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Thelma and Louise Reunion Includes Original 1966 Thunderbird, That Kiss

Back in 1991, a movie like Thelma and Louise, featuring two female leads on an adventure that turns into a mad escape from the law and features a more-than-friendly kiss on the lips between the two women at the end, was groundbreaking in every way. On Friday, Thelma and Louise turned 30 years old.
Thelma and Louise reunion includes OG 1966 Ford Thunderbird 7 photos
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Thelma and Louise reunion includes OG 1966 Ford ThunderbirdThelma and Louise reunion includes OG 1966 Ford ThunderbirdThelma and Louise reunion includes OG 1966 Ford ThunderbirdAs they were: Thelma, Louise and the Thunderbird in the 1991 filmAs they were: Thelma, Louise and the Thunderbird in the 1991 filmAs they were: Thelma, Louise and the Thunderbird in the 1991 film
As announced a while back, the movie’s 30-year anniversary was celebrated with a drive-in charity screening experience at The Greek Theater in Los Angeles, California. The event was hosted by MGM and Cinespia, with benefits going to the LA Regional Food Bank and the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. Leading ladies Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis were both on hand to mark the occasion.

And so was the iconic 1966 Ford Thunderbird that their characters drove throughout the film – and off the cliff in that unexpected and liberating ending. The Hollywood Reporter moderated the Q&A ahead of the charity screening, and it notes that this was the original vehicle from the film, on loan from the prestigious Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

That said, it isn’t the sole surviving example or, at least, not according Sarandon. She told reporters that director Riddley Scott had arranged for an entire fleet of Thunderbirds for the production: some were thrown off the cliff for the ending, others were used for action scenes and had souped-up engines, while some were used for glamour shots. Aside from those destroyed for that final scene, another caught fire during production, and was lost.

As for the others, the director “gave all the cars to his sons except for this one which I thought really wasn’t fair,” Sarandon said. “Shouldn’t we have gotten cars?” The audience agreed with her. The actress also said they did most of the driving in the film, apart for the really dangerous stunts.

Sarandon and Davis posed with the original car and even recreated that iconic and, back then, controversial kiss. Sarandon had even brought her own Polaroid camera from home, to recreate another famous scene from the movie.

Thelma and Louise got six Oscar nominations at the 1992 edition, but won just one for Best Screenplay by Callie Khouri. To this day, the film is synonym with female empowerment, in an age where it meant going against the norm.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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