#76: THELMA & LOUISE (1991)

TW: Sexual violence

THRILL SCALE 1-10

4.5

HAVE I SEEN IT BEFORE?

Never, but this is one of those movies that entered the zeitgeist so I had a fair idea of what to expect

BEST SEQUENCE

The final car chase

BEST LINE

"So, how long before we're in goddamn Mexico?" - Thelma (Geena Davis) telling Louise (Susan Sarandon) that she's committed to the plan; also great for Louise's big grin after hearing this

ROTTEN TOMATOES SCORE

86%

ROTTEN TOMATOES CRITICS CONSENSUS

"Simultaneously funny, heartbreaking, and peppered with action, Ridley Scott's Thelma & Louise is a potent, well-acted road movie that transcends the feminist message at its core."

IMDB SYNOPSIS

"Two best friends set out on an adventure, but it soon turns around to a terrifying escape from being hunted by the police, as these two girls escape for the crimes they committed."

THOUGHTS

• OK, so it's not very thrilling. There are a few intense scenes, but the majority of the movie is more comedy/drama than thriller/action
• As to whether or not I liked the movie? Well, I saw it last week and the jury's still out
• When the movie was released, a lot was said about its strong feminist overtones, and this is absolutely not my issue. I'm all in for an action movie with a strong female hero (Terminator 2; Alien; Kill Bill) or an overt feminist message (Mad Max: Fury Road). What gets me wondering is whether or not Thelma & Louise earns its emotions or does justice to its characters
• The movie's plot begins with an extremely traumatic scene of attempted rape, which is harrowing to watch, but the rest of the movie's tone fluctuates wildly, becoming downright lighthearted and slapstick-y in some scenes. Now, I'm not a woman; I'm not trying to mansplain feminism or trauma. I'm just curious about some more current points of view. This movie came out in 1991. Does it still hold up when seen through a 2022 lens? I'd love to hear some more opinions about that
• Not to impugn Ridley Scott too harshly, but I might have been more trusting of the movie's intentions if it was directed by a woman. It was, at least, written by a woman though - Callie Khouri, who won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay
• Speaking of Ridley Scott, we'll be seeing more of him - Blade Runner is coming up two movies from now, and the aforementioned Alien is waaaay up on the list at #6
• I quite enjoyed the performances of both Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis. Fun fact, this was the most recent movie to have two people nominated in the same category for either Best Actor or Best Actress
• A lot of southern accents, and they are all over the place. Gotta say, I think Harvey Keitel's might be the worst
• There's some beautiful scenery and a great soundtrack
• And finally, Brad Pitt is in this, and he is extremely hot. The (consensual) sex scene between him and Geena Davis is exceptionally steamy. You go, Brad and Geena!

Up next: The Third Man from 1949