Synopsis
Thelma (Susan Sarandon) and Louise (Geena Davis) head out on the highway for a well-deserved two-day trip. But then Louise is attacked, and Thelma shoots the would-be rapist, andeverything goes spectacularly to hell. One the one hand, this is a revisionist buddy road movie,with women instead of men in the leads. On the other hand, this is also the definitive buddy roadmovie, smarter and more exciting than any before or since.
Audio
The audio is terr…fic. Though there is some buzz on the dialogue, the music and sound effectshave a big, expansive presence. Rarely is an opportunity missed to pump up the environmentaleffect.
Video
The picture is very sharp, and is presented in a gorgeous 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen ratio.The flesh tones are fine. The contrasts could be a bit stronger, though, and there is a slightlymisty look to the colours.
Special Features
Loaded. Side One features two commentaries, 15 scenes of deleted footage (complete withoptional deleted footage marker), and the extended ending (with commentary by Scott). Scott, asis ever the case in his commentary tracks, is a fascinating speaker, and not only gives us lots ofinsights into the making of the film, but also situates the picture in the broader context of hiscareer. The other commentary is by Sarandon, Davis and writer Callie Khouri, and is a lengthy,scene-specific reminiscence of the shoot. Their reactions are interesting, as the film still seemsfresh for them.
Side Two offers a multi-part documentary: “Thelma & Louise: The Last Journey.” Coveredis everything from the genesis of the movie to the reactions that greeted its release. The tone maybe a little on the self-congratulatory side, but the feature is still interesting. The multi-anglestoryboard feature lets you look at the final chase scene as storyboards alone or in comparisonwith the actual footage. The other extras are the original featurette, a photo gallery, the theatricaltrailer, the home video trailer, three TV spots, the Hannibal trailer, a Glenn Frey video, and linernotes. The menu has an animated and scored main page and introduction. Otherwise it’s prettybasic, but is easy to navigate.
Closing Thoughts
This is the road picture to beat, and everyone involved is at the top of his/her game.Whatever you might feel about the arguments that have raged around the film, it is undeniablyexciting.
Special Features List
- 2 Audio Commentaries
- Deleted Footage
- Extended Ending with Optional Commentary
- “Thelma & Louise: The Last Journey” Documentary
- Original Featurette
- Storyboard Comparison
- Photo Gallery
- Trailers & TV Spots
- “Part of You, Part of Me” Glenn Frey Video
- Liner Notes
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