How Thelma and Louise rode off into the sunset
Fasten your seatbelts as MARION MCMULLEN celebrates the 30th anniversary of a groundbreaking movie that helped to redefine female roles on the cinema screen
THE female road movie came of age 30 years ago with the cinema release of Thelma & Louise.
It saw Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon in the driving seat as best friends Thelma and Louise who find their lives changed forever when they decide to set off for a two-day road trip in the mountains.
The trip quickly turns into their worst nightmare as they find themselves hunted by the police and wanted for murder and robbery but Thelma is unrepentant and tells her friend “Louise, no matter what happens, I’m glad I came with you”.
The film opened in the UK on July 12, 1991, with adverts for the movie declaring “Somebody said get a life ... so they did.”
It’s now been three decades since the iconic movie saw the two friends drive through the Grand Canyon in their blue 1966 Ford Thunderbird.
Thelma was married to a bullying, controlling husband, and her best friend Louise Sawyer was a strong and sharp-tongued waitress.
Screenwriter Callie Khouri’s script has been celebrated as a feminist milestone for empowering women with its rule-breaking, allaction female lead roles, the type often reserved for men.
British film director Sir Ridley Scott brought the script to life and a few years ago said: “I remember reading Thelma & Louise and the executives were saying ‘Well, it’s two b**ches in a car.’ And I said ‘Actually it’s a little bit more than that.’ Originally I was supposed to produce and I offered it to four directors.
“One said ‘I’ve got a problem with the women.’ And I said ‘That’s the point, you dope. Clearly, you have big problems with women’.”
The petrol-powered female buddy movie went on to see Callie win an Oscar for best original screenplay, Ridley nominated for best director and both Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis nominated for the best actress awards for their performances. Callie accepted her Oscar saying “for everybody that wanted to see a happy ending for Thelma & Louise, to me, this is it”. The film also catapulted Brad Pitt to Hollywood mega-stardom as sexy charmer JD, but the casting of the film could have been very different. George Clooney auditioned five times for the role of JD and Mark Ruffalo also tried for the part. William Baldwin and Robert Downey Jr were both lined up to play the character at different points before Geena picked Brad. Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn considered the script when they wanted to make a movie together, but ended up filming dark comedy Death Becomes Her instead. Michelle Pfeiffer and Jodie Foster were also lined up to play Thelma and Louise, but had to drop out because of other commitments. Writer Callie thought of Holly Hunter and Frances Mcdormand in the lead roles while she was working on the script.
Five identical 1966 Thunderbird convertibles were used during filming and 24 police cars and three helicopters were needed for the movie’s famous climax.
Susan has said she added the kiss between Louise and Thelma, but only told Geena that she was going to kiss her in the final moments of the film.
The scene has become part of modern culture and singer songwriters Taylor Swift and Shania Twain recreated part of the movie for the CMT Music Awards 10 years ago.
Writer Callie said: “We did everything possible to make sure you didn’t see a literal death. That you didn’t see the car land, you didn’t see a big puff of smoke come up out of the canyon. You were left with the image of them flying. They flew away out of this world into the mass unconscious.
“Women who are completely free from all the shackles that restrain them have no place in this world. The world is not big enough to support them. They will be brought down if they stay here. They weren’t going to be brought down. So let them go. I loved that ending and I loved the imagery.”
Co-stars Susan and Geena attended a special 30th anniversary drive-in charity screening last month hosted by MGM and Cinespia at The Greek Theater in Los Angeles.
Susan, aged 74, and 65-year-old Geena perched on the bonnet of a similar version of the classic car from Thelma & Louise for the screening and, in a nod to the closing scene of the film, the pair locked lips as they posed for cameras.
Geena said in a Q&A before the screening: “What was so striking was the intense reaction to the film. Thelma and Louise end up driving off a cliff, and still viewers felt exhilarated by their story.
“It made me realise how few opportunities we give women to come out of a movie feeling inspired and empowered by the female characters. It changed everything about how I chose roles moving forward.”
They weren’t going to be brought down. So let them go. I loved that ending...
Screenwriter Callie Khouri