Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Harvey Keitel

Two women leave their small town, taking off on a run for their lives, after one of them kills a would-be rapist.

Flixster Users

75% liked it

148,237 ratings

Critics

91% liked it

43 critics

R, 2 hrs. 9 min.

Directed by: Ridley Scott

Release Date: May 24, 1991

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DVD Release Date: February 4, 2003

Stats: 4,145 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (4,145)


  • November 19, 2009
    Thelma: Are you sure we should be driving like this, I mean in broad daylight and everything?
    Louise Sawyer: No we shouldn't, but I want to put some distance between us and the scene of our last goddamn crime.

    You know, with the number of spoofs and the memory women have of ...( read more)this young Brad Pitt role, it seems that people have forgotten how much of a good movie this is. Its well acted and directed, taking the road movie genre and adding a new dimension by putting two strong female leads in the main roles.

    Susan Surandon and Geena Davis star as best friends, both living shitty lives in Arkansas. Surandon's Louise is a waitress with a dark past and Davis's Thelmla is a bored housewife with a dick husband, played by Chistopher "Shooter McGavin" McDonald. Thelma and Louise ditch their lives for a planned weekend vacation between them, only to run into some bad trouble. While stopped at a bar, Thelma is nearly raped, with Louise arriving in time to defend her, killing the man in the process. Now the two are on the run. Along the way, the deal with a drifter/robber played by Brad Pitt and Thelma's boyfriend played by Michael Madsen.

    Louise Sawyer: You've always been crazy, this is just the first chance you've had to express yourself.

    Harvey Keitel also stars as a cop on the trail of the two women, knowing that they are probably more innocent than it would seem, hoping to catch them before they get into more trouble. He is aided by an FBI agent, played by the always awesome in a nerdy way, Stephen Tobolowsky.

    It may not seem like it, but between his sci-fi fantasy films and some epic/war flicks, Ridley Scott was behind the lens directing this picture and this clearly has the elements of a Scott film, albeit with added female empowerment themes making themselves very clearly apparent. Its a road buddy movie, but set in the midwest, there are plenty of large scale shots of the girls driving their car driving through vast landscapes, which is all handled quite well. The chemistry between the two feels quite natural and the way they develop over the course of the film is handled well enough.

    I really enjoyed all the performances here. Of course the two leads are great, but you have a handful of supporting actors who really shine as well. McDonald plays a good asshole, Keitel is understated as the good cop who could clearly be in badass Keitel mode if he wanted to be, but it is Michael Madsen who does great work here. Along with playing it too cool for school, his character has an added sense of vulnerability and sympathy that you just don't see in other roles usually reserved for the badass persona that Madsen can supply.

    Not being a country music fan, I can forgive the soundtrack just because Hans Zimmer does a great job with the film.

    The film feels a little long, only to break into its ending quite quickly, but its still enjoyable and well handled all around.

    Thelma: But, umm, I don't know, you know, something's, like, crossed over in me and I can't go back, I mean I just couldn't live.
    Louise Sawyer: I know, I know what you mean. Anyway, don't wanna end up on the damned Giraldo show.
  • September 24, 2009
    I found it a bit tiresome and unconvincing, just drive off the cliff already!
  • August 22, 2009
    Very entertaining! Sarandon and Davis were perfect choices for the characters they played, and the rest of the cast was good as well.
  • March 9, 2009
    A chick flick with a difference! The unfortunate escalation of events turns into an unlikely adventure of a lifetime when an innocent road trip turns into a unexpected rebelious crime spree.
  • March 7, 2009
    Great adventure movie. Thelma and Louise are best friends who get up to a lot of mischief when they're on the run - from murder, armed robbery to blowing up an oil tanker! Brad Pitt makes a cameo - he is very hot! Great road trip scenes through the Grand Canyon.
  • November 9, 2009
    It's very rare to witness such a chemistry between two actors. Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis were just spectacular making both their caracters lovable despite everything that happened to them during the movie. Pity for both of them that Jodie Foster was doin the performance of h...( read more)er lifetime in Silence of the Lambs and deprived them of well deserved oscars. Road movies are very hard to make but this one succeeded tremendously because of its brilliant screenplay. The thing that will really blow you away and project the film to another level is the climax ending. Classic Scene.
  • November 7, 2009
    marchalvdj@hotmail.com
  • November 6, 2009
    Brad Pitt looked hot here, not like now.
  • November 2, 2009
    susan, youre one in a million youre great!!!
  • October 19, 2009
    Add a review (optional)...

Critic Reviews


October 23, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

What sets Thelma & Louise aside from the great central tradition of the road picture is that the heroes are women this time. full review

March 19, 2003
Nick Schager, Slant Magazine

Thelma and Louise's feminist call to arms winds up sounding woefully simple-minded. full review

May 12, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

This wincingly funny, pertinent and heartbreaking road movie means to get under your skin, and it does. full review

View more Thelma & Louise reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • pbarquarterhorses
    October 20, 2009
    Check this out, the T-Bird that went over the cliff..... this truck has the engine in it.... For Sale on Ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170396713067&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMESELX%3AIT
  • 10162kyle
    February 19, 2007
    Super awesome, you haven't lived until you've seen it! I believe it's in the top 10 most romantic movies ever up to date.

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Thelma & Louise Trivia


  • In which movie did Johnny Depp NOT appear in?  Answer »
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  • In the movie Thelma & Louise, when does Thelma say, "Nobody loses their head, and nobody loses their head."?  Answer »

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