Raising Arizona (St. Martin's Original Screenplay Series) [Paperback]

Joel Coen (Author), Ethan Coen (Author)

Book Description

Series: St. Martin's Original Screenplay Series | Publication Date: March 15, 1989

It's easy to see why Raising Arizona is one of the best and most beloved films that Ethan and Joel Coen have yet to create. The cultish humor, original characters, fresh cinematography, catchy soundtrack, and zany yet well-structured plot to be found in this film are all Coen brothers trademarks. Nicholas Cage plays a veteran criminal who marries a prison guard named Edwina (Holly Hunter). Because he and his wife cannot conceive, our convict-hero kidnaps, with only the most earnest intentions, one of the famous "Arizona Quintuplets." A hellacious bounty-hunting biker and two old pals who have just escaped from the pen make it very hard for the couple to raise their child properly.

This is a movie—and a screenplay—marked by breathless chases, improbable scenes, and hilarious dialogue throughout.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"To their old fascination with Sunbelt pathology, to their sidewinding Steadicam and pristine command of screen space, the Coens have added a robust humor, a plot that keeps outwitting expectations, and a surprising dollop of sympathy for their forlorn kidnapers. Every character, great or small . . . has the juice of comic originality in him."--Time

About the Author

Ethan and Joel Coen have made several critically acclaimed feature films together and are the recipients of numerous filmmaking awards. Their movie Fargo won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (March 15, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312022700
• ISBN-13: 978-0312022709
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #237,637 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just as Funny on the Page!, February 10, 2005

By 

Debbie Lee Wesselmann (the Lehigh Valley, PA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Raising Arizona (St. Martin's Original Screenplay Series) (Paperback)

This screenplay by Joel and Ethan Coen reminded me of how much I liked the film shot from it. Perennial criminal Hi returns to prison again and again for robbing convenience stores but Edwinna, the police officer who takes his mug shots, softens his heart. He decides to make a new life of it by marrying her. They buy a trailer in Arizona, set up housekeeping, and try the next logical step: to start a family. Edwinna, though, learns that she cannot conceive and that's where the screenplay takes a typical Coen brother leap into absurdity. Ed and Hi decide to become parents by kidnapping one of a set of quintuplets since "it was unfair that some have so many while others should have so few." What ensures is pure madcap, inventive, hilarious comedy with a hint of the bittersweet.

The screenplay evokes the film with such clarity and excellent visual storytelling that you'll feel as though you're watching it. While Holly Hunter and Nicholas Cage, who played Ed and Hi, excel at portraying quirky characters, this script makes it clear that they had a fantastic script to work with and were not the sole reasons for its success. This paperback contains a few black-and-white still shots of the film (certainly not worth buying the screenplay for), the full credits for the film, and a short interview/exchange between the Coen brothers and the filmmakers for Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn, a movie that was released during the same season.