Paging through my streaming services in search of something good to watch is often an exercise in frustration. It can be a sea of crap with a few so-so movies floating in it, and I can spend ten minutes clicking around, finding a handful of “maybe's,” but nothing that I really want to commit to. People who are old enough may recall having the same experience at the video store. It's nice when you see something that you can immediately say “Yes” to, and that's what happened when I saw that “Raising Arizona” was streaming.
Nicolas Cage plays H.I., an ex-con married to Ed (Holly Hunter), a policewoman. The odd couple are truly in love, and H.I. cleans up his act to be a good husband for Ed. A cloud moves across their sun, however, when they learn that Ed is infertile. Both sink into a depression. When an area mom delivers 5 babies, the “Arizona Quints,” Ed and H.I. hatch a scheme to steal a baby from people who seem to have more than they can handle.
That's all I'll say about the plot of one of the true classics. I hadn't seen this in years, so really it was mostly new to me, and I loved every minute! The cast, including John Goodman, is excellent, and the story is hilarious and heartfelt. This is one of the Coen brothers' best films, and definitely one for repeat viewings. It's a story about longing, about temporary insanity, and the question of whether a person can truly change. Mostly, it's about what makes a family.
This happens to be my 500th entry in this movie journal, and I couldn't have picked a better film to mark the milestone.
5 stars out of 5
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