TIME TO HIT THE ROAD WITH STYLE: "THELMA AND LOUISE"

Well, as you guys know by now, I am not a major fan of going through the big classics here on this blog. I mean, especially if we’re talking about “those” films, you know, that we all agree are unequivocally brilliant. But still, I do get back to this category from time to time. Because well, you never know, I saw a lot of the “big” classics quite late in life, maybe you’re in the same boat. Maybe you just never got round to it. Better late than never and all that jazz. So here, for your delectation is Thelma and Louise. The road movie of road movies. At the very beginning of the story, Thelma and Louise could just as well have gone absolutely nowhere. Thelma (Geena Davis) is a stay-at home wife with a rather horrible husband who harasses her and probably cheats on her. Louise, her friend, (Susan Sarandon) works as a waitress in a diner, has a long-term boyfriend but is a more independent spirit than Thelma. All the two women want is to have a girl’s weekend at a cabin they have borrowed from a friend of Louise. And things would have gone a lot smoother if Thelma had actually found the courage to ask her husband – not that he would have agreed. The end result is that when the two women drive off, Thelma has left a note taped to the microwave and they are both feeling in a very “giddy” mood, up for having some fun. The trouble is – without giving too much away – that the fun turns nasty pretty quickly and their holiday risks turning into a nightmare. They have to look deep within themselves and find unplumbed depths to both themselves and their friendship if they can ever hope to turn things around. Ok, to be fair, the director Ridley Scott is known for a rather different kind of film. You know, he is the man of epic adventures; he brought us “raaaah” moments like in Gladiator or serious, though-provoking sci-fi with Blade Runner. This is also, in a sense, an epic adventure but on a completely different scale. I was flipping through the interview the director has in the leaflet of my version of the film and Scott points out that rarely are the scripts he works on so “character based”. It is true actually. Usually Scott’s characters are, in one way or another, part of the bigger whole. True, they may be standing up to it or something but I mean, take Russell Crowe in Gladiator – the “model” soldier, standing up to the Roman Empire. Or Robin Hood – the model archer standing up to a corrupt monarch. I am not implying that all Scott’s films are the same by the way – though some do argue this - but, case in point, Thelma and Louise is different. I mean, there is the action / western in there. Really. There are shootouts, car chases all that kinda thing, the ones who have watched it know what I mean. But there is character based comedy as well. Both Sarandon and Davis are SO brilliant. I mean I have to say, the characters are a bit “type” y – there are ALWAYS two very different characters on the road movie, they are very disparate and a lot of the time one is very down to earth and organized and one is a little more scaty and “funny” – as are Thelma and Louise. But as the film progresses we see them both change and develop. And since both actresses are brilliant we see it happen realistically. We get to know them, we get to understand their backstories, why exactly they were / became this way. And the depth of character works very well for the messages the film gives about women and their situation back in the day - and we can discuss how much it has improved. But that is the topic of a whole new paper all together. In short, Scott uses some familiar tropes to make a fun and very watchable movie that also gives us some serious stuff to think about buried not to deep in the film. A definite must watch I’d say.

BEETLEJUICE, BEETLEJUICE, BEET…

Ok, we have talked about 80’s kitsch yum. We have taken a trip down memory lane. It was not long before an old favorite of mine sprang to mind. Now, everyone in my age-group has watched this film at LEAST once. More likely about 10 times. I am talking about the (in my heart) immortal classic : Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice.
Now for those too young or too old to have seen the movie, here is what it is about. Behold Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara (Geena Davis). Happily married couple living just outside of a small town. Unfortunately, one day a freak accident sweeps both out of this world and into the next – yes indeed, they pass away. However, passing away is not the end all and be all, it is in fact barely the beginning. To start with, they appear to be confined to their home – with limited access to their caseworker (and here’s a nugget of information for you folks – if you commit suicide you become a civil servant in the next world!). They have an instruction manual and an unhelpful attitude from their caseworker so they settle down to make the best of it and bide their time in their home (not a massive problem since they do not need to eat or drink).But, of course, life goes on. And their house is sold to a family from New York – the attitudes of whom in a word get completely and utterly on their nerves (with the exception of their daughter Lydia (Winona Ryder) who is relatively normal). For Adam and Barbara what started out like a couple of quiet nights in turns into purgatory… So they decide to do what any decent ghost must do: scare the new family away! However, being novices at this, all their attempts end in failure. So, against the warnings of their councilor, they decide to contact an expert in these matters (they see his ad in the manual you see): Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton). Now, this Beetlejuice is a rather dodgy looking character but he definitely has the powers to scare the newcomers off. Unfortunately, he also has a bit of an attitude problem. Which makes things rather interesting to say the least…
I don’t know where to begin. This is an ideal one to watch with your kids (and believe me I was tiny when I watched this. A friend of mine apparently tried to “conjure up” Beetlejuice for herself she liked it so much). Although it handles such potentially tricky subjects as death, ghosts, the afterlife and government offices (hehe) the mood is very upbeat and leaves no room for awkward questions or sadness. You will be amazed at its ingenuity. But ofcourse, it is a Tim Burton film – therefore it is painted in the colors of his imagination but that’s nothing to complain about. The actors are both brilliant and fascinating to watch (film made in 1988 guys – Winona Ryder is only ?? !). And I have to mention Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice. I know you can’t quite tell why from that synopsis, but I do, trust me. If by some freak occurrence you haven’t watched and loved this, you will become a fan by the end. Now run along and buy the DVD, trust me, you’ll watch it so many times it counts as a good investment! =)