2.  THELMA & LOUISE

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Ridley Scott’s 1991 road movie Thelma & Louise is often cited as the singular feminist movie of the decade, but in reality it’s so much more than that.  Geena Davis plays Thelma, a housewife stuck in a mundane marriage.  Sarandon plays Louise, a waitress who always finds herself alone while her musician husband is out on the road.  The two decide to take a road trip but soon become fugitive when Louise shoots and kills a man who attempts to rape Thelma.  Soon, they find themselves the targets of a massive federal manhunt.

This film became an instant classic for a variety of reasons.  First and foremost, both Sarandon and Davis are sublime as the title characters, not ever letting them slip into the uncomfortable roles of damsels in distress.  Instead, the duo are given a litany of obstacles to contend with, all of which they handle on their own.

The controversial ending of the film has become a focal point of the movie (well, that and Brad Pitt’s shirtless cowboy grifter character), but it has quickly become one of the most recognizable sequences in movie history.  Instead of becoming victims or outlaw heroes, the two take their fates into their own hands and write their own ending.  It’s a beautifully tragic send-off, and one of the best films of the 90’s, without question.