Blog 5 option 1

Thelma and Louise: Bechdel Test

by Aubrey Cameron

Thelma and Louise is a film that follows two friends on what starts out as a simple road trip for the weekend and turns into a wild chase from the law.

Thelma’s character is a stay at home wife, whose husband expects her to wait on him day and night. As a result of having an over controlling husband Thelma decides to just pack up her stuff and leave for the weekend with Louise because he would probably say no. At the beginning Thelma does what her husband wants until she leaves, which is when we see her rebel and talk about how she knows he’s cheating but what could she possibly do about it.

Louise on the other hand is very independent and doesn’t seem to let a man determine how she lives her life. Although this is the first impression I got, I soon realized Louise did have a man she wanted more attention from and even turns to this man to help her out when she and Thelma get themselves into trouble.

When Thelma suggests stopping to have some fun and grab something to eat, Louise can’t help but pull over. Unfortunately this is where they find themselves in trouble. Thelma spends her time getting drunk and dancing with the same man, until he sexually assaults her in the parking lot. Louise comes to the rescue of Thelma and ends up shooting the man. From this point on Thelma and Louise spend their whole trip running from the law. Every time they come up with what seems like a good plan they get themselves into further trouble with the law.

Throughout this entire film I think the characters, Thelma and Louise, break out of the stereotypical women’s roles within society and the film industry. Usually in films we see women portrayed in romantic roles pining after some guy. Although this isn’t at all what the film portrays it still does not pass the Bechdel test. For most of the movie Thelma and Louise have an agenda that has nothing to do with men, but they still end up having conversations about them. Some of these include Louise asking Thelma how she got her husband to let her leave, Louise and Thelma also talk about Louise’s boyfriend when she asks him for help and finally the two women talk about the hitch hiker, (played by Brad Pitt), from the time they meet him until just about the end of the movie. Over all the two women leads in this film show strong independent women doing what they have to, to survive, but they are still unable to go through the whole film without having a conversation about one of the men in their lives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D9mDHPY0RA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1XX6YDDCbA