History Film / ThelmaAndLouise

* BolivianArmyEnding: Though the general consensus on what happened is [[spoiler:they both died. There's... pretty much no way of surviving ''plunging into the Grand Canyon''.]]

* CerebusCallback: Thelma and Louise take a Polaroid photo of themselves at the start of their trip and stick it to the rear view mirror in the car. The photo flies off the mirror just as the car goes plunging into the Grand Canyon.

* FreezeFrameEnding: The ending. The film ended on the duo driving their car into the Grand Canyon, freezing mid-flight.

** Thelma leaves the money she and Louise were going to use to start a new life (or at least get them as far as Mexico) in a room with a known shoplifter. And when J.D. of course takes the money, she robs a convenience store to pretty much seal her and Louise's fates. She also told J.D. they were headed to Mexico, which he tells the police when they catch him.

* RunForTheBorder: The ladies decide to go to Mexico after killing Harlan.
* SecondFaceSmoke: Louise blows one to Harlan.

* ShootTheFuelTank: Not just the fuel tank, but the whole damn truck.

* PoliceAreUseless: Subverted. The police figure out very quickly who Harlan's murderers were, where they were headed and eventually where they are. Investigator Slocumb also gives them multiple opportunities to turn themselves in.

* HandsomeLech: Harlan is a seemingly charming good ol’ boy, but the reality is that he’s an aggressive shit.

* HostileHitchhiker: Downplayed: the otherwise friendly hitchhiker ends up stealing all their money.

%%* HandsomeLech: What Harlan the rapist is implied to be.

%%* HeterosexualLifePartners: Thelma and Louise.

* EverythingIsBigInTexas: Subverted slightly, in that they're going out of their way to ''avoid'' Texas, but they're in the same general area. Lots of glorious wide-frame shots show off the beauty of vast stretches of empty desert landscape, the sky, and a highway that seems endless.

A 1991 British-American film directed by Creator/RidleyScott and starring Creator/GeenaDavis and Creator/SusanSarandon, ''Thelma & Louise'' became one of the most iconic films of the decade. Scott, Davis, and Sarandon all received UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nominations, while screenwriter and ''[[WhatCouldHaveBeen intended director]]'' Callie Khouri grabbed the Oscar for her screenplay.

Rather than face almost certain prosecution, the duo decide to hit the road to Mexico; along the way, they are pursued by a sympathetic FBI agent named Hal Slocumb (Creator/HarveyKeitel). As they experience freedom they never had before, the long arm of the law finally corners them at the top of Grand Canyon. In one of the most iconic--and infamous--endings in cinema history, instead of surrendering, the two decide to... [[BolivianArmyEnding well...]] If you read the lyrics below the image, you'll get it.

** The trucker who follows and sexually harasses them on the highway. Their response? ''[[DisproportionateRetribution Blow up his entire truck]]''. They had given him three chances to apologize, and he insulted them every time. The first, without retaliation. The second, they shot his tires. The third... he had it coming.

* BolivianArmyEnding: Though the general consensus on what happened is [[spoiler:they both died. There's... pretty much no way of surviving ''plunging into the Grand Canyon''.]]

** Thelma is technically cheating when she dances with Harlan, but because her husband is shown to be a possessive asshole, she's shown sympathetically. She stops short of kissing, and even tries to fend Harlan off with "I'm married". Louise also says this will count against her if the matter goes to court - as a prosecutor would try to paint a rape victim as a liar trying to cover up her infidelity.
** Thelma sleeping with J.D. later is considered a-OK by the narrative because she has symbolically ended her relationship with Darryl - even if not legally.

* JerkAss: Harlan, Darryl, and the truck driver are all transparently repugnant. Harlan is even (out of sheer stupidity) DefiantToTheEnd when Louise points a gun at him in the most crass way possible.

* TheLopsidedArmOfTheLaw: Over the course of the film, Thelma and Louise [[CrimeOfSelfDefense murder a rapist]] (and Louise insists that there is no way they'd be able to get away with claiming self-defense because [[NoodleIncident of her murky past]]), rob a gas station and shoot ([[MadeOfExplodium and accidentally blow up]]) a fuel tanker (to get back at another mysoginist jerk). The police manhunt to get them very quickly turns into a Federal matter and ends with them surrounded, at the edge of the Grand Canyon, by a battalion of heavily-armed police officers.

* MexicanStandoff: How the movie ends... [[TakeAThirdOption until Thelma has another idea]].
* MrFanservice: Brad Pitt shows a ''lot'' of his toned bod in the film, which is kind of the point.
* NiceGuy: Jimmy. Especially ironic, considering his actor Michael Madsen is known for playing psychopaths.

* AllMenArePerverts: TheMovie: both women's partners are bullies, Harlan tries to rape Thelma, and J.D. [[spoiler:steals all their money]] though Hal and Jimmy are exceptions.

** Thelma sleeping with JD later is considered AOK by the narrative because she has symbolically ended her relationship with Darryl - even if not legally.
* GleefulAndGrumpyPairing: Thelma is the sweet, open-minded, and naive friend, while Louise is hardened, cynical, and [[DeadpanSnarker snarky.]]

* HeroAntagonist: Slocumb is the antagonist, but he's a detective trying to catch two criminals, and does his best to grant them as much leeway as possible. When Thelma robs the gas station, he chews out JD for robbing their money and therefore forcing them to commit more crimes.

* JerkAss: Harlan, Darryl, and the truck driver. Harlan is even (out of sheer stupidity) DefiantToTheEnd when Louise points a gun at him in the most crass way possible.

** Thelma leaves the money she and Louise were going to use to start a new life (or at least get them as far as Mexico) in a room with a known shoplifter. And when JD of course takes the money, she robs a convenience store to pretty much seal her and Louise's fates. She also told JD they were headed to Mexico, which he tells the police when they catch him.

A 1991 film directed by Creator/RidleyScott and starring Creator/GeenaDavis and Creator/SusanSarandon, ''Thelma & Louise'' became one of the most iconic films of the decade. Scott, Davis, and Sarandon all received UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nominations, while screenwriter and ''[[WhatCouldHaveBeen intended director]]'' Callie Khouri grabbed the Oscar for her screenplay.

[[caption-width-right:310: ''"[[Music/BBKing Better not look down, if you want to keep on flying, put the hammer down, keep it full speed ahead. Better not look back, or you might just wind up crying, you can keep it moving, if you don't look down.]]"'']]

%%* AllMenArePerverts: TheMovie, though Hal and Jimmy are exceptions.

* PlatonicKissing: Right before the car goes over the cliff, the protagonists kiss and hold hands. It's a moment of platonic friendship declaration rather than a romantic gesture.

** Louise has one that kicks off the plot. She has no good reason to kill Harlan when she does. He'd released Thelma, was no longer a threat to them, and both were walking away from him. He just happened to push her BerserkButton with his insults. Doing it that way meant there'd be little chance of claiming self-defense (as she later points out), and fleeing the scene just made things worse.

* RunForTheBorder: The ladies decide to go to Mexico.

* FromBadToWorse: Thelma and Louise's road trip keeps getting worse.

%%* JerkAss: Harlan, Darryl, and the truck driver.

-->'''Thelma:''' Let's keep ''going''.