Essay Questions

Why was this film so controversial upon its release?

There were several reasons for the film's controversy; it was unusual to see two female characters on screen fulfilling the roles of the outlaws. Even when women have been involved in cross-country crime waves or the perpetrators of violence in this way, they are usually accompanied by a male partner, such as Bonnie and Clyde, or Mickey and Mallory Knox, not a female one, or they are serial killers, such as Aileen Wurnos, acting alone. This was one of the first films to show a female friendship that becomes something criminal in this way.

The film was also controversial because some critics complained that it showed men in a negative light, but this was a largely unfair and unfounded criticism; the men that Thelma and Louise meet are predominantly reprehensible people - but rapists should be shown in a bad light. Harlan, the would-be rapist, Darryl, the bullying husband, and J.D. the thief are all negative characters, but they are counterbalanced by Hal Slocumb, who immediately believes the women's account of Harlan's death, and Jimmy, who is in love with Louise and goes of his way to tell her so.

Louise tells Thelma that she has always been crazy, she has just never been able to express it. What does she mean by this and what precipitates this comment?

Thelma has been emotionally and physically trapped in a bad marriage, with not prospects and no way of escaping her unhappiness. There are also very few outlets for her to express her feelings and so she keeps them stuffed down inside without ever really indulging in any forms of self-expression. By contrast, Louise is a far more feisty and outspoken person in her everyday life, which enables her to feel less trapped by her circumstances than Thelma.

As the road trip continues, and Thelma breaks more and more laws, there is something in her that begins to feel liberated. She is also unable to control herself most of the time and most of the wild and truly criminal things that transpire on the trip are started by Thelma. She does not want to go back to her previous life because she feels more alive in this one, even if she is a fugitive. She believes that the trip has changed her, but Louise believes that the trip has merely enabled her to bring out what was already there in her character all along.