Still hits a nerve

“Thelma and Louise” has become such the first word in feminist empowerment since its debut in the 90’s that I forgot just how much fun this females on a rampage flick from Ridley Scott can also be. The road movie has seen its fair share of men on the run and so “T&L” offered a nice change but more noteworthy: Callie Khouri’s screenplay hits a few nerves and Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis are absolutely fearless.

Following unhappy waitress Louise (Sarandon) and unhappy housewife Thelma (Geena), two Oklahoma women treated as subservient by the men in their lives, the two decide to cut loose on a girls trip but wind up being public enemy #1’s by the cops (Harvey Keitel in the lead) when the ladies go on the lam after killing a man who attempts to rape Thelma.

Lousie is the practical one, given fierce edge and a discerning nature by Sarandon. She’s not perfect, she has a temper and expects more from people than she eventually gets but she is the smart one of the pair. Davis’s Thelma is more the scatterbrain, the one who’s coasted on not having to think very hard through most of her life and so has left herself easily ditzy, and also pliable to the wants and attentions of men.

As the story progresses it’s wonderful getting to see these characters learn from each other and inform and steel themselves more to what’s out there. Of course the friendship is also rich- that despite their flaws and their own issues, when it comes to supporting the other, they’ll both fight and claw with crazy abandon to ensure the other is safe or has what she needs. Emboldened by this friendship, both just get stronger.

That trying to prove foul play and self defense under our legal system is seen as less preferable than running is also very believable, probably even more so now, and while a majority of the men in the film are presented as no-good, lying, misogynistic, and careless, you get the feeling that these lower, middle class women often don’t attract the best of the best. Watching them fight back doesn’t come off as man-hating so much tired and fed-up, leading to one of the film’s best lines, “You be sweet to your wife. My husband wasn’t sweet to me, and look how I turned out.”

Ridley Scott proves deft at crafting serious scenes, such as the near brutal rape of Thelma in a parking lot, with scenes like the one just mentioned or when the ladies decide to teach a disgusting, vulgar truck driver a lesson. His vistas are also incredibly portrayed by DP Adrian Biddle, capturing the American west with all its dirt plains, vast skylines, and maybe most importantly to the wild and unforgettable ending of the film, its grand canyons.

And who can forget Brad Pitt, in his first starring role. His casting seems, at first, bent on giving the female audience something to oogle but it’s hard to not see the charisma in his hustler/drifter and the rest is history. Michael Madsen also finds some charm as Louise’ on again off again beau, while Keitel the empathetic cop. Less likable but better villains include Christopher McDonald, Timothy Carhart and Stephen Tobolowsky.

Overall, the film is a feminist parable without ever saying the word. It doesn’t have to. It’s clear to see the kind of men these women meet and how they suffer under it and its equally rewarding to see them turn Butch and Sundance in a bid for some respect. Do they have to martyr themselves to drive the point home? No. But how many times have men done the same and we’ve felt even more moved by it? That’s not just from seeing the death, that’s from seeing two incredible characters who really made an impact.

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