Raising Arizona (1987) Plot Summary & Timeline

In the Arizona suburbs, Herbert ‘H.I.’ McDunnough (Nicolas Cage) is a small-time crook known for his convenience store heists. His propensity for robbing places, while using unloaded weapons, keeps him in and out of jail, but he finds himself paroled repeatedly. Every time he returns to prison, he is processed by the charming young policewoman Edwina, affectionately called ‘Ed’ by those who know her (Holly Hunter). H.I. seizes every chance to flirt with Ed during his mugshots, and as fate would have it, a surprising romance develops after Ed finds herself deserted by her unfaithful fiancé.

Despite a seemingly reckless lifestyle marked by crime, H.I. holds a profound loyalty to the people he cares about and proposes to Ed once he’s back on the outside again. Soon, they tie the knot and settle into a modest home in the vast Arizona desert. H.I. finds honorable work as a welder and machinist, while Ed continues her career in law enforcement. The couple dreams of starting a family together, but their hopes are dashed when Ed discovers her infertility. Attempts to adopt crumble under the weight of H.I.’s criminal past. Overwhelmed by grief, Ed resigns from her police job, leaving H.I. feeling increasingly powerless.

In a twist of fate, they catch wind of a story about the ‘Arizona Quints’—the quintuplet sons born to local furniture star Nathan Arizona (Trey Wilson) and his wife Florence (Lynne Kitei). Driven by desperation, H.I. and Ed come to a shocking resolution: the Arizonas have “more than they can handle,” so they decide to steal one of the quintuplets to raise as their own.

Under the cover of night, H.I. and Ed stealthily approach the Arizona home. Unbeknownst to the parents, H.I. hoists himself up a ladder into their nursery and successfully abducts Nathan Jr. (T.J. Kuhn). They return home feeling exhilarated, although a twinge of guilt hangs over them for their audacious crime. That very night, H.I. has a chilling nightmare of a terrifying figure on a motorcycle, armed to the teeth, symbolizing the chaos he fears will soon descend upon them once the Arizonas discover their baby is gone.

The news surrounding Nathan Arizona Jr.’s abduction quickly spirals into a media sensation, prompting his father to publicly offer a $10,000 reward for his safe return while rallying police to hunt for the missing child. In a twist of irony, Ed and H.I. are soon visited by H.I.’s prison friends, the Snoats brothers, Gale (John Goodman) and Evelle (William Forsythe), who, having broken out of jail, crash at their trailer. Although H.I. welcomes their company, Ed is not quite as enthusiastic, fearing that their presence could spell trouble.

Striving to establish a semblance of normalcy, H.I. invites his boss Glen (Sam McMurray) and his family over for lunch, but the visit rapidly devolves into chaos when Glen’s obnoxious behavior puts H.I. on edge. Glen’s inconsiderate jokes and peculiar questions about their family life clash with H.I.’s fragile state, leading to a physical altercation that impacts H.I.’s job security.

While grappling with the fallout from the visit, H.I. finds himself facing a mountain of stress and decides to return to his old ways to make ends meet. Under pretenses, he drives to a convenience store with Ed and Nathan Jr. in the car, only to attempt a robbery that ends in disaster. The incident rekindles Ed’s anger and frustration, culminating in her orders for the Snoats brothers to leave the trailer.

Meanwhile, Gale and Evelle concoct a plan to rob a bank after hearing about H.I.’s troubles. Feeling downtrodden, H.I. ultimately agrees to assist them in hopes of securing a better future for his family. However, as events spiral out of control, they find themselves on the verge of a greater calamity.

After a flurry of tense encounters, thefts, and the mounting search for Nathan Jr., everything comes to a head when the antagonist Leonard Smalls (Randall ‘Tex’ Cobb), a menacing bounty hunter, enters the scene with terrifying precision. He tracks down the Snoats brothers, who recently got themselves deeper into trouble at the bank. This thrilling chase culminates when Ed and H.I. make a desperate attempt to retrieve Nathan Jr. from the chaos unfolding around them, leading to a heart-pounding confrontation.

After a series of near misses and the explosive return of Nathan Jr., the couple is faced with a poignant crossroads. Their journey eventually brings them back to the Arizonas, where, under the twilight of their escapades, Nathan Sr. expresses understanding and compassion, urging the McDunnoughs to keep their dreams alive, even if their original intentions were not what they seemed.

As H.I. reflects on the day’s events, he is filled with hope for a future where love, family, and dreams may one day come true, providing glimpses of the life he and Ed might still forge together along their winding path.