I once had visions of putting this one up on Father's Day, but I've found a better idea for that. Meanwhile, this scene from Raising Arizona shows what makes the Coen Brothers one of the most unique and gifted filmmakers: it is a dense hyper-kinetic scene with overlapping dialogue, simultaneous actions, resulting confusion, and everybody's got a job to do while colliding with each other.
But the focus of the scene is the father of the abducted Arizona quint, Nathan Arizona played by the great character actor Trey Wilson, whose career was too short, but blazed brightly while he was performing. In this scene he is quicksilver fast, the hub of the swirl of activity at the scene of the crime besieged by reporters, local police, FBI, and forensics experts. He's the guy in control with no control and the dawning realization that he might be the only one focused on the problem at hand, and, finally, he loses it and goes into a tirade that is both hilarious and heartfelt. Yeah, he's a blowhard, but justified, and ends the scene evoking sympathy for a character who could dismissed as merely clownish. It's acting with depth that crosses the line back and forth between comedy and tragedy, the real estate constantly tread by the Coen Brothers, even if you never are really sure what side of the line you're on.
Trey Wilson died of a cerebral hemorrhage on January 16, 1989. Director Jonathan Demme (who had cast Wilson in Married to the Mob) dedicated The Silence of the Lambs to him.
The Story: H.I. McDunnough (Nicolas Cage) and wife Edwina (Holly Hunter) have found a unique solution to their "family unit" problem: they've kidnapped one of the "Arizona quintuplets" for their own. While "Ed" enjoys being a mother hen, "Hi" has nightmares that his return to a life of crime will have catastrophic effects for his family. Meanwhile, Nathan Arizona (Trey Wilson) is dealing with the fall-out from the kidnapping.
Action!
ARIZONA HOME FRONT FOYER
At the cut the rumble of the sun is snapped off by the high-pitched ba-WEEEEeeee . . . of a strobe going off as a flash picture is taken: We are looking over NATHAN SR.'S shoulder as he stands at his open front door, facing a battery of press people who stand out on the porch. An obie light over a local TV news camera glares in at us; various flashbulbs pop.
NATHAN: -No, the missus and the rest of the kids've left town...
NATHAN: ...to I ain't sayin' where. They'll be back here when we're a nuclear fam'ly again.
NATHAN: Yeah:
NATHAN (sadly): Now don't print that, son. If his mama reads that she's just gonna lose all hope.
A POLICEMAN from inside the house is taking NATHAN by the elbow.
POLICEMAN: Sir...
POLICEMAN: ...We really have to ask you some more questions.
As NATHAN allows himself to be led back into the house he calls back over his shoulder:
LIVING ROOM
Mr. Byrum has taken NATHAN's right hand and is rolling its fingers onto the inkpad.
BYRUM: Just let your hand relax; I'll do the work.
NATHAN: What is this?! I didn't steal the damn kid!
Two men in conservative suits are approaching.
NATHAN (bewildered): Are you boys crazy?! Alls I know is I wake up this morning with my wife screaming-
BYRUM: ...your prints...
BYRUM: ...from the perpetrators', if they left any.
FBI 1: Sir, we have an indication you were born Nathan Huffhines; is this correct?
NATHAN: Yeah, I changed m'name; what of it?
FBI 2: Could you give us an indication why?
NATHAN: Yeah, would you buy furniture at a store called Unpainted Huffhines?
UNIFORMED COP: Was the child wearing anything when he was abducted?
FBI 1: I'm asking the questions here, officer.
NATHAN: He was wearin' his-
NATHAN: A dinner jacket! Wuddya think, he was wearing his damn jammies!
FBI 2 (to cop): The child was wearing his jammies. Are you happy?
NATHAN: Hell, they're all disgruntled! I ain't runnin' a damn daisy farm!
COP: What did the pyjamas-
NATHAN: My motto is do it my way or watch your butt!
FBI 1: So you think it might have been an employee?
NATHAN: Don't make me laugh. Without my say-so they don't piss with their pants on fire.
COP: What did the pyjamas look like?
FBI 1: (pained): Officer-
NATHAN bellows back:
NATHAN: Get your feet off m'damn coffee table!
Also raising his voice at the offscreen bellower:
FBI 1: Ron, you're upsetting the victim.
NATHAN is getting worked up.
FBI 2: Sir, there aren't any "leads" yet, aside from this coat-
He grabs the overcoat being displayed by FBI 2.
NATHAN: That's a five-hundred-dollar camel's hair-
BYRUM: Sir...
He is rising to his feet and hurling the coat to the floor.
He furiously kicks the coat.
NATHAN: ... Everyone leaves microbes'n whatnot!
Throughout the speech NATHAN stalks the room, working himself into a frenzy, furiously putting coffee cups onto coasters, generally cleaning up, hectoring the police, and swiping their feet off his firniture.
Raising Arizona
Words by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
Pictures by Barry Sonnenfeld and Joel Cohen
Raising Arizona is available on DVD from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.