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Raising Arizona

Raising Arizona

Their lawless years are behind them. Their child-rearing years lay ahead...

198794 minPG-13Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Directors
Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Starring
Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter, Trey Wilson, John Goodman

When a childless couple—an ex-con and an ex-cop—take one of a wealthy family’s quintuplets to raise as their own, their lives grow more complicated than anticipated.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Raising Arizona?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Raising Arizona to rent or buy on Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Raising Arizona?

Raising Arizona earns 9 badges, led by Top 5% in Comedy and Top 10% of films.

Show 1 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Raising Arizona worth watching?

Raising Arizona's Midcredits score is the 91st percentile of all films, from 506K ratings across 6 sources. 79% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

91st percentile

Better received than 91% of films

95th percentile among Comedy92nd percentile among 1980s
Acclaim (how much people like it)90th
Approval (how many liked it)89th

74 /100

90th percentile of all films

94th percentile among Comedy92nd percentile among 1980s

Critics 69 · Audience 75

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.5 — solid but not unanimous.

79% liked it

89th percentile of all films

93rd percentile among Comedy90th percentile among 1980s
79% rated it 7–1021% rated it 1–6

Critics 91% · Audience 85%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 4 noms overall

97th percentile

506K ratings across platforms

97th percentile among Comedy97th percentile among 1980s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 22% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$6M
Opening weekend$36K
Domestic gross$23M
Worldwide gross$29M

Returned 4.9× its budget — 86th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is a fast-paced, stylized comedy with exaggerated performances and technical polish, but opinions diverge on whether that adds up to genuine humor and heart.

Fans praised

  • over-the-top Nicolas Cage performance
  • energetic banjo score by Carter Burwell
  • whimsical yet grounded production design

Detractors panned

  • flat, joke-like scenes that fall silent
  • nitwit characters in a dumber-than-dumb story
  • technical expertise with no life of its own

What stands out

OriginalityDivisive80

Fresh, unconventional comedy premise and style

ActingDivisive75

Cage's zany, over-the-top performance; Holly Hunter's comedic timing; cast fully commits to cartoonish antics

DialogueDivisive75

Rapid-fire, Coen-esque dialogue with a joy in language

AtmosphereDivisive75

Whimsical, grounded world with distinct southwestern flavor

PacingDivisive70

Fast-paced, continuous action and humor

HumorDivisive65

Visual gags and verbal wit, but some find jokes flat

CharactersDivisive65

Stylized, goofy characters; some find them endearing, others nitwits

Plot and storyDivisive60

Original kidnapping premise, but some find story dumb and implausible

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 13 points higher than women.

US vs non-US

Preferred by US Viewers

US viewers scored it 12 points higher than non-US viewers.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 7 points apart
  • Critics vs users 8 points apart

Watch experience

What is Raising Arizona like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Easy laugh: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something light that makes you laugh and does not take itself seriously.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you feeling good. Skip it when you want something with weight.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Easy laugh.

Moods
AbsurdManic
Heaviest: throughout
Register
PlayfulAbsurdist · 7% of films: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.Warm
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe Coen brothers play their farcical material with a straight-faced sincerity, never winking at the audience despite the absurdity.
The rideThe film maintains a frenetic, cartoonish energy from start to finish, with moments of genuine warmth and melancholy woven into the mayhem.
StructureThe film unfolds in a straightforward linear narrative from the couple's meeting through the kidnapping and its consequences.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Feeling good.

Feel-goodHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayThe film ends with the couple returning the baby and a dream of future happiness, leaving you with a warm, hopeful feeling despite the chaotic journey.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).QuestRescue
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% (this title) · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Rescue: Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).

10% of films fit this archetype

with Comedy underneath

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe story follows a couple who, unable to have a child, decide to kidnap one, setting off a chain of pursuit and rescue. The central drive is the quest to secure and protect the baby, while the film's tone and many set pieces are firmly comedic.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% (this title) · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% (this title) · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Parenthood · 2% of filmsRedemption · 6% of films: Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores the obsessive desire for a child and how the couple's love for each other and the baby leads to personal transformation.
StanceThe film affectionately celebrates the couple's relentless, misguided pursuit of family, even as it satirizes the institutions that stand in their way.

The world

Contemporary
FolkForeground music · original score · Carter Burwell
SettingA sunbaked, exaggerated Arizona of trailer homes and dusty highways, rendered as a cartoonish near-fable.
MusicBurwell's score mixes a plaintive waltz and soaring orchestral passages, undercutting the mayhem with a touch of genuine tenderness.

Content guide

Is Raising Arizona okay for kids?

PG-13

Raising Arizona is rated PG-13. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (40/100), sexual content at mild (24/100), language at moderate (53/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (36/100) and frightening material at mild (32/100). Overall it is heavier than 36% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 10 other countries
  • UK12
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • Ireland15
  • JapanR18+
  • Brazil14
  • FinlandK-16
  • Hungary18
  • PortugalM/12
  • SpainA
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 25% of all filmsHeavier than 36% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 40%
Sex & Nudity
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 38%
Profanity
Moderate
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 77%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 69%
Frightening / Intense
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 30%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is language, heavier than 77% of PG-13-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Raising Arizona have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Raising Arizona?

Cast

2 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen.

Nicolas Cage
as H.I. McDunnough
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Holly Hunter
as Ed
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Trey Wilson
as Nathan Arizona, Sr.
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
John Goodman
as Gale
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
William Forsythe
as Evelle
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Sam McMurray
as Glen
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.
Frances McDormand
as Dot
newcomer then · star now
Randall 'Tex' Cobb
as Leonard Smalls
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
T.J. Kuhn
as Nathan Junior
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Lynne Kitei
as Florence Arizona
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Raising Arizona?

The closest match to Raising Arizona is O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000); both are films by Joel Coen.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

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What else shares a premise, people or place with Raising Arizona?

388 other films share the rarest tag below, up against: hitman. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.