13) Thelma & Louise
With Ridley Scott directing from an Academy Award-winning screenplay by Calllie Khouri, Thelma & Louise is renowned for its reinvention of the stereotypical road-movie trope – featuring two female characters in the lead, as opposed to the more traditional male ‘buddy’ pairing. In the story, Thelma (Geena Davis) is trapped in a suffocating marriage with a controlling husband. Her friend, Louise (Susan Sarandon), is a forthright, fiercely independent waitress. The two friends head off for a two-day vacation in Louise’s convertible, but very quickly, their trip takes them in unexpected directions.
Stopping at a bar, Thelma dances with a local man. As she gets increasingly drunk and – out of sight of Louise – her dance partner follows her into the parking lot and attempts to rape her. Finding them, Louise threatens the attacker with Thelma’s gun – which halts the attack. However, as the two friends are walking away, the rapist yells insults at them – enraging Louise, who turns and shoots him dead. This event spins the movie on its head, turning Thelma and Louise into fugitives, wanted for murder.
Though their journey ends with an iconic scene atop the Grand Canyon, their journey up until that point is what inspires us to do more with our lives. In the first instance, it encourages us to simply break from the shackles of dependence and control, and hit the road. There’s a big world out there, and there’s no point letting it pass you by, just because someone else says so. Secondly, it is a beautiful demonstration of the importance of connection. Thelma and Louise fight, bicker and disagree, but ultimately, they are accepting of each other, and experience an unconditional love and understanding that they have yet to find elsewhere. Thirdly, in presenting an accurate picture of women as people – with all the experiences and difficulties that go along with that – it encourages us to take a look at our own lives and attitudes, and view them from a different perspective.
In this way, the film inspires us to challenge misogynistic behaviour, having a small but vital impact on much-needed social change.