What Is . . . Thelma & Louise

The first ever selfie?

A few weeks ago, I decided to watch one of my favorite movies yet again: Thelma & Louise. I hadn’t seen it in several years and was curious if it holds up after over thirty years. What I found is that, not only does it hold up, but it is also, somewhat terrifyingly, just as relevant as ever (if not more so!).

I’m not going to recap the movie here, partly because I think everyone should watch it again. But if you do want a decent summary, the one on Wikipedia will do.

I’m writing about Thelma & Louise today because - if the endless texts and emails and TV commercials haven’t reminded you - there is a major election happening in less than a week. It may not be a presidential election, but it’s no less important, especially if you identify as a woman. After the end of Roe v. Wade, women’s rights are on the table. It’s more urgent than ever that politicians who support women, and support our right to manage our own bodies, get elected.

When Thelma & Louise first came out in 1991, it was considered controversial. Do you know why? Because people felt that too many of the male characters were portrayed in a negative light and the film was too violent because the women in it were too violent! When I read this a few weeks ago, my mouth dropped open.

Yes, most of the male characters in the movie are jerks. AND they’re all men that every woman has met at least once in real life. Not to mention, there’s one particularly offensive character who is even more relevant today than he ever was in 1991 (hint: it’s the truck driver, only today his hat would be red). As for the violence, the act that sets the whole story in motion is a man’s attempted rape of Thelma.

There are male characters in the movie who do care and try to do their best to help. Okay, there’s one: Harvey Keitel’s character. BUT, after centuries of women in fiction being portrayed in a negative light or with no agency of their own, people were actually offended by this? It kind of blows my mind.

Sadly, I honestly believe there are people who would still (after thirty years) find these characters offensive today. Who would still argue that the movie is overtly anti-male. That women shouldn’t act like Thelma and Louise. How do I know this? Because there are still people who want to limit women’s rights.

I’d be doing Thelma & Louise an injustice if I didn’t add that, as a story with compelling characters and great acting and stunning visuals, it’s also a damn good movie. The filmmaking holds up as well after thirty years.

It’s one of the movies that inspired me to go to film school and become a storyteller. It’s one of the few movies when I was growing up that was written by a woman, that portrayed well-rounded female characters, that wasn’t afraid to make a statement about being a woman in the world.

It’s one of the few movies that convinced me that I, as a woman, had stories to tell and the right to create them.

So, whether you want to watch an iconic good movie or a spot-on political statement, I highly recommend you watch (or re-watch) Thelma & Louise. It’s worth those two hours of your life.

To wrap it up, what is Thelma & Louise? An accurate depiction of the female experience and how women and their rights are undervalued (yes, still!) in today’s society. And a great movie!

Now, go watch some Thelma & Louise, remember to vote, and . . .

Stay Curious.