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-- The Journey Begins -- | |||
| The films' main characters are alternately
happy and argumentative about the journey and the trouble they were in; the lead character argues cajoles the other(s) into not giving up. They leave family and authority figures behind who have failed them in some way that helped drive them to make the journey which they believe will be a quick trip in an unusual vehicle without a top, where they can clearly be seen. Soon their journey changes and they become fugitives running from the law in a road movie that culminates with death of a protagonist(s). |
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-- Characters -- | |||
| The characters resist domination/abuse by people
they know and encounter on their journey. The
second lead character is a tall redhead with a knack for guns, who takes over, steals, and drives off dangerous characters when the leader breaks down. They succeed in reversing the roles they were forced into by their families as they reach their goal. |
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-- Environment -- | |||
| The films are shot in western deserts,
mountains, and rural areas, with scenes of roads running off into the
distance, culminating in a final shootout. The environment is frequently hostile fraught with encounters with police, truck drivers shouting epithets, and crossing paths with dangerous vehicles. |
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-- Journey stops at a country-western honky-tonk, danger awaits -- | |||
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Character(s) demand to stop for food on the journey; they stop at a
seemingly harmless eatery where things quickly go wrong, and they narrowly escape (with the aid of a gun). The lead character initially objects to the stop, then gives in. They enter a country-western place with a pool table and are quickly confronted by aggressive local(s) who drinks, comes to their table, demands to know why they are there, and touches one inappropriately. A concerned waitress observes the threat to the characters, attempts to protect the characters, and fails. They leave and are again confronted outside and threatened by local(s), who is (are) stopped at gunpoint. |
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-- Dangerous obstacles are overcome -- | |||
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The second lead character (a tall, gun-toting redhead) steals
so they can keep going towards their goal, shoots |
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-- The End -- | |||
| The characters are faced with the
approaching danger of armed police/authority figures who are attempting to
stop them from reaching their goal. They are pursued to the end, refusing to surrender, until the lead character(s) dies. In Glendon Swarthout's book Bless the Beasts & Children, the lead character dies driving over a cliff, as do the main characters at the end of "Thelma and Louise." |
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