Thelma & Louise [M]

Two friends, a bored and neglected housewife named Thelma and a world-weary waitress named Louise, sneak off to go on a three day getaway. But when they stop to take a drink and have a nasty encounter with a drunken would-be rapist, the trip takes a turn for the worst. The two are now on the run from the law and their circumstances are only going from bad to worse. Yet, despite it all, they discover what it can really mean to “live”.  

This is a very poignant and significant movie for a whole lot of reasons. My real love for it comes from the simple fact that it is the ultimate “fuck it” movie. Everyone in the world has had those moments in life when their situation is so shit that they neglect all rules and morals, merely say “fuck it” and go it their own way. From the first taste of harmless fun that the girls experience to their later indulgence of homicidal vandalism, Thelma & Louise is a fabulous movie and one that feminised a genre that was, until its release, the dominion of men. What can you say? Fuck it. 

Two friends, a bored and neglected housewife named Thelma and a world-weary waitress named Louise, sneak off to go on a three day getaway. But when they stop to take a drink and have a nasty encounter with a drunken would-be rapist, the trip takes a turn for the worst. The two are now on the run from the law and their circumstances are only going from bad to worse. Yet, despite it all, they discover what it can really mean to “live”.  

The movie is wonderfully contrasting, something that makes its dramatic and emotional punch all the more forceful. Set against the beautiful and dreamlike landscape of south America, the story is one that again, takes a jab at the idea of the American Dream. The dreamlike landscape enforces that idea of freedom for all, but the story of the two women takes a snarling jab at that. Both the characters of Thelma and Louise are ones who, on the surface, seem happy. But, through the course of the movie, we learn that, even in a society of sexual equality, both women are oppressed and wronged by men. To say that it’s a feminist movie would be superficial because there are just too many lenses through which to look at it that make it influential and poignant. When looked at generally, the film says a big “fuck it” to injustices of all kinds: sexual, political, pretty much anything. 

Special applause has to be given to the two leading ladies. Susan Sarandon as Louise delivered a wonderfully weary and deeply frustrated performance, all the time somewhat reserved whiles Geena Davis who plays Thelma is adorably naïve, open, and eager to indulge. 

Starring Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen, Christopher McDonald, Steven Tobolowsky, and Brad Pitt, Thelma & Louise is a fantastic movie with heroines that everyone can relate to. Packed with action, sex, drama, car chases, robberies, comedy, and great girl friends portrayal (the chemistry between the heroines was just wonderful), it’s a film that you see more of every time you watch it, enjoying then all the more.