduction of the Arizona family? Nathan and the humour of his television ads? Garry, Larry, Barry etc? His prim wife? The babies and their names and Nathan Jnr? The decision to steal one of the babies? Hi and his going into the room, the amusing camera work for this sequence, the focus on the babies, their falling, crawling, laughing,, playing? The music – and the variation on the Jaws theme? Hi’s failure, Ed sending him back? Taking Nathan Jr?

11. Hi and Ed and the welcome home, Hi getting the trailer ready, parenting, the unit, Dr Spock's book, the talk and the cliches about babies, the nuclear family and the unit? earnestness? The baby and his cuteness, smiles? A lot of swearing in front the child - sense of responsibility? the possibilities for a happy family? The reaction of the press Nathan and his reactions, anger with the police and the press - getting his advertisement?

12. Gale and his brother? in the jail, getting out - and the emerging in the yard, with the science fiction, and monster style? Their yelling? Driving, turning up at Hi and Ed's? The reminiscences, staying, playing with the baby? Humour? The breakfast sequence? Watching TV? Ed wanting them out? Their plan for the robbery, involving Hi? Their taking the baby after discovering the truth? Leaving the baby on the car, picking it up again? The robbery and its humour, getting the old-timers to freeze or get on the floor, taking the money, the paint explosion, their being
caught? Going back to prison?

13. Neighbours, Hi and Ed with Glenn and Dorrie? Dorrie's gush about the baby, her own mixed brood of children? Her talk about money and insurance? The entertaining, Glenn and his smooth style? Hi saying he was stifled in the marriage? Glenn’s proposal of swapping partners - and Hi punching him? Glenn's later return and threatening? His telling Polish jokes - and finally telling one to a Polish policeman? The satire on American homes, dreams with kitschy style?

14. Hi's dreaming, its apocalyptic tone, destruction, the cyclist and the fire? His riding quickly and over vehicles? The reality of the racer, his arrival, the use the road and bikie genre? Going to Nathan, Nathan accusing him? His killing the rabbits? The bank, the baby, taking the baby? he final chase? The fight with Hi and bashing him? The bizarre humour of his taking the grenade and its exploding the avenger?

15. The sequence with Hi and Ed and the nappies, the hold-up at the store, the attendant with the gun, the chase, Hi running through the town, in the truck and its crash, the dogs, the dog on the leash, rushing through the house, the shoot-up in the supermarket, Ed in the car, the chase, finally picking up the nappies? The orchestration and editing for this humorous sequence?

16. The final chases, the baby on the road, the returning of the baby to its parents? The encounter with Nathan, the truth? Their not taking the money?

17. The pleasing sentiment of Hi's final dream, having children, Hi and Ed -in old age, thanksgiving and the gathering round?

18. Funny, unpredictable, genial? A pleasing exploration of American, families and values?