Off the Cliff: How the Making of Thelma & Louise Drove Hollywood to the Edge

This is a fantastic book whether you're a fan of the film, "Thelma and Louise", or a fan of the inner workings of Hollywood. This is a great book if you're an up and coming screenwriter or trying to break into the film business. As someone whose been working in the entertainment industry forever, I can say that it does a good job at displaying the process of writing a script and trying to get it made into a film. It includes all of the politics and challenges that it includes. It's also a great rags to riches kind of story in seeing your script get made into an iconic historical film like, "Thelma and Louise". Massive chunks of the book goes into great detail of the making of that film. I've never read a making-of book on a film that had so much information and detail before. This one did a great job at putting this together. It was also a big book, but a quick fun read. The only negative is it is priced a bit high, but it is worth it if you don't mind blowing $20 on it.

Although the first few chapters were hard to read -- lots of emphasis of how hard it is to be a woman in Hollywood and how hard it is to sell a script, ultimately this is a wonderful book about the joys and "Pitt" falls (we love to watch him go!) of making one of the most beloved movies of the 90s. Callie Khouri IS Louise, and her friend was Thelma.Getting a movie made is a miracle, and here everything came together for a perfect storm -- it was very interesting how Ridley Scott was SO not the right person to make this movie, but then again, that made him the absolute right person to make this movie. I also loved how his being an outsider-- a Brit -- and his interest in the American West helped make the backdrop of the movie into the iconic larger-than-life tale it ended up being.

This book, written with so much heart and soul ,by Becky Aikman was the best book that I have ever read on "Thelma & Louise!"You can see that she took so much of her time to research the story and its cast thoroughly. She delved even deeper into the brilliant mind of Callie Khouri showing the birth of "Thelma & Louise" from her heart to the screen and winning the well-deserved Oscar for Best Original Screenplay!It has been 27 years since this movie made it's huge mark on the country and worldwide. Becky Aikman' book is a MUST READ for any one wholoved this movie or did not like it for any unfound reason. For example, Aikman explains the gut wrenching process to find an actor to play the role of Harlan.That is just one example of the many ,many stories she tells in this book. It was so thoroughly researched and is such a timely book to be written in this day in age. Thank you for your gift of "Off The Cliff!" Debbie A.

I have read three recent books From Amazon on Hollywood, all excellent....On Paul Newman, Gary Cooper and "High Noon" and now this: "Thelma and Louise". All show the fascinating production politics and mechanics of making movies. When you see the films for the first or second time after reading these well written "insider" accounts of the dynamic inter-action between the stars, the director, and the script writers , your enjoyment of the movie itself is much increased, as you look for certain scenes written up in the book . I lived in Hollywood, have relatives in the business, worked as an Extra, and thought I knew it all....... but this book "takes the cake". Read and enjoy---the book,......... and the movie, if you if you can still find it.

Off the Cliff is a phenomenal read and a real page turner. It's not just a behind the scenes look at an iconic movie, but an in-depth narrative that gets to the heart of the complicated reality of putting together a movie while remaining true to both the creative process and appealing to a wide audience. The author interviewed virtually everyone involved in the making and production of the movie. The intimate stories they reveal about the celebrities, casting, filming, and rampant sexism in Hollywood are emotional, entertaining, and informative. Off the Cliff is riveting. It's the best book I've read this year and I highly recommend it.

If you have that voice inside you saying, "you must do this!" yet an opposing voice is saying, "who do you think you are to be -- the first, seen as credible, be seen at all, etc." Do it anyway. It is your calling. If not you, who? Callie Khouri just did it; she wrote the screen play. Becky Aikman just did it; she wrote this book. Yes, I love the movie, Thelma & Louise. I read this book to find its messages for all of us with opposing voices running through our heads. I will share the book with others.

This not only tells the story on how difficult it was to make Thelma and Louise but recounts the history of women in film (up till the making of this movie there were practically NO women in any capacity of film).

With input from all the major players, Aikman’s book gives a thorough and always entertaining look at the making of THELMA & LOUISE. Even if you’ve seen the movie, this chronological account of events lends deeper meaning and understanding to the final creative output. For anyone who loves to see how a Hollywood film (barely) gets made, this one is definitely for your consideration.

This is such a great book, full of detail that has added to my enjoyment and love of this marvellous film. It starts with the creation of the script and follows the casting and filming all the way through to release, impact and legacy, with references to how women in film are faring today in comparison with when the film was made. A great read particularly if you love film, think Thelma and Louise is a brilliant film or are just interested in how films get made.

One of the best books on movie making I've ever read with a fascinating narrative that takes in the larger themes of women in Hollywood. Funny, insightful, sharply written, well researched. A must-read for fans of the film and anyone who wants to learn about how tough it is to get an original movie made.

¿Eres fan de "Thelma & Louise"? Si sabes inglés, no dudes en hacerte con este entretenidísimo libro sobre cómo se realizó la película y lo que vino tras ella. La autora atrapa con su escritura desde el primer capítulo en el que nos habla de cómo estaba el cine en la época en la que Callie Khouri, la guionista del filme, escribió su guión y lo difícil que resultó conseguir que se hiciera. Por supuesto se habla sobre quienes en ella participaron, su director, reparto y quienes tenían trabajos técnicos, y de lo que supuso con su controversia y todo.Imprescindible incluso para cualquier cinéfilo.

Ms. Aikman seems to have had access to most of the people who participated in the film Thelma and Louise. Evident throughout the story is the amount of energy expended to get the project approved and how few men stepped up. It had to be men because they had and still have the power in Hollywood.The best part of the book is that the women who wrote, produced and acted are heard so clearly. Well worth reading before you play the DVD again.