Barnes & Noble

Does Thelma & Louise make a serious statement about feminine empowerment, or is it just a good old-fashioned road movie with female protagonists? That’s the question that has been debated ever since this wildly popular movie first hit the big screen in 1991. An Oscar winner for screenwriter Callie Khouri, Thelma & Louise also garnered Academy Award nominations for director Ridley Scott (Alien) and costars Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis. These loyal friends throw off society’s shackles and turn a weekend road trip into a gen-yoo-wine odyssey -- and they both turn in remarkable work. Arkansas housewife Thelma (Sarandon) and sexy waitress Louise (Davis) first get into trouble when they hit a roadside honky-tonk. Before you know it, they’ve killed a would-be rapist and turned their joy ride into a major crime spree. Alternately serious and silly, this unassuming little movie became a bona fide cultural phenomenon. It still holds up, too: Like most pictures of its kind, Thelma & Louise exudes reckless exhilaration. It’s not, as some still maintain, about women versus men -- it’s about freedom. It’s spiffed up on the Special Edition DVD with a new transfer and accompanied by 30 minutes of recently rediscovered footage and an alternate ending. It also includes two different commentaries, one by Scott and the other by Sarandon, Davis, and Khouri. (Scott also comments during the deleted scenes.) The film’s alternate ending, storyboard-to-screen comparisons, and a Glenn Frey music video round out this very attractive and appealing package. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon play Thelma and Louise, two working-class friends who together have planned a weekend getaway from the men in their lives. Thelma's husband, Darryl (Chris McDonald), is an overbearing oaf, and Louise's boyfriend, Jimmy (Michael Madsen), simply will not commit. Though the road trip starts out as a good time, the pair eventually wind up at a bar. A tipsy Thelma ends up in the parking lot of the bar with a would-be rapist. Louise shoots the man dead. The two decide that they have no choice but to go on the run. They eventually meet up with a young criminal named J.D. (Brad Pitt), whose cowboy spirit rubs off on the timid Thelma. The pair is pursued by a police officer (Harvey Keitel) sympathetic toward their plight. He chases them to the Grand Canyon, where the women make a fateful decision about their lives. Directed by Ridley Scott, Thelma & Louise brought first-time screenwriter Callie Khouri many accolades including the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Product Details

• UPC: 883904120926
• Source: MGM (VIDEO & DVD)
• Time: 2:09:00

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Brad Pitt Triple Feature
• Fargo/Thelma & Louise
• Susan Sarandon Star Collection