Thelma & Louise Live!: The Cultural Afterlife of an American Film

Thelma & Louise Live!: The Cultural Afterlife of an American Film

by Bernie Cook
ISBN-10:
0292714661
ISBN-13:
9780292714663
Pub. Date:
10/01/2007
Publisher:
University of Texas Press
ISBN-10:
0292714661
ISBN-13:
9780292714663
Pub. Date:
10/01/2007
Publisher:
University of Texas Press
Thelma & Louise Live!: The Cultural Afterlife of an American Film

Thelma & Louise Live!: The Cultural Afterlife of an American Film

by Bernie Cook
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Overview

When they floored their Thunderbird off a cliff rather than surrender to the law, Thelma and Louise became icons of female rebellion, provoking strong reactions from viewers who felt either empowered or outraged by the duo's transgressions of women's traditional roles. The 1991 film quickly became-and continues to be-a potent cultural reference point, even inspiring a bumper sticker that declares, "Thelma & Louise Live!"

In this insightful study of Thelma & Louise, six noted film scholars investigate the initial reception and ongoing impact of this landmark film. The writers consider Thelma & Louise from a variety of perspectives, turning attention to the film's promotion and audience response over time; to theories of comedy and the role of laughter in the film; to the film's soundtrack and score; to the performances of stars Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis; to the emergence of Brad Pitt as a star and male sex object; and to the film's place in the history of road and crime film genres. Complementing the scholarly analysis is an in-depth interview of screenwriter Callie Khouri by editor Bernie Cook, as well as reviews of Thelma & Louise that appeared in U.S. News & World Report and Time.

Offering myriad new ways of understanding the complex interrelations of gender, identity, and violence, Thelma & Louise Live! attests to the ongoing life and still-evolving meanings of this now-classic film.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780292714663
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Publication date: 10/01/2007
Edition description: New Edition
Pages: 240
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.51(d)

About the Author

Bernie Cook is Associate Dean of Georgetown College and Adjunct Assistant Professor of American Studies at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

Table of Contents

  • Acknowledgments
  • Introduction. "I Can See Clearly Now" (Bernie Cook)
  • Chapter 1. "Something's Crossed Over in Me": New Ways of Seeing Thelma & Louise (Bernie Cook)
  • Chapter 2. Getting Hysterical: Thelma & Louise and Laughter (Victoria Sturtevant)
  • Chapter 3. Hearing Thelma & Louise: Active Reading of the Hybrid Pop Score (Claudia Gorbman)
  • Chapter 4. Interplaying Identities: Acting and the Building Blocks of Character in Thelma & Louise (Susan Knobloch)
  • Chapter 5. An Outlaw-Couple-on-the-Run Film for the 1990s (J. David Slocum)
  • Chapter 6. "What All the Fuss Is About": Making Brad Pitt in Thelma & Louise (Cynthia Fuchs)
  • Chapter 7. Interview with Callie Khouri, December 19, 2002 (Bernie Cook)
  • Appendix I: Commentaries
    • Toxic Feminism on the Big Screen, John Leo
    • Gender Bender, Richard Schickel
    • Is This What Feminism Is All About?, Margaret Carlson
  • Appendix II: Filmographies
    • Callie Khouri
    • Ridley Scott
  • Selected Bibliography
  • About the Contributors
  • Index
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