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Thelma & Louise (1991)
Starring Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Harvey Keitel, and Brad Pitt. Cinematography by Adrian Biddle. Editing by Thom Noble. Produced by Mimi Polk and Ridley Scott. Written by Callie Khouri. Directed by Ridley Scott.
Louise Sawyer (played by Susan Sarandon) is a middle-aged waitress endlessly waiting for a commitment from her traveling boyfriend (played by Michael Madsen). Thelma Dickinson (played by Geena Davis) is a sweet and reserved housewife, married to her high school sweetheart (played by Christopher McDonald) who has become more and more belligerent over the years. One day Louise convinces Thelma that they should get away for a weekend vacation.
The two women hop into Louise’s 1966 T-bird and hit the road. But the trip quickly takes a turn for the worst when on the first night Thelma is nearly raped by a stranger (played by Timothy Carhart) she has been flirting with. Louise intervenes and ends up killing the rapist with a handgun. Convinced that they would be prosecuted as murderers, Thelma and Louise head for Mexico. The police quickly give chase and the race for the boarder is on.
Ridley Scott’s extensive and diverse catalog of films showcases some of the most strong, independent, and memorable female characters seen in film. These empowered ladies include Pris from Blade Runner, Agent Clarice Starling from Hannibal, Lieutenant Jordan O’Neil from G.I. Jane, and of course Chief Warrant Officer Ellen Ripley from Alien. But never have any of Scott’s films provided such a strong feminist social commentary as that in his first film of the 1990’s, Thelma & Louise.
The film’s screenplay, written by Callie Khouri, was brought to Scott’s film development company Percy Main Productions about a year after he finished Black Rain. Percy Main’s executive vice president Mimi Polk was interested in Khouri’s script and forwarded it on to Scott who was just starting to search for new material for his next feature film. Scott was also very impressed with Thelma & Louise and was quickly on board as producer. But as the picture evolved through its developmental stages, Scott felt more and more drawn to it. He eventually reconsidered his role and in June of 1990 he was back behind the camera directing his seventh feature film.
Scott filmed Thelma & Louise entirely on location in California and Utah in a quick twelve week shoot. But despite the hurried pace, Scott remained maintained a relaxed attitude during the production; a notable change from his previous projects where he had been accused of being demanding and unapproachable. He has since cited Thelma & Louise as “the best time I’ve had making a movie”.
What also notably changed was Scott’s approach in the style of the film. Instead of using flashy camera techniques and intricately developed set pieces to drive the movie, Scott let the visual artist side of him take a backseat and relied on the characters to tell the story. Thelma & Louise ended up being a big hit with both critics and audiences. Not only did the picture earn six Academy Award nominations, it raked in almost fifty million dollars in US box offices receipts alone. After the disappointing 1980’s, it seemed that Ridley Scott was back in on top of the game.
Budget: $16,500,000
Total US Gross: $45,361,000
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 129 Minutes
US Release Date: 5/24/91
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Awards:
Academy Awards:
Won for best screenplay written directly for the screen.
Nominated for best cinematography, editing, actress (Geena Davis), actress (Susan Sarandon), and director.
Golden Globes:
Won for best screenplay.
Nominated for best actress in a drama (Geena Davis), actress in a drama (Susan Sarandon), and drama.
Directors Guild of America:
Nominated for the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures.
Writers Guild of America:
Won for Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen.
American Film Institute’s Top 100 Lists:
100 Years… 100 Thrills (#76)
100 Years… 100 Heroes and Villains (#24 Hero – Thelma Dickerson and Louise Sawyer)
100 Years… 100 Cheers (#78).
Tagline: Somebody Said Get A Life… So They Did.
Quote: “You shoot off a guy's head with his pants down, believe me, Texas ain't the place you want to get caught.”
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