6 Movies That Celebrate Singledom

Thelma And Louise (1991)

With an Academy-Award winning script by Callie Khouri, and the legendary Ridley Scott in the director’s chair, Thelma And Louise is perhaps the most notable of films that celebrate singledom.

Geena Davis stars as Thelma – a woman in a deeply controlling marriage to a disturbingly angry man – while Susan Sarandon stars as Louise, a waitress in a diner. Setting off for a planned two-day road trip, the two best friends intend to take a break from their respective daily routines, and enjoy some respite from the soul-crushing monotony of their respective responsibilities. The trip takes a dark turn, however, when a stop at a roadhouse ends with a man attempting to rape Thelma, and Louise shooting him dead. Panicked, Louise decides to go on the run, and Thelma – preferring life outside of her oppressive marriage – decides to go with her.

The pair encounter numerous men on what becomes a dash for the Mexican border – including a cowboy (Brad Pitt) who steals Louise’s life savings, and a misogynist tanker-driver, whose cargo the women ignite – while a sympathetic police detective (Harvey Keitel) pursues them. Louise’s lover (Michael Madsen) tracks her down and proposes they wed – an offer which she calmly rejects. The tale culminates in the realization that no conventional lifestyle – marriage, or otherwise – can possibly compare to the bond shared by these friends, having experienced an, albeit brief, taste of a life in which they are answerable to nobody but themselves.