Question

In terms of female characters, What is the importance of Alien and Thelma and Louise to American film history?

Answer 1

The road trip film Thelma & Louise, featuring Geena Davis (Thelma) and Susan Sarandon (Louise) as buddies-turned-fugitives, led a national conversation on feminism and the state of the women's movement when it hit theaters on 24 May 1991.

The film came at a moment of great change in the debate about feminism in America. As Hollywood's America: Twentieth Century America Through Film describes in the film history document, some of the negative reaction to the film may have represented the frustration of critics with the very real changes taking place around the world at the time, including the ways in which women fought back against traditional roles.

Likewise, Thelma & Louise many felt embodied a modern Hollywood willingness to cast women in more diverse roles. The film was a critical and commercial success, earning six nominations for the Academy Award and winning Best Original Screenplay, amid some controversy at the time of its release, accusing the film of depicting a negative image of the people. Scott has been nominated Best Director, and both Sarandon and Davis have been nominated Best Actress. This is the most recent film to date to have two actors nominated for either Best Actor or Best Actress in the same category. It is now considered a classic, at the intersection of several genres. It inspired many films and artistic works, and became a feminist film landmark.