Story-Step-Outline

THELMA & LOUISE

In brackets you find the scene numbers of Callie Khouri’s script from June 1989 (first draft revised), directed by Ridley Scott.

 

1 (1-7) Louise clears the tables at the café, Thelma does the same at home. Thelma doesn’t tell her husband Darryl anything about the upcoming women’s weekend.

 

2 (8-12) Thelma packs a pistol, which she awkwardly hands to the surprised Louise in the car.

 

3 (13+15) In a truckers’ pub, Thelma dances with the sleazy Harlan, Louise with Dan. The drunken Thelma is pushed out into the fresh air by Harlan.

 

4 (17-22) Harlan wants to rape Thelma. Louise frees Thelma with her pistol and shoots Harlan. They drive away in panic.

 

5 (24+28+32) Detective Hal learns from the waitress at the trucker’s pub that she didn’t see anything and is glad Harlan is dead. The car – where Harlan died – is examined for fingerprints.

 

6 (26-27+29+31+33+35) A handsome hitchhiker pockets a $20 note that Thelma had lost during the ride. He gets out of a truck in front of a motel and sees Thelma. She is lying on a deck chair. He boards a car and drives away.

 

7 (34+36-44) Louise asks her boyfriend Jimmy to transfer all her savings to a Western Union branch in Oklahoma City.

 

8 (45+47) Louise wants to run away to Mexico. Thelma thinks Darryl is cheating on her.

 

9 (46+48+49) Hal reports the two women as possible witnesses to the Harlan murder. With the help of the waitress, sketches are made and faxed to the FBI.

 

10 (50-55) Louise stops in front of a shop and gets the address by phone from Jimmy where she can pick up the money.

 

11 (56-63) Darryl insults Thelma on the phone and wants her to come home immediately. She hangs up with a “go fuck yourself”.

 

12 (64+65+67) Weeping Thelma is comforted by the handsome hitchhiker. He asks for a ride, which Louise refuses. Louise wants to drive to Mexico on side roads and under no circumstances through Texas, where something terrible had happened to her.

 

13 (66+68+69+71a+72+74+75+77-81) Hal identifies Louise and talks to her supervisor. From drunken Darryl he learns about Thelma’s gun. Her fingerprints match those on the car, where Harlan was shot.

 

14 (70+71b+73) Thelma persuades Louise to give the pretty hitchhiker a lift.

 

15 (83+86+90+92+94) At the motel in Oklahoma, Louise meets Jimmy with her money, which she leaves in Thelma’s room. Jimmy proposes to her, they make love and part as good friends.

 

16 (85+87+89+91+95) J.D. tells Thelma how he has done muggings. She is thrilled and they have hot sex.

 

17 (97+98) In the morning cheerful Thelma and happy Louise discover with horror that handsome J.D. has stolen all the money and run away.

 

18 (100+102-106) Thelma robs a shop using the J.D. method and runs back to the car with a bag of banknotes. Louise drives off swearing. The police together with Darryl watch a videotape of Thelma’s robbery.

 

19 (110) Thelma is ecstatic about what she has done and realises that she is a bit crazy.

 

20 (112) A truck driver makes unmistakable sex signs while driving full speed.

 

21 (114) Thelma tells Louise about a rape scene from a Linda Blair women’s prison film.

 

22 (116) Thelma wants to call Darryl. Louise makes points out once again that there are no traces of rape for the police to find.

 

23 (107+108+111+113+115+117-119+121) Jimmy is arrested, J.D. is led away in handcuffs. Jimmy identifies J.D. and realises that he has stolen Louise’s money. J.D. is grilles by Hal and in the end confesses everything.

 

24 (120+122-130) Thelma calls Darryl, who greets her very kindly, whereupon she hangs up in shock, because she knows immediately that the police are there.

 

25 (131+132+134-144) Finally it is clear that the police are looking for them. Louise does not want to go to prison. She learns that Hal knows from J.D. that they want to go to Mexico.

 

26 (145-148) They talk about their fears: Louise did not want to grow old alone, Thelma did not want to grow old with Darryl.

 

27 (149+150) They meet the trucker again and he macho advances them even more clearly.

 

28 (152-163) Louise calls Jimmy and confesses her eternal love to him.

 

29 (164+165) Thelma is shattered when she finally realises what had happened to Louise in Texas. Louise almost goes crazy. Thelma laughs and cries about killing Harlan.

 

30 (166-170) A patrolman who stops them for speeding is disarmed and locked in the boot of his car.

 

31 (171) Louise and Thelma do not want to give up and go back.

 

32 (175) Thelma is glad that Louise had saved her from Harlan, and she regrets that she had not shot him herself.

 

33 (176) The patrolman frees himself from the car boot.

 

34 (177-186) Hal knows what had happened to Louise in Texas. She is told to turn herself in or she will be put on the wanted list as a murderer. Thelma interrupts the phone call so the police can’t trace her, too late.

 

35 (188+189) Louise is afraid of the death penalty. Thelma tries to distract her.

 

36 (190-195) They stop the truck in the desert, lure the horny driver to their car and demand apologies for his sexist behaviour. When he refuses, they shoot at his truck until it explodes.

 

37 (196+197+199) The patrolman reports to the headquarter. Hal is informed and gets on a helicopter.

 

38 (198+200-208) Thelma and Louise are pursued by patrol cars, leave the road and swerve into the desert.

 

39 (209) They run short of petrol. Thelma wants to take all the blame. Louise refuses.

 

40 (210-215) Pursued by a large police armada with many vehicles and a helicopter, they suddenly see the Grand Canyon in front of them and stop. The police want them to surrender. Thelma convinces Louise to race into the canyon, which they do to the B.B. King song “Better Not Look Down”.