Michael Madsen

Thelma and Louise

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Thelma and Louise. Pathé 1991.

Before watching the movie:

Well here it is, the one that was always going to be in this theme. Possibly the first one I thought of for title duos. And once again, what references are there other than the finale? How do they get there? I think they’re on a road trip and probably a crime spree, but I think they never intended for any of this to happen. I’m surprised this is a 90s movie, and I didn’t realize how many men I’ve heard of are in it as supporting characters to the two women who are the only ones anyone talks about. But the biggest curveball is that it’s directed by Ridley Scott.

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Free Willy

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Free Willy. Le Studio Canal 1993.

Before watching the movie:

This was one of the big cultural moments in my early childhood that I was aware of even as it passed me by. Everyone was talking about Free Willy for some reason. I dimly recall it being on in the same room at one point, but I think it was in the way that one dips in and out of a movie someone else is watching while at a family gathering.

There’s a good movie finding its audience, and then there’s a cultural phenomenon. The latter I can understand for a lavish tentpole movie like Titanic, but this doesn’t seem to be that kind of visual-oriented extravaganza. It kind of looks like it has a similar domestic plot to the original, before the franchise fatigue Air Bud, actually, like if you took all the basketball out of that movie and swapped the dog for an orca, you’d come close to this movie. While cetaceans were popular in the 90s, I would’ve thought that more came out of the popularity of this movie than contributed to it. Well, I guess I’m about to find out.

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