In Raising Arizona, H.I. (Nicolas Cage), an ex-con, and his wife Ed (Holly Hunter), a former cop, want to start a family. Unable to have a child or to adopt one thanks to H.I.’s record, they steal one from a furniture tycoon whose wife just had quintuplets. Joel and Ethan Coen’s second feature is a loopy, inventive, and fast-paced film about two losers who want their share of the American Dream. Standing in their way are two jailbirds, some busybody neighbor, and a mean biker.

Using elements from a variety of film genres, the Coens capture the vulgarities of small-town life in the Southwest and drive home the point that for simple folks such as H.I. and Ed, dreamtime is the best time of all. Raising Arizona is one of the most original and funny films of 1987.