THELMA AND LOUISE

Review: Thelma joins her friend Louise on a short fishing trip. Things soon spiral out of control as Louise shoots and kills a man who tries to rape Thelma at a bar. Louise decides to flee Mexico, and Thelma joins her. It soon turns into a terrifying escape while a sympathetic detective named Slocumb tries to convince Thelma and Louise to surrender before their fates are sealed.
Director: Ridley Scott
Actors: Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen, Christopher McDonald, Stephen Tobolowsky, Brad Pitt, Timothy Carhart, Lucinda Jenney, Jason Beghe, Sonny Carl Davis, Shelly Desai, Ken Swofford, Carol Mansell and Stephen Polk
Year: 1991
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Crime and Drama
Conclusion: 4/5
A hugely entertaining and controversial road movie. Even though Ridley Scott did Blade Runner (1982) and Alien (1979) It wasn’t until this film that he really became what you call an ‘Actor’s director’. This is a really clever well- made film. For example, in the film the detective discovers that something has happened to Louise in Texas. There is a phone conversation where he is trying to get Louise to turn herself in and he says “I know what happened to you in Texas. The judge will take what happened in Texas into consideration”. We don’t actually know what happened to Louise and we don’t see any flashback or explanation. As an audience we don’t need to know, and it makes us use our imaginations as the film is so well crafted together. Ridley Scott helps us to understand these two characters and why they are doing what they are doing. Before Brad Pitt was cast apparently, George Clooney auditioned five times before being rejected. Also, Mark Ruffalo auditioned. The role then went to Robert Downey Jr, but Geena Davis then had a say and the role then went to Brad Pitt. At the climax of this film twenty-four police cars and three helicopters had to be used. The main theme in this film is the love between Thelma and Louise. Also hope is a major theme and we see this with the detective trying to talk Louise down. Thelma and Louise is now established as a cult movie. At the Academy Awards in 1992 this won one Oscar for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. At the Golden Globe Awards in 1992 this won one award for Best Screenplay – Motion Picture.