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Released most 30 years ago , Thelma & Louisecontinues to be praised as one ofSir Ridley Scott ’s best photographic film . The iconic sex - bend buddy - movie stars Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis as the titulary besties who become inadvertent outlaws on a cross - country route trip-up , prompting them to evade police while get their adventurous bang . The film currently holds an 84 % indorse fresh Rotten Tomatoes rating , 88/100 Metascore , and 7.5/10 IMDB mark .
Thelma & Louisehit field of operations on May 24 , 1991 , gain more than $ 45 million internationally on an estimated budget of $ 16.5 million . The film scored several Oscar nominations , including one victory for Best Original Screenplay ( Callie Khouri ) . For more , here ’s a detailed account of the film ’s production .
Ridley Scott Was Only Going To Produce The Film
Before engage the directorial duty , Ridley Scott was poised to simply executive produceThelma & Louise . According to Michelle Pfeiffer in a 2011 audience withVanity Fair , it was her idea for Scott to direct .
In the running to direct before Ridley took over was his brother Tony Scott , Phillip Noyce , Bob Rafelson , Jonathan Kaplan , Harry Hook , Kevin Reynolds , Chris Menges , and Richard Donner . Donner was intent on shooting what he called a " historic " script but was denied the chance when he insisted that his married woman Lauren Shuler Donner farm the film .
Casting Thelma Was An Arduous Process
When penning the script , Khouri envisioned Holly Hunter and Frances McDormand in the rubric roles . At one period , Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn were tie but they both opted to makeDeath Becomes Herinstead .
Before Geena Davis was wander as Thelma , Cher , Kathleen Turner , and Kelly McGillis decline the function . Other consider include Debra Winger , Sigourney Weaver , Rosanna Arquette , Madonna , Jessica Lange , Bridget Fonda , Carrie Fisher , Emma Thompson , Anjelica Huston , Nicole Kidman , and many more .
Geena Davis Signed An Open-Ended Contract To Portray Thelma Or Louise
Casting the character of Louise was such a windy process that Davis signed an overt - ended contract bridge that permit her to encounter either character if demand be .
At one point , Michelle PfeifferandJodie Fosterwere signed to trifle the title roles but were storm to drop out when the production ran too long . Pfeiffer has since admitted that she ca n’t watchThelma & Louisebecause she regrets passing the role due to programming conflicts . Other actress up for the function of Louise admit Rene Russo , Catherine O’Hara , Diane Keaton , Debra Winger , Kelly McGillis , and Kim Basinger .
J.D. Could’ve Been Portrayed By Many Famous Names
Before Brad Pitt ultimately gain ground the role , William Baldwin was cast to represent the sexy character of J.D. Baldwin get out to makeBackdraftinstead , encounter a role Pitt audition for and lost . In summation , George Clooney was turn down five times after taste out for the role of J.D. Mark Ruffalo also try out for the role before Robert Downey Jr. was cast . When Downey Jr. was deemed to short-circuit in relation to Geena Davis , he was let go .
Christian Slater also tried out for the role of J.D. but lose out to Pitt , who Geena Davis personally lobby for . Ironically , Slater pulsation Pitt out for another character reference named J.D. inHeathersthree year earlier . Johnny Depp , Sean Penn , Alec Baldwin , and Kevin Bacon were also view .
The Film Inspired A Tori Amos Song
The liberating story ofThelma & Louisedirectly pep up the song " Me and a Gun " by American singer - songwriter Tori Amos . Released in October 1991 , the song draw from a forcible assault Amos get when she was 21 years old . likewise , part of the movie ’s plot peck with an assay rape and subsequent manslaughter that hale the titulary leads to go on the lam .
In another melodious connection , the film ’s writer Callie Khouri mold the role of Thelma after her close friend , country - westerly singer Pam Tillis .
Susan Sarandon Improvised The Final Kiss
Ridley Scott was incredibly open to on - set improvisations and suggestions from his actors . One instance that was not in the script is the aroused farewell osculation partake in by Thelma and Louise at the closing of the film .
accord to Susan Sarandon in the 1995 documentaryCelluloid Closet , it was her idea to have Louise kiss Thelma before drive off the cliff to their deaths . Sarandon also reveal that she kept the candy kiss a secret from the full moving-picture show crew , including Scott , and only informed Geena Davis about it .
There Were Two More Unplanned Scenes
In improver to the intimate kiss shared between the title characters , at least two more unwitting sequence made it into the final cut of the photographic film . The first involve Thelma ’s abusive hubby Daryl ( Christopher McDonald ) , whose flagrant slip and fall down in his private road was a echt accident . Though he lost his footing , McDonald stayed in character and yelled at the nearby worker . Scott loved the mishap so much he hold on it in the flick .
Louise Saved Thelma In A Scrapped Alternate Ending
Arguably the most iconic image of the movie is the final freeze - material body dig of Thelma and Louise fly off the drop in a poignant felo-de-se pact . However , Scott nearly ended the film differently .
Before settling on the finale shown in the film , Scott entertain the idea of having Thelma survive by have Louise thrust her out of the car the instant before it sails off the drop-off . This would have made Thelma the sole subsister and Louise the only black dupe .
The Original Ending Was A Lot Darker
Producers were extremely disquieted about the downbeat ending of the film , which was really far darker in Scott ’s original cut . As a compromise , Scott whittle the scenery down to what has become one of the most iconic images of the film .
Scott ’s original edit depicted the machine falling all the way down to the canyon as a deplorable B.B. King track plays . Det . Hal Slocumb ( Harvey Keitel ) would then morosely calculate at the wreckage below before going back to his car . When coerce for a more upbeat finish , he freeze the railcar midairwhile playing Hans Zimmer ’s glad score . The original end can be found in the movie ’s Special Edition DVD .
Thelma & Louise Made Academy Award History
Thelma & Louisemade Academy Award History by becoming just the quaternary motion-picture show to have two women put forward for Best Lead Actress in the same movie . Unfortunately , both lost to Jodie Foster for her role as Clarice Starling inThe Silence of the Lambs .
The other three film to bear such a distinction includedAll About Eve(which earned Anne Baxter and Bette Davis contend Oscar nods),Last Summer(which earned nominations for Elizabeth Taylor and Katherine Hepburn ) andTerms of Endearment(which landed Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger dueling nods ) .
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