Social Issues in the “Thelma and Louise” Movie

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The movie “Thelma and Louise” represents several social issues, such as feminism and women’s control over their lives and bodies. It realistically portrays two female protagonists without referring to the images of traditional femininity. The film focuses on the scenes and events that show the experience of females. For example, one of the final scenes shows the protagonists locking their hands when they drive away in the car, which represents their connection (Scott, 1991).

It is the central symbolic representation of their friendship and commitment to each other. Other scenes and events of the movie are also vital in understanding its topic. For example, sexual scenes show real-life eroticism from the woman’s perspective (Lipsitz, 2012). The moviemaking style and the story correspond to the director’s intent to show women without appealing to typical images. “Thelma and Louise” was initially produced as an example of the buddy pic, as Lipsitz (2012) writes. Two main female protagonists start the road trip and behave violently and sometimes anti-socially, which are the typical characteristics of this genre.

The film also pertains to the broader social dynamics that can be described as the attempt to show that females have the right to autonomy and control of their lives and sexuality. “Thelma and Louise” portrays two women in their 30s that are sexually attractive and active, which is adequately perceived nowadays (Moore, 2014). Though, at the beginning of the 1990s, when the movie was produced, they were completely different from the image of the woman Hollywood created (Lipsitz, 2012). The critical detail is that two female protagonists talk to each other about topics that are not regarded as typically women’s interests (Scott, 1991).

In other words, “Thelma and Louise” ruined the stereotypical representation of women, which was revolutionary for that time. These topics are still present in contemporary society and are relevant for the modern audience. Modern women do not have to prove that they have the right to decide their destiny and body, reflecting positive social change.