Thelma and Louise Page #15

LOUISE:

Why not?! What's he got to lose?

Other than my life's savings, that

is. Sh*t!

Louise careens back onto the road.

THELMA:

I'm sorry. I mean I...

Louise slams on the brakes.

LOUISE:

Goddamnit, Thelma! Let me explain

something to you. Right now we have

only two things goin' for us. One,

nobody knows where we are, and two,

nobody knows where we're going.

Now, one of our things that was going

for us is gone!

Louise stops yelling for a moment groping for self-control.

Thelma looks pitiful.

LOUISE:

Just stop talkin' to people, Thelma!

Stop bein' so open! We're fugitives

now. Let's behave that way!

THELMA:

You're right.

EXT. LONELY ROAD - NIGHT (MUSCO LIGHT)

The T-Bird flashes by on a road that looks a lot like Route

66.

THELMA (V.O.)

Louise? Where are we?

LOUISE (V.O.)

Just past Boise City.

THELMA (V.O.)

Idaho?

LOUISE (V.O.)

Oklahoma, Thelma. We're crossing

into New Mexico.

THELMA (V.O.)

I always wanted to see New Mexico.

EXT. THELMA'S POV - OUT PASSENGER WINDOW - PITCH BLACK

EXT. BACK ROAD - NIGHT

The car goes streaking by.

INT. THELMA'S HOUSE - NIGHT (MUSCO LIGHT)

All's quiet. The large screen TV is ON and the room is filled

with dense smoke. Hal, Max, sit at a table going over

paperwork. Other plainclothes and surveillance guys play

cards. Darryl sits crumpled in his recliner staring blankly

at the TV.

INT. JIMMY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Jimmy sits on his couch with his guitar while two plainclothes

cops sit reading the paper, doing the crossword puzzle.

INT. CAR - NIGHT

Over music from tape:

Thelma is sipping on a little Wild Turkey.

THELMA:

Now what?

LOUISE:

Now what what?

THELMA:

Whaddo we do?

LOUISE:

Oh, I don't know, Thelma. I guess

maybe we could turn ourselves in and

spend our lives trading cigarettes

for mascara so we can look nice when

our families come to visit us on

Saturdays. Maybe we could have

children with the prison guards.

THELMA:

I'm not suggestin' that! I'm not

goin' back. No matter what happens.

So don't worry about me.

Louise speeds up.

Thelma hands Louise a little bottle of Wild Turkey and she

drinks it down. Thelma has one too.

THELMA:

Can I ask you kind of a weird

question?

LOUISE:

Yeah.

THELMA:

Of all the things in the world that

scare you, what's the worst thing

that scares you the most?

LOUISE:

You mean now or before?

THELMA:

Before.

LOUISE:

I guess I always thought the worst

thing that could happen would be to

end up old and alone in some crummy

apartment with one of those little

dogs.

THELMA:

What little dogs?

LOUISE:

You know those little dogs you see

people with?

THELMA:

Like a Chihuahua?

LOUISE:

Those, too, but you know those little

hairy ones? Those flat-faced little

f***ers with those ugly goddamned

teeth?

THELMA:

Oh yeah. You mean Peek-a-poos.

LOUISE:

Yeah. Those. That always put the

fear of God in me. What about you?

THELMA:

Well, to be honest, the idea of

getting old with Darryl was kinda

startin' to get to me.

LOUISE:

I can see that.

THELMA:

I mean, look how different he looks

just since high school. It's bad

enough I have to get old, but doin'

it with Darryl around is only gonna

make it worse.

(quieter)

I mean, I don't think he's gonna be

very nice about it.

LOUISE:

Well, now, maybe you won't have to.

THELMA:

Always lookin' on the bright side,

aren't ya?

EXT. MOONLIT DESERT HIGHWAY - NIGHT (MUSCO LIGHT)

They are driving through Monument Valley. The T-Bird speeds

through the beautifully moonlit desert. It is almost like

daylight.

MONTAGE of silhouettes of cacti, huge rock formations, desert

beauty SHOTS, etc.

INT. CAR - POV THROUGH WINDSHIELD - NIGHT

The sky is bright and expansive and the road goes on forever.

THELMA:

This is so beautiful.

LOUISE:

Gosh. It sure is.

THELMA:

I always wanted to travel. I just

never got the opportunity.

LOUISE:

Well, you got it now.

They both look forward for another moment. And then, at the

same time, they look at each other, each taking the other

one in completely, in this moment.

They're saying everything to each other in this moment, but

their expressions don't change and they don't say a word.

MUSIC plays on the RADIO.

EXT. DESERT HIGHWAY - NIGHT

A semi-gas tanker is up ahead on the road. It looks like

the one they saw earlier. It's got the same mud flaps...

INT. CAR - NIGHT

LOUISE:

Look! Look who it is, Thelma. I'll

be darned. What's he doin' way out

here.

THELMA:

Just ignore him.

Louise passes him and, as she does, he HONKS. They look up

and he is wildly pointing to his lap.

LOUISE:

Oh, Christ. I hate this guy.

THELMA:

We should have just ignored him.

EXT. DESERT HIGHWAY - DAWN (OVER MUSIC)

The car is flying down the road.

INT. CAR - DESERT HIGHWAY - DAWN

They are quiet for a moment, then Thelma starts quietly

laughing to herself. She is trying to stop but cannot.

LOUISE:

What?

THELMA:

(shaking with laughter)

Nothing. It's not funny.

LOUISE:

What? What's not funny, Thelma!

Thelma is trying to compose herself but cannot.

THELMA:

Okay, but...

(she can barely speak)

I can't say.

Thelma isn't making a sound. She is stuck in a convulsion

of laughter.

LOUISE:

What?!

THELMA:

(gasping for air)

Harlan.

LOUISE:

What?! What about him?!

THELMA:

Just the look on his face when you...

(she is falling apart

again)

...it's not funny.

LOUISE:

(shocked)

Now, Thelma, that is not...

Thelma is still trying to get a grip on herself.

THELMA:

Boy, he wasn't expectin' that!

LOUISE:

(scolding)

Thelma!

THELMA:

(impersonating Harlan)

Suck my dick... Boom!!

Thelma is laughing wildly.

LOUISE:

(quietly)

Thelma. It's not funny.

Thelma has just crossed the line from laughing to crying.

THELMA:

(trying to catch her

breath)

I know!

They both get quiet.

Thelma leans back just watching Louise. She studies her as

if she's never really seen her before. All of a sudden a

look of shocked realization comes over Thelma's face.

She jerks upright and startles Louise.

THELMA:

(carefully)

It happened to you... didn't it?

Louise knows what she is talking about. She becomes

immediately agitated.

LOUISE:

I don't want to talk about it!

Thelma, I'm not kidding! Don't you

even...

THELMA:

...in Texas... didn't it? That's

what happened... Oh my God.

Louise looks as if she is looking for a way to flee.

LOUISE:

(fighting hysteria)

I'm warning you, Thelma. You better

drop it right now! I don't want to

talk about it!

THELMA:

(gently)

Okay, Louise... It's okay.

Louise's eyes are wild, not seeing, while Thelma now seems

completely serene.

EXT. DESERT HIGHWAY - DAWN

The car is SCREAMING down the road. They drive through a

little stand of buildings.

EXT. DESERT HIGHWAY - LONG LENS SHOT - DAWN

A car speeds up to try and catch them... The red and blue

lights pop on. It is a New Mexico State Patrol car.

INT. CAR - DAY

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