Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding script, acting, and soundtrack
Review: This film has so many wonderful elements, from the funny little asides ("sir, you're standing in your pizza") to the lonely, still faces of the American West that the camera captures to examine against the wild exhilaration of Thelma & Louise's journey. There's mystery, too: what really happened to Louise in Texas?? All the performances beginning with Sarandon and Davis are outstanding, producing unforgettable characters. If I'm not mistaken, this was Brad Pitt's first major picture; who can forget his encounter with Thelma's husband in the police station? There's a strong feminist theme to be sure, but at heart the film is really about freedom, free will, the nature of criminality, and restraints on human behavior (and the consequences of lifting them). This is inherently understood by the police officer played by Harvey Keitel, who is deeply concerned for the well-being of the two fugitives from justice while showing no compunction about roughing up the petty crook played by Pitt. The icing on the cake: a GREAT soundtrack (available on CD, and definitely worth buying separately!)
Rating: 
Summary: More than an exercise in male-bashing
Review: This is an important commercial film aimed at blue collar women who feel victimized by both society and the men in their lives. Directed by Ridley Scott, who directed the science fiction classics, Alien (1979) and Blade Runner (1982), Thelma and Louise is an on-the-lam chick flick (with chase scenes), a kind of femme Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), somewhat akin to Wild at Heart (1990) and Natural Born Killers (1994) but without the gratuitous violence of those films. Ridley Scott walks the razor edge between femme-exploitation and serious social commentary. Incidentally, the script is by Callie Khouri who wrote Something to Talk About (1995) and Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002) which should give you an idea of how men are depicted here. Susan Sarandon is Louise, a thirty-something Arkansas waitress with an attitude and some emotional baggage, and Geena Davis is Thelma, a cloistered ingenue housewife with a yearning to breath free. Both do an outstanding job and carry the film from beginning to end. The characters they play are well-rounded and fully developed and sympathetic, in contrast to the men in the film who are for the most part merely clichés, or in the case of Darryl (Christopher McDonald), Thelma's boorish husband, or the troll-like truck driver, burlesques. I have never seen Geena Davis better. Her unique style is melded very well into a naive woman who never had a chance to express herself, but goes hog wild and seems a natural at it when the time comes. Sarandon is also at the top of her game and plays the crusty, worldly wise, vulnerable Louise with tenderness and understanding. Note, by the way, her pinned up in back hair-style, directly lifted from TV's Polly Holliday ("Kiss my grits!") who appeared as a waitress in the seventies sitcoms "Alice" and "Flo." Harvey Keitel plays the almost sympathetic cop, Hal Slocumb, and Brad Pitt appears as J. D., a sweet-talking twenty-something who gives Thelma the script for robbing 7-11s as he steals more than her libido. This movie works because it is funny and sad by turns and expresses the yearning we all have to be free of the restraints of society and its institutions (symbolized in the wide-open spaces of the American Southwest) while representing the on again, off again incompatibility of the male and female heart. The male-bashing is done with a touch of humor and the targets are richly deserving of what they get. The ending is perhaps too theatrical and frankly unrealistic, but opinions may differ. Best and most telling quick scene is when Thelma phones Darryl to see if he has found out about their escapades. Weasel-like, he is trying to help the cops locate them, but he is so transparent to her that all she has to do is hear his voice. "He knows," she says to Louise and hangs up. Best visual is when the black police helicopter appears suddenly, menacingly like a giant fly beneath the horizon of the Grand Canyon. Also excellent were the all those squad cars lined up like armored battalions aimed at the girls on the run. I also liked the scenes at the motel with J.D. and Louise's boyfriend. They were beautifully directed and cut, and very well conveyed by Sarandon and Davis, depicting two contrasting stages in male-female relationships. See this for Geena Davis because she was brilliant, vividly alive and never looked better.
Rating:
Summary: Two Fugitives On the Run
Review: "Thelma And Louise" is one of the most memorable and one of the best films of 1991. This Oscar-winning film takes audiences on a journey into a road trip that takes an unplanned turn. Once Thelma (Geena Davis) has a close encounter with a rapist, their lives change forever. After Louise (Susan Sarandon) kills the rapist, the action starts and never stops until the film's end. The plot was written brilliantly. They combine comedy, drama, and action wonderfully. Their run from the law offers audiences many twists and turns as they encounter unpleasant visiters. The intensity keeps audiences guessing their next move in every scene. Only one other fugitive film comes close to the quality of "Thelma And Louise": "Bonnie And Clyde". However, no other film released before, during, and after matches the uniqueness. Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon add their own sense of theme in their Oscar-nominated roles for Best Actress. Their words and emotions are flawless from their Texas accent to their intense life struggles. All other actors perform their roles beautifully, including the then-unknown Brad Pitt. "Thelma And Louise" is a great film for those looking for a great action drama. This unforgettable experience is sure to continue pleasing audience for many more years.
Rating:
Summary: Thelma & Louise
Review: Starring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, directed by Ridley Scott, and released in 1991 by MGM Studios with a run time of 130 minutes, this drama is about independence, freedom, and choices. It is the story of two friends living in Arkansas, both discontent with their current situation, who find themselves in more trouble than they bargain for while just trying to get away for a weekend of fun. Their first stop at a night club on their way is where the trouble begins. After having a few drinks Thelma (Davis) loosens up a little too much and her flirtatious behavior gains the attention of Harlan (Timothy Carhart), who is interested in more than just dancing. When Louise (Sarandon) finds things getting out of hand in the parking lot she instinctively tries to protect Thelma and winds up shooting and killing Harlan. Scared and not trusting that the police would believe their story, the two women take off. After some consideration, Louise decides that their best bet is to head for Mexico. Encounters with a handsome young drifter (Brad Pitt), an unsuspecting state trooper (Jason Beghe), and an offensive truck driver (Marco St. John), all trigger reactions that contribute to a crime spree which takes on a snowball effect. Although all of their choices may not be the wisest, it is still amazing to see the depths that each woman is willing to go to in the name of friendship. Watch as these two women transform from scared fugitives to defiant outlaws. Nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Actress in a Leading Role for both Sarandon and Davis, and winning the award for Best Writing; Thelma & Louise is absolutely one of my favorite movies! I give it five stars.
Rating:
Summary: A Classic!
Review: A superb road movie with a difference! Director Ridley Scott shrewdly puts himself in the women's driving seat and depicts a tale of two longstanding friends who go on a weekend spree to escape their usual, monotonous small-town routines. What they have in common is both are dissatisfied with their respective partners. However what is intended as a wild holiday turns into a nightmare. Thelma (Geena Davis) and Louise (Susan Sarandon) hit a nightclub on their first night of freedom. Louise catches the eye of a man who at the end of the night trys to rape her. Catching him just as he is about to proceed with his vicious attack, Louise shoots the man. They are then plunged into a series of adventures as they head towards Mexico, dodging the police and intending to begin a new life. It is subsequently revealed that Louise herself was raped some years before which explained why she hastily shot the would-be rapist. Brad Pitt also stars in one of his earliest apperances playing J D, where Thelma quickly succumbs to his somewhat cocky charm. The film actually seemed to be a watershed for both Michael Marsden and Harvey Kietel who both went to bigger things (including starring together in 1992's masterpiece Reservoir Dogs). Both their performances are effective in this with Marsden playing Louise's long-standing partner and Harvey Kietel as the understanding detective who is hot on their trail though surprisingly displays a lot of empathy for the fugitives situation. As the film neatly unfolds it seems to steer along the voyage of self-discovery. The rich dialogue is complimented by superb, highly effective and concentrated performances from both the versatile Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis. The ending is sure to leave a lump in your throat! There are also some magnificent, eye-catching shots of the Grand Canyon captured along the way. The soundtrack is equally enthralling including tracks from the likes of soul superstars such as The Temptations and Martha Reeves and all add to the effect of this classic masterpiece. Certainly one of the best road movies made after the fantastic Bonnie And Clyde! Whilst there are some great laughs to endure along the way, Thelma And Louise on the whole stands as a compelling and riveting drama.
Rating:
Summary: The Ultimate Buddy Movie.
Review: This is definately Ridley Scott's best film to date. Thema and Louise may be one of the most popular chick flicks, but you do not have to be a woman to like it. This film is the absolute perfect movie to watch with your best friend. The way that Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis take you into the lives of these two friends is amazing. On their jouney they encounter lots of characters including a perverted truck driver, and a young drifter played by Brad Pitt. The movie all in all is good, and I would definately give it two thumbs way way up.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding script, acting, and soundtrack
Review: This film has so many wonderful elements, from the funny little asides ("sir, you're standing in your pizza") to the lonely, still faces of the American West that the camera captures to examine against the wild exhilaration of Thelma & Louise's journey. There's mystery, too: what really happened to Louise in Texas?? All the performances beginning with Sarandon and Davis are outstanding, producing unforgettable characters. If I'm not mistaken, this was Brad Pitt's first major picture; who can forget his encounter with Thelma's husband in the police station? There's a strong feminist theme to be sure, but at heart the film is really about freedom, free will, the nature of criminality, and restraints on human behavior (and the consequences of lifting them). This is inherently understood by the police officer played by Harvey Keitel, who is deeply concerned for the well-being of the two fugitives from justice while showing no compunction about roughing up the petty crook played by Pitt. The icing on the cake: a GREAT soundtrack (available on CD, and definitely worth buying separately!)
Rating:
Summary: Road to Empowerment
Review: Road to Empowerment
Thelma & Louise inspired a wide range of criticism after its debut in 1991.
Brenda Cooper cites numerous reviews in her article "'Chick Flicks' as Feminist Texts: The Appropriation of the Male gaze in Thelma & Louise:" Sheila Benson's review represents one side when she accuses the film of being no more than "'bloody, sadistic or explosive revenge for the evils men do,' and ask[s] her readers: 'Are we so starved for "strong" women's roles that this revenge, and the pell-mell, lunatic flight that follows, fits anyone's definition of strength, or even more peculiarly, of neo-feminism?'" (par. 2). Cooper counters, "the film's alternative cinematic gazes that challenge and resist patriarchal construction [...] result [in] a subversive narrative that effectively negates complaints that Thelma (Geena Davis) and Louise's (Susan Sarandon) freedom is self-destructive and that male dominance is reaffirmed in screenwriter Callie Khouri's controversial screenplay" (par. 6). Although some critics have condemned the movie for its negative portrayal of women, in truth, Thelma & Louise is the story of two women's road to empowerment.
The opposition claims that the movie portrays women negatively because Thelma and Louise do not make sound decisions. The film does not require the audience to deny its personal values, but to consider the circumstances and reasoning behind Thelma and Louise's decisions. Cindy Griffin cities that, "The film also offers a vehicle for discussion on why Thelma and Louise behave the way they do and serves as a tool for educating individuals about the obstacles and oppression women face" (par. 19). Though the plot is plausible, it puts both the characters and the audience in the middle of extraordinary circumstances and requires them to react with what they have learned from life experience. The audience and characters react with totally different intentions and capabilities.
Thelma and Louise's choices prove quite logical considering the circumstances and their life experience. Thelma is the product of her lack of experience. Her life since high school has consisted of waiting on her abusive husband, Daryl (Christopher McDonald). Her naivety and need for affection and adventure stemming from her lack of life experience and loveless marriage are evident in her behavior with Harlan (Timothy Carhart) and J.D. (Brad Pitt). She enjoys the attention she receives from both Harlan and J.D. She does not expect anything bad to come of it. Her lack of experience is also evident in her lack of self-confidence. She doesn't know what to do after the shooting. When Louise refuses to go to the police, Thelma concedes like she does every day with her husband. She does not have the confidence to insist that she is right in any relationship.
Louise is in the same situation with different past experiences to draw upon. Louise is a few years older than Thelma, independent, and self-sufficient. She is painfully aware of the world and its dangers, and she rescues Thelma before she becomes a victim. Louise reacts from fear and pain, the source of which the audience does not learn until later. Fortunately, most women do not find themselves in this situation, but it represents reality for some.
Many of the seemingly erroneous decisions Thelma and Louise make result from the circumstances in which they find themselves. Jack Boozer states that the film "highlight[s] the larger social forces that drive [its] heroes to desperate acts" (par.10).
The Texas warrant for Louise's arrest and her mistrust of the legal system prevent her from going to the police. The theft of all their money prompts Thelma to rob the store. Their previous illegal acts and mistrust of the legal system require them to do whatever is necessary to escape. They trap a police officer in his trunk when he pulls them over for speeding. They blow up the semi simply because they have had enough. They will not passively put up with any more abuse from the vulgar driver or anyone else. Their suicide extends this same procurement of power. Their current situation provides only two choices: turn themselves in to the male dominated legal system that they both mistrust or choose the alternative to "keep on goin!"
The opposition also claims that Thelma and Louise's immoral behavior should not represent contemporary women. Again, however uncommon, these life situations do exist in real life. However immoral, Thelma and Louise are not amoral. Boozer states, "Thelma and Louise are disinclined to rob banks or trains as a calculated lifestyle. They are neither accomplices to nor promoters of male violence, much less neo femmes noir who seek financial advantage from it" (par. 8). They struggle morally with their actions and question whether or not they are doing the right thing. "They constantly articulate and interrogate their impulses, repeatedly checking by phone [by calling Hal (Harvey Keitel] to clarify their status" (par. 17).
Thelma and Louise's actions throughout the movie confirm their conscience. In the beginning, the shooting obviously affects them. Louise and Thelma's shock exemplifies the physical effects of the event. Thelma nearly swerves into a semi as they pull onto the highway, and Louise has to stop by the side of the road to vomit. "Force is neither liberating nor laughable for Louise, however, who continues to be traumatized rather than inspired or transfigured after the shooting," Boozer writes. "Violence does have repercussions in this film, as much from the degrading word or sign as from the deed" (par. 25).
Later in the film, Thelma and Louise express their consideration for others as well as each other. Louise prevents Jimmy's (Michael Madsen) culpability in the shooting by refusing to tell him what happened. She later confesses to Thelma: "I think I fucked up. I think I got us in a situation where we both could get killed." Thelma assures her that they had no other choice. Louise reciprocates later when Thelma takes the blame for their situation by telling her, "If there's one thing you should now by now, this was not your fault!"
Finally, the opposition claims that Thelma and Louise's behavior fuels the stereotype that women are weak, irrational, and impulsive, and the ending renders male dominance the victor. On the contrary, Thelma and Louise may not make decisions that the audience considers correct, and their actions may be in response to the situation they find themselves in; but they make conscious choices and are not dissuaded from their chosen course. Boozer writes that the film emphasizes "their shared determination to regain control of their private destinies" (par. 14). Louise makes her decision not to go to the police and adheres to it even after Jimmy's proposal. Cooper quotes Mann, writing that Thelma not only "gain[s] sexual liberation in her relationship with J.D.; she also gains the opportunity to play out his life story, to adopt a dominant male role when she performs her gun waving bandit act which J.D. taught her" (par. 37).
The ending creates the most controversy, and critics claim that the suicide proves the failure of Thelma & Louise to convey a feminist message. Cooper writes, "Some would argue that [...] [in] the suicide ending [...] the women are 'punished' for their resistance, and masculine control is reaffirmed" (par. 49). Actually, the suicide ending affirms their newfound control over their own lives. McHugh writes, "the film points [...] to male aggression, economic limitations, and the constraints of their respective feminine roles (wife and waitress) as their motivation to 'keep on goin'" (par. 21). Cooper adds, "[...] Thelma and Louise's decision to die together can be read as the final stage in feminist consciousness-positive action for change-both personally and societally [sic]" (par. 49).
In conclusion, despite criticism that Thelma & Louise negatively depicts its female protagonists as either victims or criminals, the positive example of two women choosing conscious action rather than passivity is undeniable. Thelma and Louise transform completely during the film, which substantiates their strength. Cooper cites, "it is precisely this change from 'dependence on men to female independence' that transforms the film's narratives into an 'inner journey into feminist self-awareness,' as spectators watch Thelma and Louise become 'self-reliant and heroic rather than helpless and scared'" (par. 54). Thelma and Louise realized their potential on their road to empowerment.
Works Cited
Boozer, Jack. "Seduction and Betrayal In the Heartland: Thelma and Louise."
Literature/Film Quarterly 23.3 (1995): 35 pars. Humanities Abstracts. First Search. Northern Illinois University Libraries, DeKalb, IL. 22 March 2004 .
Cooper, Brenda. "'Chick Flicks' as Feminist Texts: The Appropriation of the Male Gaze
in Thelma & Louise." Women's Studies in Communication 23.3 (Fall 2000): 60 pars. Humanities Abstracts. First Search. Northern Illinois University Libraries, DeKalb, IL. 22 March 2004 .
Griffin, Cindy. "Teaching rhetorical criticism with Thelma and Louise."
Communication Education 44.2 (April 1995): 31 pars. Humanities Abstracts. First Search. Northern Illinois University Libraries, DeKalb, IL. 22 March 2004 .
McHugh, Kathleen. "Women in traffic: L.A. autobiography." South Atlantic Quarterly
97.2 (Spring 1998): 33 pars. Humanities Abstracts. First Search. Northern Illinois University Libraries, DeKalb, IL. 22 March 2004 .
Thelma & Louise. Dir. Ridley Scott. Perf. Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Harvey
Keitel, Michael Madsen, Christopher McDonald, Stephen Toboluwsky, Brad Pitt,
and Timothy Carhart. MGM, 1991.
Rating:
Summary: A modern classic
Review: I saw an interview with Susan Sarandon, and she said that "Thelma and Louise isn't about feminism, it's about human liberation." I completely agree. If you put the sexual politics aside, what you have is a story of two human beings who have spent their whole lives being oppressed and controlled by other people. Louise (Sarandon) is a waitress with a tragic past and an unreliable boyfriend. Thelma is a housewife with an arrogant, controlling husband. The two decide to embark on an impromptu vacation, but while stopping for a couple of drinks at a redneck nightclub, Thelma is almost raped by a lecherous customer, and Louise shoots and kills him in the parking lot. Instead of going to the police, the two decide to skip the country and head to Mexico, but a string of unfortunate events forces the two to commit even more crimes, turning them into bona fide fugitives and outlaws. Strangely, what the two characters discover is that their new lives as outlaws are more satisfying than the stifled lives they led before. At the end of the film, the two make a choice to remain free and never surrender, despite the consequences. This film asks the question: is the only way to be free in our society to be an outlaw? The answer just might be yes.
Rating:
Summary: Two Fugitives On the Run
Review: "Thelma And Louise" is one of the most memorable and one of the best films of 1991. This Oscar-winning film takes audiences on a journey into a road trip that takes an unplanned turn. Once Thelma (Geena Davis) has a close encounter with a rapist, their lives change forever. After Louise (Susan Sarandon) kills the rapist, the action starts and never stops until the film's end. The plot was written brilliantly. They combine comedy, drama, and action wonderfully. Their run from the law offers audiences many twists and turns as they encounter unpleasant visiters. The intensity keeps audiences guessing their next move in every scene. Only one other fugitive film comes close to the quality of "Thelma And Louise": "Bonnie And Clyde". However, no other film released before, during, and after matches the uniqueness. Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon add their own sense of theme in their Oscar-nominated roles for Best Actress. Their words and emotions are flawless from their Texas accent to their intense life struggles. All other actors perform their roles beautifully, including the then-unknown Brad Pitt. "Thelma And Louise" is a great film for those looking for a great action drama. This unforgettable experience is sure to continue pleasing audience for many more years.
|
