Thelma & Louise
Thelma & Louise (1991)
In the mid 90’s this sitcom loving boy had two loves combined. Film and taking the piss. Or spoof, if you will. I was already hooked on the Hot Shots and Naked Gun films. I didn’t always know what they were imitating but part of the fun was finding out. Imagine my delight when comedy duo French & Saunders released an entire series of movie skits. A new one every week. It’s because of this sketch show that I was introduced to so many favourites of mine. I saw their take on Misery and Silence of the Lambs before I saw the originals. How Jennifer Saunders manages to look an exact replica of Ripley in Aliens and Meryl in Mamma Mia can only be attributed to witchcraft. They of course covered Thelma & Louise. I had no idea what was happening (it was hardly a deep dive into the plot) but they covered the iconic ending which was so shocking to me that a spell was cast and I had to research the source.
The story of two friends (Susan Sarandon and Gina Davis) taking a weekend break, when things take a terrible turn for the worse, resulting in them running from the law.
Thelma is sick of being taken for granted by her boorish husband and agrees to a fun trip with her waitress buddy Louise. When she’s attacked outside a bar Louise shoots the would-be rapist. Concluding that their only future now lies across the safe borders of Mexico they flee the scene. And it’s one frustratingly unfortunate encounter after the next. Seriously, their luck is just terrible. A young, and stunning, Brad Pitt turns up to rock Thelma’s world only to leave it in tatters. Poor Louise is bereft of hope. However, for us the audience, the knock-on effect in circumstances is exhilarating; high speed chases, stick-em-ups, explosions and the thrilling and unforgettable final ten minutes. There are even some powerful scenes of Susan Sarandon simply reflecting on life!
This film is probably so ripe for parody because it is one iconic set piece after the next. From Hans Zimmer’s western-era score complimenting the orange and blue landscape of the Southern States. The ‘66 T-Bird Convertible. The Polaroid selfie. The gradual dishevelling of their button-down clothing from neat headscarf to sweaty vests and truckers’ caps. It’s all so visually delicious.
The Oscars that year was pretty much owned by the impenetrable The Silence of the Lambs but this film offers stiff competition. Providing Ridley Scott with his first Best Director nomination (how did they ignore Alien and Blade Runner?). Sarandon and Davis stand shoulder to shoulder in the Best Actress category (thankfully they avoided the terrible trend these days of putting one in Best Supporting category to better their chances - I’m looking at you The Favourite) and deservedly securing the win for Best Original Screenplay for first time writer Callie Khouri.
It is the ultimate finger-up to what society expects of you. It’s about two women who are over being dictated to by men and ultimately ending the story on their terms. The infamous ending stays with you long after the flashback credits end. And despite the severity it’s oddly uplifting.
10 Hand-Clasping Thumbs Up! 👍🏻
