is the actress you want to hug when you are feeling sad. She will remind you that laughing is an act of rebellion and that a beautiful smile can be a weapon of mass construction.
Thelma & Louise is the great connector. In that film, Sarandon (Louise) and Geena Davis (Thelma) changed cinema forever. But Julia Roberts was almost Thelma. Early drafts of the script were considered for Roberts and Michelle Pfeiffer. While Roberts passed (a decision she later admitted to second-guessing), the DNA of that role—the transformation from naive victim to empowered outlaw—is pure Julia Roberts. susan sarandon and julia roberts
They represent the two paths available to women in Hollywood: the artist-activist and the superstar. But in the best films—and in real life—you need a bit of both. Sarandon gave Roberts the blueprint for longevity. Roberts gave Sarandon the validation that commercial success doesn't have to be stupid. is the actress you want to hug when you are feeling sad
It is impossible to write this post without acknowledging the obvious: the 1991 Ridley Scott masterpiece. If you haven't seen it, stop reading and go watch it immediately. In that film, Sarandon (Louise) and Geena Davis
But in the landscape of cinema history, Sarandon and Roberts are not opposites. They are a continuum. Here is why pairing these two names is more interesting than you think.
When you think of Susan Sarandon, your mind likely drifts to gritty 70s prisons ( Cool Hand Luke ), subversive road trips ( Thelma & Louise ), or gothic melodramas ( Lorenzo’s Oil ). When you think of Julia Roberts, you picture a rom-com revolution ( Pretty Woman ), a steel magnolia ( Steel Magnolias ), or an Oscar-winning fury ( Erin Brockovich ).