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Movie Tagline: A comedy beyond belief
Single-Wide IPA is an early effort from Kansas City, Missouri’s Boulevard Brewing Company, a brewery that has since gone on to receive international acclaim as they have cranked out new beer after new beer, the majority of which have been fantastic. The same could be said for the Coen brothers, Ethan and Joel, creators of Raising Arizona. They too have gained international acclaim as they continue to kick out fantastic films, one after another. Raising Arizona is, like Single-Wide, an early effort, one that helped to show off the talents of its creators as well as its cast.
Holly Hunter, who plays Ed, went on to star in such movies as Broadcast News (1987), The Piano (1993), The Firm (1993), Copycat (1995), O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), and The Incredibles (2004). She has worked with talented directors like Sydney Pollack, Jodie Foster, David Cronenberg, Danny Boyle, and Brad Bird. John Goodman, who plays Gale, has long been a staple of quirky movies, appearing in everything from Revenge of the Nerds (1984) to Bringing Out the Dead (1999) to Coyote Ugly (2000), although I imagine he would rather we forget that last one. And then there’s Nicolas Cage, who plays H.I. McDunnough. Really, what can you say about the guy that hasn’t already been said?
Single-Wide is a pretty straightforward beer. It’s hoppy, bitter, and not much else. There’s no malt flavor to speak of, and it tastes a little soapy. It may seem strange to pair such a standard beer with Cage’s absolutely bonkers performance. He is a living cartoon (in the best possible way) in Raising Arizona. His eyes bulge, his arms flail, and his accent is ludicrous. Come to think of it, everyone in the movie has a silly accent. It’s like there was a competition on set to see who could ham it up the most. The only clear winner in that contest is you, the lucky viewer.
Thing is, beneath all that silliness is a sly craftiness that the Coens bring to all their moviemaking endeavors. Be it No Country for Old Men (2007) or The Big Lebowski (1998), their attention to detail and their skill in the art of filmmaking is peerless. The same could be said for Boulevard. If they’re making a standard IPA or a complicated barrel-aged sour like Love Child, their skill always manages to shine through.
So sit back, watch some TV (either educational or football, so you don’t ruin your appreciation of the finer things), and drink a Single-Wide IPA, preferably in your own single-wide mobile home somewhere in Arizona. If not in Arizona, then a land not too far away. Where all parents are strong and wise and capable and all children are happy and beloved. I don’t know. Maybe in Utah.
