What Thelma and Louise Means To Me
‘Thelma & Louise’ is celebrating its 30th anniversary this summer.
Whoa.
I can still recall the very first time I watched this movie, in 1991. I was a 21-year old newly single mom, who had married at 19 (due to a combination of family pressure and a desire to escape said family), became a mother just shy of my 20th birthday, and by 21, living back with my parents with my baby son and going through a divorce and wondering, is this it? Of course, that wasn’t it…because life goes on but the scenarios that were being presented to me, in my then-current situation in life, well, they weren’t the most appealing. My parents, who were at best, controlling and at worst, manipulating, kept yammering in my ear that marriage was my best option. Having just tried ‘marriage’ i.e. playing house with another barely formed person and finding that version of life significantly lacking, I defied them and enrolled in community college, got a good but entry-level job as a concierge at a luxury, historical hotel resort (as I wanted to become a hotel executive and this was a good start) and juggled trying to be a mother, while my son and I were both being parented by my own mother and father in a suffocating living situation To say the situation was stressful, well, that is an understatement.
Books and movies have always been my ultimate escape. Immersing myself in a great story and transporting me to another place and time was what I loved best. I could also imagine myself the heroine, the protagonist, the adventurer — conquering challenges and creating new worlds. However, when I spoke aloud of trying something new or going outside the norm, I was told that the rest of my life was pretty well set and should go a certain way. The war inside myself manifested itself between the person that wanted love and acceptance of family and society, therefore following the path they laid out for me, and the person who wanted a million other things that didn’t fall under that so-called ‘safe’ umbrella.
During this fraught-filled time in my life comes ‘Thelma & Louise’, a movie written by a woman for women. I still remember the first time I watched this movie. I had never seen anything like it, not with women in the main roles at any rate. The ultimate hero’s journey, road-trip movie, buddy film, and romance all rolled into one.
The movie ‘Thelma & Louise’ might be the initial (and perhaps ultimate) inspiration for divorcing myself from societal norms and leading an ‘unconventional’ life. Though to be completely transparent, it would take me 20 years to really embrace a life where I defined success for myself, by myself and lived it, rather than living as a slave to old childhood beliefs, and terms dictated by society, peers, family, and media.
When the movie came out on VHS in the next years, I immediately bought it and it became a forever rewatchable film. Specifically, in the first 5 years after its release, I likely watched it a dozen times or more.
The story offered me excitement and hope and a glimpse of breaking out of a life dictated by others. I saw myself in Thelma [her journey from a victim — her husband ruling every moment of her life and the attempted rape by Harlan — to shedding those layers, owning her sexuality and taking control of a spiraling situation] and in Louise [seemingly strong but being ruled by the trauma of her past and her need to control every situation because of it].
The journey of Thelma & Louise and the people they meet on the way, the challenges they face and overcome, the choices they make good or bad, is all very exciting and makes for stellar movie-watching but ultimately the story of these two women shedding their past each step of the way and dictating their own resolution (even if the ending is dark) while having each other's backs — well, it was a story of hope for me then and still is now, 30 years later.
I thank Thelma & Louise for showing the 21-year old me that there more to the world of adult women than “winning a man” or living a traditional life and that life is about choices and those choices are ultimately up to you.
One of the themes that run through the movie is Louise’s saying: “you get what you settle for”. This is applied to Thelma’s husband, Daryl, and their marriage; to Louise’s own relationship with her commitment-phobic boyfriend, Jimmy, and, overall, the choices that both characters have made up to this point in their lives.
“You get what you settle for”
Yeah. The universe can throw a lot of stuff at you but ultimately we are in charge. We are the creators of our life.
THE ULTIMATE REWATCHABLE
On a lighter, general side, this movie is pretty perfect from beginning to end. The cast is amazing. Every single person in this movie is SLAYING. Thelma & Louise definitely holds up today and I will fight anyone who says otherwise.
One of the all-time best road trips, buddy films it is at once hilarious, sexy, tragic, thrilling, and empowering. I can’t even think of a “guy-centric” film that hits all those markers. But this isn’t about a contest between women-centric films and guy-centric films. That is a whole other discussion.
MOST REWATCHABLE SCENES:
Every single scene with Daryl — Thelma’s husband.
Played to absolute perfection by Christopher McDonald (who is now in ‘Hacks’ on HBO — another great female buddy story), Daryl is insane. He is the ultimate misogynist which could be a really ugly character but McDonald plays him as a man who watches his wife slip out of “his control” and he becomes so completely unhinged in the process in a way that is hilariously funny rather than dark. I’m not sure which scene I love more: with him and Harvey Keitel’s policeman, Hal, and Max of the FBI team, at Daryl and Thelma’s house or the one with him and Brad Pitt’s character, JD at the police station after JD has been with Thelma. ‘Daryl’ steals every scene he is in from open to close.
When Thelma meets JD — JD [Brad Pitt in the role that exploded him onto the film scene] is a sexy hitchhiker and approached Thelma to get a ride. He is so hot and the chemistry between him and Geena Davis is crackling.
JD and Thelma in the hotel room — HOT. One of the all-time horniest scenes. Ever.
Thelma meeting Louise in the diner after her night with JD. Hilarious and touching. If you know, you know.
When we meet Harlan — he is terrifying and I remember being shocked during the whole bar scene scenario
Thelma robs the mini-mart….the way this scene is presented, which is a videotape being played in the police station to Hal, Max, and Daryl and their reactions to the situation and the change in Thelma— all of it is amazing.
Louise & Hal on the phone — “I know about Texas” says Hal and things change even more for Louise.
Thelma & Louise get pulled over — the confidence of both women is just radiating off of them — they are so far away from their previous lives and nothing is certain but they are standing in their power. Also, it is so freaking funny.
Thelma, Louise, and the Trucker that has been traveling alongside them throughout the film — a badass scene of epic proportion. Hilarious and cheer-worthy.
Those are just some of my favorites but damn it the whole film is spectacular.
A big thanks to Callie Khouri, the writer of ‘Thelma & Louise’ for producing such a great story. She would go on to win the Oscar for best original screenplay for her work. The film also got nominations for Sarandon and Davis, both for Best Actress, the first time that ever happened that two women were nominated for the same category for the same film. Ridley Scott was also nominated for Best Director.
This weekend, in June 2021, there was a showing of Thelma & Louise as a drive-in movie experience, in LA, with Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis hosting from a replica of the classic convertible from the film. I have to say there isn’t somewhere I have wished I had been MORE (and that’s saying a lot, given these times) in recent memory. I saw a photo of them, kissing, and smiling and they look amazing. What a wonderful legacy.
I think tonight is going to be a rewatch of ‘Thelma & Louise’. I’ve lost count on how many times I’ve seen it but it never disappoints. I laugh, I cry and I get caught up in the magic. Every time.
What movie for you is the ultimate rewatchable? And why?
