Friends Thelma Dickinson and Louise Sawyer set out for a weekend vacation at a fishing cabin. Thelma, a housewife, is married to disrespectful and controlling carpet salesman Darryl, while sharp-tongued Louise works as a waitress. When Louise arrives to pick her up, Thelma confesses she was too timid to ask Darryl if she could go. So, she left him a note instead, as he has already left for work. Thelma has packed Darryl's gun in her purse and shows it to Louise, who admonishes her for bringing it. The pair stops at a roadhouse bar. The waitress brings them drinks paid for by Harlan, a regular at the bar. Thelma is happy to have the attention of a man other than Darryl so dances with him, despite Louise's disapproval. When Thelma says she feels sick, Harlan takes her outside to the parking lot and tries to rape her. Louise intervenes with Darryl's gun and threatens to shoot him. As Thelma and Louise walk away, Harlan yells that he should have continued the rape, causing Louise to fatally shoot him in a fit of rage. The two women immediately drive off. Thelma wants to go to the police, but Louise fears that no one will believe a claim of attempted rape, as Thelma was seen drinking and dancing with Harlan and they would be facing a murder charge. She tells Thelma she is going to flee to Mexico. At a gas station, Thelma calls Darryl, who demands that she come home immediately. She tells him off and lets Louise know she is coming to Mexico. J.D., a handsome and charming young drifter, approaches the women asking for a lift out west, and a reluctant Louise allows it when Thelma takes a liking to him. Louise contacts her non-committal musician boyfriend Jimmy, asking him to wire her life savings to her, without saying why. Jimmy surprises Louise by delivering the money in person. He becomes angry in the hotel room when she does not answer his questions, and she goes to leave. Jimmy then apologizes and gives Louise a diamond ring, prompting her to question his timing. They spend the night together. Meanwhile, J.D. talks his way into Thelma's room. She learns he is a convicted armed robber who has violated his
parole. They make love, the first time Thelma has had an enjoyable sexual experience. The following morning, Louise tells Jimmy she will not marry him. Jimmy leaves, devastated. Thelma later tells her about her night with J.D. Louise panics when she realizes Thelma left him alone with the money, so the women run to the room, discovering he has stolen Louise's savings and fled. Louise is distraught, so a guilt-ridden Thelma takes charge, later robbing a nearby convenience store using tactics she learned from J.D. The FBI closes in on the duo after witnesses at the bar identify Louise's 1966
Ford Thunderbird convertible. Led by
Arkansas State Police Investigator Hal Slocumb, the police question J.D. and tap into the phone line at Darryl's house. Slocumb sympathizes with the pair's situation and understands why they did not report Harlan's killing. During a few brief phone conversations with Louise, Hal expresses his concerns but is unable to persuade her to surrender. Later, Thelma and Louise are pulled over by a
New Mexico state trooper for speeding. Knowing he will soon discover they are wanted for murder and armed robbery, Thelma holds him at gunpoint and locks him in the trunk of his police car. Driving further west, they encounter a foul-mouthed truck driver who repeatedly makes obscene gestures at them. They pull over and demand an apology from him. When he refuses, they fire at his fuel tanker, causing it to explode. The FBI locates the women, who lead them on a high-speed chase. They are finally cornered, only 100 yards from the edge of the
Grand Canyon. Hal arrives on the scene, but the women refuse his last attempt to talk them into surrendering. Rather than be captured, Thelma proposes that they "keep going". They kiss and hold hands as Louise steps on the gas and, as Hal desperately pursues them on foot, they accelerate over the cliff. ==Cast==