Thelma & Louise (1991)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Ridley Scott

Writer (WGA):

Callie Khouri (written by)

Release Date:

24 May 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Somebody said get a life... so they did.

Plot:

An Arkansas waitress and a housewife shoot a rapist and take off in a '66 Thunderbird.

Plot Keywords:

Waitress | Road | Police | Friendship | On The Road

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 12 wins & 21 nominations

Cast

Susan Sarandon	...	Louise
Geena Davis	...	Thelma
Harvey Keitel	...	Hal
Michael Madsen	...	Jimmy
Christopher McDonald	...	Darryl
Stephen Tobolowsky	...	Max
Brad Pitt	...	J.D.
Timothy Carhart	...	Harlan
Lucinda Jenney	...	Lena - the Waitress
Jason Beghe	...	State Trooper
Sonny Carl Davis	...	Albert
Ken Swofford	...	Major
Shelly Desai	...	East Indian Motel Clerk (as Shelly De Sai)
Carol Mansell	...	Waitress
Stephen Polk	...	Surveillance Man
Rob Roy Fitzgerald	...	Plainclothes Cop
Jack Lindine	...	I.D. Tech
Michael Delman	...	Silver Bullet Dancer
Kristel L. Rose	...	Girl Smoker
Noel L. Walcott III	...	Mountain Bike Rider (as Noel Walcott)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Carey	...	Restaurant Customer (uncredited)
Charlie Sexton	...	Himself (uncredited)
Marco St. John	...	Truck Driver (uncredited)
Billy Tim	...	Man in Bar (uncredited)
Robert 'Bobby Z' Zajonc	...	State Police Pilot (uncredited)

Directed by
Ridley Scott

Writing credits (WGA)
Callie Khouri		(written by)

Produced by
Mimi Polk Gitlin	....	producer (as Mimi Polk)
Callie Khouri	....	co-producer
Dean O'Brien	....	co-producer
Ridley Scott	....	producer

Original Music by
Hans Zimmer

Cinematography by
Adrian Biddle		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Thom Noble

Casting by
Louis DiGiaimo		(as Louis Di Giaimo)

Production Design by
Norris Spencer

Art Direction by
Lisa Dean

Set Decoration by
Anne H. Ahrens		(as Anne Ahrens)

Costume Design by
Elizabeth McBride

Makeup Department
Leslie Ann Anderson	....	hair stylist
Richard Arrington	....	makeup artist
Anthony Cortino	....	hair stylist
Bonita DeHaven	....	makeup artist
Karl Wesson	....	hair stylist
Steve LaPorte	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Mel Dellar	....	unit production manager
Dean O'Brien	....	unit production manager
Garth Thomas	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
J. Tom Archuleta	....	first assistant director: second unit
Bobby Bass	....	second unit director
Steve Danton	....	first assistant director
Martin Jedlicka	....	dga trainee
Wendy Peterson	....	second second assistant director (as Wendolyn Peterson)
B. Scott Senechal	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Richard J. Bayard	....	construction coordinator (as Richard Bayard)
Walter Berner	....	swing gang (as Walter Berner III)
Gary Clark	....	paint foreman (as Gary A. Clark)
Addie Flores	....	labor foreman
Frank Galvan III	....	stand-by painter
Ross Harpold	....	assistant set decorator
Paul Arthur Hartman	....	swing gang (as Paul A. Hartman)
Michael W. Hirabayashi	....	assistant art director (as Michael Hirabayashi)
Roger M. Janson	....	construction foreman (as Roger Janson)
Alan S. Kaye	....	set designer (as Alan Kaye)
Sherman Labby	....	production illustrator
Jim Olson	....	construction foreman (as James Olson)
Victor Petrotta III	....	property assistant (as Victor F. Petrotta, III)
Vic Petrotta Jr.	....	property master
Richard R. Powell	....	swing gang (as Richard Raymond Powell)
James T. Randol	....	swing gang
Chuck Roseberry	....	assistant property master
Lazar Samarzich	....	greens assistant
Robert Butch Samarzich	....	greensman (as Robert L. Samarzich)
Monti Santilli Rainbolt	....	property assistant
Scott Snyder	....	construction foreman
Kenneth Turek	....	leadman
Mark Vitale	....	construction foreman
Larry R. Wehner	....	labor foreman

Sound Department
Michael A. Carter	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer (as Michael Carter)
Norman A. Cole	....	assistant adr editor (as Norman Cole)
Gordon Davie	....	assistant sound editor
Jeffrey J. Haboush	....	additional re-recording sound
Graham V. Hartstone	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Graham Hartstone)
Les Healey	....	assistant sound editor
Nicolas Le Messurier	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
John Poyner	....	adr editor
Bob Risk	....	sound effects editor
Timothy P. Salmon	....	boom operator
Jim Shields	....	supervising sound editor (as Jimmy Shields)
Keith A. Wester	....	production sound mixer
Sandy Buchanan	....	post-production sound assistant (uncredited)
Tommy Goodwin	....	adr mixer (uncredited)
Preston Oliver	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Dean St. John	....	adr recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Martin J. Gibbons	....	special effects technician
Todd Jensen	....	special effects technician (as Todd K. Jensen)
Tim Moran	....	special effects technician (as Tim J. Moran)
Stan Parks	....	special effects coordinator
Kevin Quibell	....	special effects technician (as Kevin S. Quibell)
Paul Stewart	....	special effects technician

Stunts
Gregory J. Barnett	....	stunt player (as Greg Barnett)
Bobby Bass	....	stunt coordinator
Bobby Bass	....	stunt player
Steve Boyum	....	stunt player
David Burton	....	stunt player
Terry Collis	....	stunt player
Bob Dewitt	....	stunt player
Kenny Endoso	....	stunt player
Tony Epper	....	stunt player
Glory Fioramonti	....	stunt double: 'Louise'
Diane Kay Grant	....	stunt double: 'Thelma'
Marguerite Happy	....	stunt double: 'Louise'
Billy Hank Hooker	....	stunt player (as Hank Hooker)
Buddy Joe Hooker	....	stunt player
Norman Howell	....	stunt player (as Norm Howell)
Billy D. Lucas	....	stunt player (as Billy Lucas)
John Meier	....	stunt player
Ann Melville	....	stunt player
Bennie Moore	....	stunt player (as Bennie E. Moore, Jr.)
Mary Peters	....	stunt player
Ronnie Rondell Jr.	....	stunt player (as Ronnie Rondell)
Mike Ryan	....	stunt player (as Michael C. Ryan)
David Webster	....	stunt player
Dick Ziker	....	stunt player

Camera and Electrical Department
Steve Adcock	....	second assistant camera
Andrew Aguilar	....	grip (as Andy Aguilar)
Paul Amorelli	....	best boy electric
Audie Aragon	....	best boy grip
David Canestro	....	grip
John Connell	....	aerial camera technician (as John A. Connell)
James M. Cox	....	electrician (as James Cox)
Tom Cox	....	chief lighting technician (as Thomas P. Cox)
Dennis Dodd	....	generator operator
Kenji Inouye	....	grip
R. Scott Judge	....	dolly grip
Aaron Katz	....	video assistant
J. Steven Matzinger	....	clapper loader
Daniel Mindel	....	first assistant camera (as Dan Mindel)
Bob Miyamoto	....	grip
Roland Neveu	....	still photographer
Kevin Newett	....	electrician
Stephen Patrick Norman	....	second assistant camera
David B. Nowell	....	aerial director of photography
Darrin Pulford	....	electrician
Brad Rea	....	dolly grip
Calmar Roberts	....	first assistant camera (as Cal Roberts)
Bob Rose	....	key grip (as Bobby Rose)
Erich O. Rose	....	grip
Joe Rowan	....	electrician
Michael Scott	....	camera operator
John Smock	....	electrician (as John D. Smock)
Alexander Witt	....	camera operator
Alexander Witt	....	camera operator: second unit

Casting Department
Ira Belgrade	....	casting associate
Dan Parada	....	extras casting: The Casting Group

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nisa Kellner	....	set costumer
Taneia Lednicky	....	key costumer
Janet Powell	....	set costumer (as Janet L. Powell)

Editorial Department
Audrey Evans	....	apprentice editor
Craig Galloway	....	assistant film editor
Bob Hart	....	negative cutter (as Bobby Hart)
Alexandra Leviloff	....	assistant film editor
David Orr	....	color timer
Julie Payne	....	post-production coordinator
Chris Peppe	....	assistant film editor
David Richards	....	apprentice editor
Antonia Van Drimmelen	....	assistant film editor (as Antonia van Drimmelen)

Music Department
Joachim H. Hansch	....	music executive: Pathe
Peter Haycock	....	musician: solo guitar (as Pete Haycock)
Blake Lewin	....	music coordinator
Kathy Nelson	....	music supervisor
Laura Perlman	....	music editor
Jay Rifkin	....	music recordist
Charlie Morgan	....	musician: drums (uncredited)
John Van Tongeren	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Lynn Collis	....	transportation captain
Terry Collis	....	transportation coordinator
Jerry Sidwell	....	transportation captain (as Gerald L. Sidwell)
David Trevino	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Robin Allen-Paris	....	production assistant (as Robin Allen)
Christine Baer	....	production coordinator
Paul J. Bellman	....	production assistant (as Paul Bellman)
Scotty Bergstein	....	assistant: Ms. Polk (as Scott Bergstein)
Sam Bernstein	....	production accountant
Gerald Bowne	....	craft service
Cary Burns	....	assistant: Mr. Scott
Larry D. Campbell	....	location assistant (as Larry Campbell)
Diana Campbell-Rice	....	production secretary
Stephanie Claxton	....	assistant production accountant
Tracy DeFreitas	....	assistant production coordinator (as Tracy Defreitas)
Joe Everett	....	unit publicist
Guiliano Gallo	....	caterer (as Michaelson-Gallo)
Anthony Goldschmidt	....	title designer
Tim Gonzales	....	craft service
Pauline Granby	....	assistant post-production accountant
Ken Haber	....	location manager: Utah (as Kenneth Haber)
Lisa Hackler	....	projectionist
Don Hildebrand	....	helicopter pilot
James Kelly	....	assistant location manager (as James M. Kelly)
Luca Kouimelis	....	script supervisor
Michelle Michael	....	first aid
Steve Michaelson	....	caterer (as Michaelson-Gallo)
Patrick Mignano	....	location assistant
Tim Monich	....	dialect coach (as Timothy Monich)
Michael Neale	....	location manager: California
Cee Ozenne	....	stand-in: 'Thelma'
David Paris	....	helicopter pilot
Patrick Spezialy	....	payroll supervisor
Deborah Stenard	....	stand-in: 'Louise'
Rob Stevens	....	accounting secretary
Julie Strain	....	stand-in: 'Thelma'
Artur Tarry	....	post-production accountant (as Arthur Tarry)
Phillip L. Tomalin Jr.	....	assistant: Ms. Sarandon (as Phillip Leslie Tomalin Jr.)
Kami Turrou	....	production assistant
Cynthia Zajonc	....	ground safety (as Cynthia V. Zajonc)
Robert 'Bobby Z' Zajonc	....	aerial coordinator
Francie Brown	....	dialect coach: Mr. Keitel (uncredited)
Kristi Frankenheimer	....	production associate (uncredited)
Jim Jaffe	....	product placement (uncredited)
Jon Sperry	....	dialect coach: Harvey Keitel (uncredited)
Larry Stelling	....	mechanic (uncredited)
Joe Straw	....	production accountant (uncredited)
Terrance Ottis Williams	....	post-production accountant (uncredited)

Thanks
Brett Palmer	....	the producers wish to give special thanks to: The San Juan County Film Commission
Bette Stanton	....	the producers wish to give special thanks to: The Moab Film Commission
Dale Stapley	....	the producers wish to give special thanks to: State of Utah Department of Transportation
Amanda Temple	....	the producers wish to give special thanks to

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
• Pathé Entertainment
• Percy Main
• Star Partners III Ltd. (in association with)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1991) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1994) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Alamode Film (2003) (Germany) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Columbus Film (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Tobis Filmkunst (1991) (Germany) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (video)
• Columbia Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (worldwide) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (Argentina)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (Spain)
• Warner Home Video (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Alpine/Luxman Electronics of America  the producers wish to give special thanks to (as Alpine Electronics of America, Inc.)
• Arches National Park  the producers wish to give special thanks to
• Brooks Athletic Shoes  the producers wish to give special thanks to (as Brooks Athletic Footwear)
• Bureau of Land Management  the producers wish to give special thanks to (as Bureau of Land Management, Utah and Colorado)
• Canyonlands National Park  the producers wish to give special thanks to
• Department of the Interior  the producers wish to give special thanks to
• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production
• Eastman Film  originated on (as Eastman Color Film)
• Gala Catering  catering
• Ghurka  the producers wish to give special thanks to (as The Ghurka Collection)
• Grisco's Animals  animal trainer
• Kawasaki  the producers wish to give special thanks to (as Kawasaki Motors Corp., USA)
• Kodak  film stock
• Lillie Yard Studios  music recorded at (as Lillie Yard Studios, London)
• MCA Records  soundtrack album on (as MCA Cassettes and Compact Discs)
• Moab Film Commission  the producers wish to give special thanks to (as The Moab Film Commission)
• National Park Service, The  the producers wish to give special thanks to (as National Park Service)
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Patrick Sport Shoe  the producers wish to give special thanks to (as Patrick Sport Shoe Inc., USA)
• Pinewood Studios  post-production facilities (as Pinewood Studios, England)
• San Juan County Film Commission, The  the producers wish to give special thanks to
• The Casting Group  extras casting
• Tony Lama Boots  the producers wish to give special thanks to (as Tony Lama Boot Company)
• Warner Hollywood Studios  additional re-recording at

Also Known As:

Thelma & Louise (France)
Thelma and Louise (USA) (alternative spelling)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language, and for some violence and sensuality.

Runtime:

129 min

Country:

USA | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Iceland:12 | Brazil:14 | USA:R (No. 31011) | Canada:18A (Canadian Home Video rating) | New Zealand:M | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:K-14 | France:U | Germany:16 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Peru:18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | Portugal:M/16

Filming Locations:

Bakersfield, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Callie Khouri first conceived the project in 1979. She was hired by Ridley Scott for a project called "Thelma & Louise" around 1980. Ridley Scott was going to produce, and Khouri was appointed as director. They were turned down by many studios, until MGM purchased the rights in 1981. But Khouri wasn't ready to direct the film, so Scott was going to direct himself. The movie was originally announced in 1981 for a 1983 release. Originally, Scott and Khouri wanted Natalie Wood for Thelma and Tuesday Weld as Louise. However, Wood died in 1981 and Weld quickly dropped out from the project, so this would never come to pass. A number of filmmakers were attached to Khouri's script including 'Brian de Palma', John Carpenter and Sidney Lumet. By 1988, Ridley Scott spoke of casting Mia Farrow, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Candice Bergen, Tuesday Weld, Meryl Streep, Liza Minnelli Jessica Lange, Isabella Rossellini or Jodie Foster for the role of Thelma; Michelle Pfeiffer, Melanie Griffith, Vanessa Redgrave, Glenn Close, Mary Steenburgen, Kim Basinger, Ellen Barkin, Goldie Hawn, Anjelica Huston, Sigourney Weaver or Lorraine Bracco would be considered for the role of Louise; Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson, 'Robert de Niro', Steve Martin, David Bowie, Tim Curry, Richard Gere, Pierce Brosnan or James Woods could be Hal; Kevin Costner, Bruce Willis, Rick Moranis or Chevy Chase would play Jimmy; Jon Voight, Willem Dafoe or John Travolta would be Max; and Christopher Atkins would be J.D.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Thelma robs the gas station somewhere in Oklahoma, she tells the clerk to throw in a bottle of Wild Turkey. In Oklahoma, you can only buy hard liquor at a liquor store, not at a gas station.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Louise Sawyer: Decaf or regular?
Girl in diner: Uh, regular, please.
Louise Sawyer: You girls are kinda young to be smokin', dontcha think? Ruins your sex drive.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Law & Order: Point of View (#3.9)" (1992)

Soundtrack:

Part Of You, Part Of Me

Is it anti-male?

A lot of people have dubbed this as a "chick flick" but I do not really like that term as it implies that men cannot enjoy watching it. Alien had a female lead and had parts that were sad but nobody would call that a chick flick. Also is every movie about male characters a guy flick? I thought this was a great drama and the acting was superb. No one can deny that this movie is a classic and has influenced the English language. I would also like to mention that I am a man. In response to people who bash the movie saying that it is anti-male; I would like to say that Thelma and Louise is simply a movie about situations that happen to women all too often. Women are raped everyday and women are abused everyday; this movie brings that into the light and says that it is not good enough. I do not believe that shooting the rapist was justified but at least he did not get away with it. The movie shows that by running away from your problems things only get worse. People have also commented that there are no men that are not portrayed negatively. Both the sympathetic police officer and Jimmy are likable characters. The purpose of this film was not to celebrate masculinity but to show two women breaking free from oppression. Not all women are raped or abused but it is something that is very common and it is relevant enough to be a theme of a movie.

I was very moved by the movie and I gave it a 9/10