Thelma & Louise

[flick]

I'm watching Thelma & Louise, having recently seen it mentioned in an article, for possibly the first time ever (I remember seeing the ending before, the rest of the film is a bit of a blank to me).

This may be a generational thing, but... wow, that's a bit shit.

Are headscarves on women actually accurate for early nineties non-religious US women? Ditto for most of the first half hour.

And, yes, it passes the Bechdel Test. Because, you know, the women in it are discussing their own reactions to rape and spousal abuse. While the FBI are running after them for shooting a rapist. And Johnny Depp wanders to and fro having not-entirely-consensual sex with one of them before robbing her.

Yeah, great. I think I'd rather watch Heathers. At least it doesn't try to be appealing to the women folk. It just lets them blow things up.

Comments

[onyxlynx]

Er, that's Brad Pitt, not Johnny Depp. (Although yes, in certain senses, they're interchangeable.)

[flick]

Oops, my bad. It's still a bloody poor film....

(Other than the sound track, natch.)

[bibliofile]

The headscarves are fine and, really, required for driving in a convertible. Those scarves, like the car, are probably more retro than anything.

Hey, what have you got against blowing things up? Because usually the women don't get to do it if there are men around.

[con-girl.livejournal.com]

I hated the movie when it came out. I didn't believe the characters, the ending, the plot. The roles felt that the writers just decided to write a movie as though it were male leads and write in girl names. Given how much I despise gender stereotyping, you might think that I would LOVE a movie where a girl gets to do everything a guy can do. But it was too cardboardie and the ending - well that just put me in mind of 1940s lesbian porn where the people living alternative lifestyles come to bad ends.

HATE, HATE, HATE.

[flickgc.livejournal.com]

Having never actually sat down and watched it before*, it was just shite.

* I wandered off a few times. I don't think I missed much.

[pickledginger.livejournal.com]

I thought it was kind of okay until about halfway thru - c'mon, look at the cast! - but, oh, man, the ending?

"Uppity women must die! No, even better, self-destruct!" How uplifting is that. Gah.

And then they pitch it as empowering. Riiiiiight. Empowering grown women to act like 17-year-old boys on a rampage. Great.

How about empowering your way to a nice vendor of fake IDs, a getaway car that isn't classic eye candy, and a new life Someplace Else, instead.

I thought it was pretty toxic, really. As you say, a noir-ish Morality Tale masquerading as rebellion. Next stop, A Handmaid's Tale. What were the co-stars thinking?

[guybles.livejournal.com]

Never watched it, and never cared to.

However, I wouldn't be surprised that you'd rather watch Heathers. That's rather like saying you quite enjoy breathing.

[flickgc.livejournal.com]

I suspect that you are saying something to which, if I were sufficiently deviously minded, I would say 'hmph'. But, instead, I shall simply nod knowingly....

[hazelchaz]

What's "Heathers?"

[flickgc.livejournal.com]

Utterly fabulous film. Well, I think so!

[guybles.livejournal.com]

It's like I know you or something.

[nils.livejournal.com]

I think you're confusing Johnny Depp with Brad Pitt.

[flickgc.livejournal.com]

Apparently so!

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Yes to the headscarves, given an open-top car.
I found it disposable. It was marketed as a buddy film for women -- girls are just like boys really! -- and it works on that level. But feminist? No.