Raising Arizona Page #3

Synopsis: Raising Arizona is a 1987 American crime comedy film directed, written, and produced by the Coen brothers, and starring Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter, William Forsythe, John Goodman, Frances McDormand, and Randall "Tex" Cobb. Not a blockbuster at the time of its release, it has since achieved cult status. In a manner typical of Coen Brothers fare, the movie is replete with symbolism, visual gags, unconventional characters, flamboyant camera work, biblical references, pathos, and idiosyncratic dialogue. The film ranked 31st on the American Film Institute's 100 Years...100 Laughs list, and 45th on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies" list.
Genre: Comedy, Crime
Production: 20th Century Fox
  4 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.4
Metacritic:
68
Rotten Tomatoes:
91%
PG-13
Year:
1987
94 min
1,367 Views


VOICE OVER:

They say that absence makes the heart

grow fonder, and for once they may

be right.

Halfway up the corridor Hi points casually at the floor.

HI:

You missed a spot.

The Mopping Con turns to watch him recede.

CON:

Grrrr...

HIGH ANGLE CELL:

Same high shot with Moses on the top bunk, Hi on the lower.

VOICE OVER:

More and more my thoughts turned to

Ed, and I finally felt the pain of

imprisonment.

MOSES:

An' momma would frow the live crawdad

in a pot of boiln' water. Well one

day I decided to make my own

crawdad...

We begin to crane down to tighten on the absently staring

Hi.

VOICE OVER:

...an' I frew it in a pot, forgettin'

to put in the water, ya see...

Moses' voice is mixing down as we lose him from frame.

VOICE OVER:

...and it was like I was makin'

popcorn, ya see... The joint is a

lonely place after lock-up and fights

out...

We are now very close on Hi, staring.

VOICE OVER:

...when the last of the cons has

been swept away by the sandman.

HI'S POV

The underside of the top bunk.

A sudden flash whitens and fades to leave the image of Ed,

smiling behind her camera, softly supered on the underside

of the bunk.

BACK TO HI:

He wearily turns his head to profile on the pillow and shuts

his eyes.

VOICE OVER:

But I couldn't help thinking that a

brighter future lay ahead - a future

that was only eight to fourteen months

away.

Eyes closed, he is illuminated by a flash.

PAROLE BOARD ROOM

Hi and the same three officers.

CHAIRMAN:

Got a name for people like you, Hi.

That name is called recidivism.

SECOND MAN:

Ree-peat O-fender.

CHAIRMAN:

Not a pretty name, is it, Hi?

HI:

No Sir, it sure ain't. That's one

bonehead name. But that ain't me

anymore.

CHAIRMAN:

You're not just tellin' us what we

wanna hear?

HI:

No Sir, no way.

SECOND MAN:

'Cause we just wanna hear the truth.

HI:

Well then I guess I am tellin' you

what you wanna hear.

CHAIRMAN:

Boy, didn't we just tell you not to

do that?

HI:

Yessir.

CHAIRMAN:

Okay then.

TRACKING:

Over Hi's shoulder as he strides toward a door marked

"Processing" and flings it open.

It is the familiar booking room. Ed looks up from her camera,

having just snapped a picture of another suspect against the

hatched wall.

HI:

I'm walkin' in here on my knees, Ed -

a free man proposin'.

Hi c*cks a finger at the suspect.

HI:

Howdy Kurt.

ED'S ROOM

As she nervously frets at her white bridal gown in front of

a mirror.

VOICE OVER:

And so it was.

SHERIFF (O.S.)

Don't forget the boo-kay, Ed!

CLOSE SHOT ED:

Gazing earnestly into the camera. A congregation is seated

behind her - the bride's side wearing police blues; the

groom's side, Hawaiian shirts.

ED:

I do.

CLOSE SHOT HI:

Also staring into the camera.

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Joel Coen

Joel Coen was born on November 29, 1954 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA as Joel Daniel Coen. He is a producer and writer, known for No Country for Old Men (2007), The Big Lebowski (1998) and Fargo (1996). He has been married to Frances McDormand since April 1, 1984. They have one child. more…

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Submitted by aviv on February 07, 2017

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