Thelma & Louise is one of those unfortunately all too rare movie gems which really engages the viewer. Watch it with a good friend and you'll find yourselves energised by the zest for life displayed by Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon in their stand out performances. Like Thelma and Louise, you'll want to ditch your jobs for the weekend and beg, borrow or steal a classic convertible car, before setting off on a road trip adventure along the USA's dusty mid-western highways.
The premise of the film is simple - put two ordinary people in an extraordinary situation and watch what happens as events start to snowball. Davis's bored housewife and Sarandon's diner-waitress are typical of thousands of women the world over. A chance encounter on the way to a run-of-the-mill weekend holiday in the mountains starts a chain of happenstance that thrusts the two friends into a situation where there are no signposts and no rules.
Thelma & Louise is often classified as a 'chick flick', but this is perhaps somewhat misleading. Certainly it is true that this is a film about two women, and the men in the story are shown as ineffectual or lacking in understanding (although watch for an entertaining appearance by Brad Pitt which is regarded as his breakthrough role). However one of the main themes dealt with is the emotive and perennially grey area surrounding attempted rape and how the reporting of it is dealt with - this is clearly not the fluff and insubstantiality usually associated with chick flicks. However, despite this and despite the outcome of the film (which on one level could be viewed as tragic), the brilliant and insightful cinematography of Ridley Scott leaves the viewer upbeat and with a tremendous sense of freedom.
The premise of the film is simple - put two ordinary people in an extraordinary situation and watch what happens as events start to snowball. Davis's bored housewife and Sarandon's diner-waitress are typical of thousands of women the world over. A chance encounter on the way to a run-of-the-mill weekend holiday in the mountains starts a chain of happenstance that thrusts the two friends into a situation where there are no signposts and no rules.
Thelma & Louise is often classified as a 'chick flick', but this is perhaps somewhat misleading. Certainly it is true that this is a film about two women, and the men in the story are shown as ineffectual or lacking in understanding (although watch for an entertaining appearance by Brad Pitt which is regarded as his breakthrough role). However one of the main themes dealt with is the emotive and perennially grey area surrounding attempted rape and how the reporting of it is dealt with - this is clearly not the fluff and insubstantiality usually associated with chick flicks. However, despite this and despite the outcome of the film (which on one level could be viewed as tragic), the brilliant and insightful cinematography of Ridley Scott leaves the viewer upbeat and with a tremendous sense of freedom.