Thelma & Louise (1991)

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.

Director:

Ridley Scott

Writer:

Callie Khouri

Stars:

Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Harvey Keitel

Won 1 Oscar. Another 23 wins & 50 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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
Shelly Desai	...	East Indian Motel Clerk (as Shelly De Sai)
Ken Swofford	...	Major
Carol Mansell	...	Waitress
Stephen Polk	...	Surveillance Man

Storyline

Louise is working in a diner as a waitress and has some problems with her boyfriend Jimmy, who, as a musician, is always on the road. Thelma is married to Darryl who likes his wife to stay quiet in the kitchen so that he can watch football on TV. One day they decide to break out of their normal life and jump in the car and hit the road. Their journey, however, turns into a flight when Louise kills a man who threatens to rape Thelma. They decide to go to Mexico, but soon they are hunted by American police.

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Plot Keywords:

female protagonist | female bonding | waitress | police | friendship | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Adventure | Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Marco St. John is mentioned with the top billed cast at the beginning of the movie, but he's uncredited on the cast list at the ending credits.

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Goofs

When Louise phones Jimmy for the first time from the motel, the outdoor pool is visible and the sunbeds are in the shade. In the next shot of Thelma sitting by the pool, some of the beds are now in the sunlight.

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Quotes

Max: Uh, yeah, well, if she calls, just be gentle. You know, like, you're really happy to hear from her. Like you really miss her. Women love that shit.

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Connections

Referenced in K-On!: Gakuensai! (2009)

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Soundtracks

Part Of Me, Part Of You
Written by Glenn Frey & Jack Tempchin
Performed by Glenn Frey
Produced by Don Was
Co-Produced by Elliot Scheiner
Courtesy of MCA Records

User Reviews

Almost perfect road movie about two women on the run

Thelma and Louise is a rarity. It is a buddy movie about two women, and it is one of the best road movies to ever grace the screen.

Louise (Susan Sarandon) and Thelma (Gina Davis) are two friends who plan a road trip into the mountains for the weekend. Neither one of their lives seems exciting at the moment. Louise waits tables at the local diner and is also waiting on boyfriend Jimmy (Michael Madsen)who is always traveling and seems destined to never settle down. Thelma is a sexually repressed housewife who lives at home with a self-important husband (Christopher McDonald) who doesn't seem to care much for her at all except when she is not fulfilling her house-wife duties like having diner made and the house cleaned.

It is no wonder these two decide to take a trip for the weekend to the mountains to get away for awhile and have fun. Of course there is an event that happens not long after they have started their journey, and right after said event, things quickly spiral out of control as the two girls find themselves racing for Mexico with the law quickly on their heels.

This movie could've been just another boring road picture, but both Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon along with a fine script and clever pacing by director Ridley Scott, make it much better. Davis and Sarandon have great chemistry together, and the script is loaded with offbeat humor to go along with its clever story. The movie is never boring because Ridley Scott makes it so by slowing the pace down at the right moments, and then picking it back up when necessary. I enjoyed all the characters, including the minor ones which included a cameo by Brad Pitt as the young hitchhiker JD who Thelma quickly falls in lust with.

Some people may see this as the ultimate female picture, but I think it is more than that. Harvey Keitel is the inspector on the case who believes that these girls really aren't as bad as some may think, and his character is interesting as well because he seems to understand why everything involving the girls has lead up to this series of unfortunate events. Michael Madsen, as Louise's boyfriend Jimmy, also adds depth to his role as a man who though upset with what Louise is going to do understands and loves her still. These two characters add something more to the story which makes it less of a feminist picture without once taking away from the two leads. If that was even possible.

My only gripe with the movie would be the ending. Not the way it ended but how quickly it rushed to the end credits. I for one, like Roger Ebert who stated the same thing in his review of the movie, believe that the ending should of lasted a little longer before fading out. That's my only problem, and it's the only reason why the movie doesn't get a perfect score from me.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA UK France

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 May 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Thelma and Louise

Filming Locations:

Derby Acres, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$16,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,101,297, 27 May 1991

Gross USA:

$45,360,915

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$45,456,285

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pathé Entertainment, Percy Main, Star Partners III Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

130 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1