Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter and Trey Wilson in the Coen Brothers movie ‘Raising Arizona’

With a tip of the cap to comedy based in criminality from just before my teenage years, we visit Raising Arizona (1987) as written, directed and produced by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen. The Coen brothers film pokes fun at the notion of competing lifestyles humorously incompatible put into situations where laughter ensues to keep you from crying, should you join in the romp meant to highlight the humor.

(From left, Holly Hunter as Edwina ‘Ed’ McDunnough and Nicolas Cage as Herbert I. (H.I.) ‘Hi’ McDunnough in the Coen brothers movie Raising Arizona).

Raising Arizona opens with repeat offender Herbert I. ‘Hi’ McDunnough getting arrested for robbing convenience stores. At each instance, police officer Edwina (aka ‘Ed’) photographs McDunnough at intake, with an increasing banter between the two leading to an eventual romantic interest following the last arrest. The pair, portrayed by Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter, respectively, get married. Wanting kids and being unable to become parents in the standard way, the pair resort to something more dramatic when they also cannot adopt due to McDonnough’s criminal past.

(From left, Trey Wilson as Nathan Arizona, Sr. and Lynne Kitei as Florence Arizona in the Coen brothers movie Raising Arizona).

As this develops, it becomes known in their Arizona community that furniture magnate Nathan Arizona, Sr. and his wife Florence, portrayed by Trey Wilson and Lynne Kitei, recently had five babies (quintuplets). Figuring that the Arizonas had more than they needed and could make due with one child fewer, Hi and Ed decide to kidnap one of the five Arizona kids. Humorous interactions surround the abduction, which ultimately succeeds and kicks off the core of the story. T.J. Kuhn portrayed the baby, Nathan Jr.

(Front to back, T.J. Kuhn as Nathan Jr. and Randall ‘Tex’ Cobb as Leonard Smalls in the Coen brothers movie Raising Arizona).

Aiming to make the transition to the straight and narrow in the aftermath of the kidnapping, Hi finds the work that he’s acquired structured enough like prison to make things work. The operation takes its first left turn when brothers Gale and Evelle Snoats, as portrayed by John Goodman and William Forsythe, breakout of prison. The pair looks to the newly minted McDunnough family for a place to hideout. Complications arise when the foreman from Hi’s job, Glen, comes to visit with his wife, Dot, and their unruly kids. Sam McMurray and Frances McDormand portrayed Glen and Dot, respectively.

(From left, William Forsythe as Evelle Snoats and John Goodman as Gale Snoats in the Coen brothers movie Saving Arizona).

A storyline develops next to these wherein Leonard Smalls, as portrayed by Randall ‘Tex’ Cobb, seeks to interject himself into the reward process that has opened for the safe return of Nathan Jr. to Nathan Arizona, Sr. and their family. The paths of misunderstandings, criminal behaviors by Smalls, the Snoats brothers and the McDunnoughs, when placed against tomfoolery of Glen and Dot to boot, gives plenty of comedic fodder to the quick pacing of the movie that is Raising Arizona.

(From left, Sam McMurray as Glen and Frances McDormand as Dot in the Coen brothers movie Raising Arizona).

Mostly positive reviews by critics and audiences alike greeted Raising Arizona, as indicated here on Rotten Tomatoes. As I was amused by the movie, I grant Raising Arizona as written, directed and produced by the Coen brothers 3.75-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson and Holly Hunter in the Brad Bird movie ‘The Incredibles’

A computer animated super hero film as written and directed by Brad Bird was set in a futuristic set of the 1960s. Presented by Disney Pixar, The Incredibles (2004), the technical accomplishment for the film involved animating realistic impressions of people, skin, hair and clothing for the visual concept of the film. The story itself involves a family of undercover superheroes forced to save the world after having tried to lead a quiet suburban life.

(From left, Craig T. Nelson as Bob Parr / Mr. Incredible, Spencer Fox as Dashiell ‘Dash’ Parr, Sarah Vowell as Violet Parr, Eli Fucile and Maeve Andrews as Jack-Jack Parr and Holly Hunter as Helen Parr / Elastigirl in the Brad Bird movie The Incredibles).

The Incredibles began with an introduction to the Parr family, who we first meet years before the central storyline on the day that Bob Parr was set to marry Helen Parr (nee Truax). As the superheroes he was, Parr managed to prevent a suicide and thwart Bomb Voyage from a robbery in the process. The foil of that was the appearance of super fan Buddy Pine trying to help while causing more chaos than legitimate help. Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Dominique Louis, and Jason Lee portrayed the voices of Bob Parr, Helen Parr, Bomb Voyage, and Buddy Pine.

(Samuel L. Jackson as Lucius Best / Frozone in the Brad Bird movie The Incredibles).

An elaborate public change in the public perception of the helpfulness of superheroes followed that day, forcing the Parr family, good friend Lucius Best, and other super heroes into what passed for quiet suburban life. We meet Best and the Parrs, the Parrs now with kids named Sarah, Dashiell and Jack-Jack, all experiencing some degree of difficulty blending in with the world while holding the best parts of themselves back. The unfolding of this storyline proves immensely entertaining and funny. Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Vowell, Spencer Fox and a combination of Eli Fucile and Maeve Andrews portrayed Lucius Best, Sarah Parr, Dashiell Parr and Jack-Jack Parr.

(Jason Lee as Buddy Pine / IncrediBoy / Syndrome and Elizabeth Peña as Mirage in the Brad Bird movie The Incredibles).

The restlessness felt by Lucius Best and Bob Parr eventually led to some modern day dabbling in the precise superhero behavior that they had agreed to give up. Bob faces personal requests of domestic tranquility over the dabbling, which is only made worse when a path to new familial costumes is broached with Edna ‘E’ Mode. Mode, portrayed in voice by director and screenwriter Brad Bird, leads to the legitimate escalation of best and the Parr family to a shared ability to face a grown up Buddy Pine with his right hand lady, Mirage. Jason Lee continues to voice Pine, with Elizabeth Peña voicing Mirage.

(Brad Bird as Edna ‘E’ Mode in the Brad Bird movie The Incredibles).

The Incredibles stands in nicely as an animated comedy and family drama, holding up to multiple viewings. The recommendation to watch The Incredibles as written and directed by Brad Bird leads to giving the movie 4.25-stars on a scale of one-to-five.

Matt – Saturday, June 10, 2023