Stars:
Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen, Christopher
McDonald, Stephen Tobolowsky, Brad Pitt, Timothy Carhart, Lucinda Jenney, and
Jason Beghe
Writer:
Callie Khouri
Director:
Ridley Scott
Feature
length: 129 minutes
Extras:
Audio Commentary With Director Ridley Scott, Audio Commentary With Susan
Sarandon, Geena Davis, and Writer Callie Khouri, Documentaries, 30 minutes Of
Newly Found Deleted Scenes, Alternate Ending With Optional Director’s
Commentary, The Final Chase Multi-Angle Storyboards, Music Video
Languages:
English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and French and Spanish Language Dolby
Surround Soundtrack
Subtitles:
English Captions and Closed Captions and French, Spanish, and Portuguese
Language Subtitles
Packaging:
Keep Case With A Cardboard Sleeve
Chapter
Stops: 32
Sound:
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and Dolby Surround Sound
Year
of Theatrical Release: 1991/DVD Release: 2003
Theatrical
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures
Home
Video Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment
MPAA
Rating: R
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
What
can be said about “Thelma & Louise” that has not been said already? I
honestly don’t know because the film arguably had as much an effect on the
outlaws on the run genre as much as it was influenced by the genre and in hind
sight is one of the best films within that broad theme of films to have ever
been produced. Yet “Thelma & Louise” is also a feminist social
commentary, a comedy, an action film, and so much more that I find it difficult
and even unfair to place “Thelma & Louise” into one genre or another
hence despite the labels I have noted above I think “Thelma & Louise”
transcends any one genre or even groups of film types and consequently ten years
later is still as memorable and even as timeless a story as it ever was. The
story has two southwest American women going on a night out where they become
accidental outlaws after a tragic incident at a roadside bar and subsequently
end up on a desperate highway trek that alternates between hilarious and
poignant moments that creates a myth that ultimately transcends the world of the
film and touches the heart of the viewer.
I
was surprised while watching the extra features on this DVD that “Thelma &
Louise” had such diverse reactions because I never felt the film was exclusive
to one gender and it certainly doesn’t make all men look like sexist
caricatures anymore than it portrays every single female character as an
avenging self empowered dynamo. In fact at the heart of this film is a story of
the every person overcoming adversity and however tragic the destiny of the
characters ends up being. I think it transcends as a story and movie and
captures the imagination of the viewer because to paraphrase what Writer and
Co-Producer Callie Khouri states in her commentary track, she unconsciously
wrote a very archetypal story and Ridley Scott snatched onto that and matched
his Director’s vision to the words of the screenplay and brought the whole
production to life.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Home Entertainment is hitting the ground running this year with this upcoming
special edition of “Thelma & Louise,” which in ever sense of the word is
truly the “definitive” home video edition of the film and a must have
addition for anyone’s DVD library who admires this film and Ridley Scott’s
films in general. What I think is great too is after screening and reviewing
several of the deluxe DVD releases Ridley Scott has participated, I just know
that it is going to be great because he is one of a few Directors that has a
such a signature visual style and understanding of filmmaking and he also knows
how to articulate it for the listener and make it interesting. The reality I
have found is that while there are good commentary discs with extra features,
there are few that I think I would listen to again, but Scott knows what he is
talking about and he places the film in a context with his other body of work so
that one can almost view these various studio releases of his films on DVD as
parts of a larger whole as if they were meant to be sold as a set instead of
separate studio releases that have trickled out over the last three years or so.
Scott is technical without being dull and when he mentions a film, like his
first film that he shot before he went on to direct commercials for 15 years, he
doesn’t say it as a plug to go out buy that other DVD distributed by another
studio or whatnot, but just simply gives the listener an understanding of where
he was at in that stage of development in his career as well as the film itself,
which he describes as if as a Director he auditioned for to produce Callie
Khouri’s screenplay while touching upon the casting, the adlibs, his view on
the story, and the aftermath. His feature length audio commentary is
complimented by the feature length audio commentary by Screenwriter and
Co-Producer Callie Khouri and Actresses Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis. Davis
and Sarandon offer different perspectives on their characters with Davis having
prepared for the character of “Thelma” for about a year in advance, having
pages of notes on her character by the time she met with Scott only to have the
challenge of explaining to him why she might also be right for the character of
“Louise.” Sarandon is more reserved while discussing in part her attraction
to the story as well as the characters rather than on one single element or
another.
These
commentary tracks are complements by four documentaries with extra features
produced by Charles De Lauzirika. Three new documentaries covering the films
“Conception and Casting,” “Production and Performance,” and “Reaction
and Resonance” can be viewed individually or as one long documentary with
brand new videotaped interviews with Director Ridley Scott, Screenwriter and
Co-Producer Callie Khouri, Composer Hans Zimmer, and Stars Susan Sarandon, Geena
Davis, Michael Madsen, Christopher McDonald, Stephen Tobolowsky, Brad Pitt, and
Jason Beghe. In addition the original promotional featurette with or without an
optional narration done for the publicity short is included too.
The
film itself is presented in an anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) aspect ratio and
the image looks great. “Thelma & Louise” is an interesting film to watch
because for all the beautiful vistas the film in many ways has a monotone style
as well that gives the film an almost historic black and white western look. The
English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack is well mixed and very discreet
and French and Spanish Language Dolby Surround Soundtracks are also provided
along with English Captions and Closed Captions for the hearing impaired as well
as French, Spanish, and Portuguese Language Subtitles encoded on to the DVD as
options.
Over
thirty minutes of deleted and extended scenes are included from a work print and
are presented in a (2.35:1) aspect ratio with stereo sound that can be viewed
individually or as one reel and are made up of the following scenes, “Silver
Bullet Getaway” (: 48), “An Important Clue” (1:01), “First Motel”
(4:54), “Talkin’ About Darryl” (2:13), “Police Sketches” (: 31),
“Smitten With JD” (: 25), “Hal On The Case” (1:48), “Human Behavior”
(: 48), “Second Motel” (9:13), “Thelma And JD” (6:19), “Hal At Home”
(2:50), “Jimmy, JD, And The Car” (2:49), “Fear Of God” (1:38),
“Looking For A Break” (1:13), “On The Road” (1:51), and “Hot
Pursuit” (: 57). There is an option, which delineates what footage was trimmed
from the final cut since much of the trims were very short edits here and there,
but being able to see them does give a greater appreciation and understanding of
the characters in the film. Director Ridley Scott also provides optional
commentary for an alternate ending (3:39) also taken from a (2.35:1) work print.
Storyboard
to completed scene comparison for the films final chase sequence is provided as
well as the film’s (1.33:1) theatrical trailer and a home video preview for
video storeowners that advertises the VHS release and the limited edition
letterboxed VHS release as well as the laserdisc. A 60-second and two 30-second
TV spots are included along with a DVD trailer for “Hannibal” and 12
extensive photo galleries that can be viewed individually or collectively. The
Glenn Fry music video for “Part Of Me, Part Of You” and an insert with liner
notes wraps up the extra features included within this DVD release. The
interactive menus are well rendered and easy to navigate. The keep case comes in
a cardboard sleeve. A fabulous DVD package, “Thelma & Louise: Special
Edition” will debut on DVD-Video on Tuesday, February 4, 2003 from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Home Entertainment.
©
Copyright 2003 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.