Ever notice that every blockbuster movie has the same fundamental pieces? A hero, a journey, some conflicts to muck it all up, a reward, and the hero returning home and everybody applauding his or her swag? Yeah, scholar Joseph Campbell noticed first—in 1949. He wrote The Hero with a Thousand Faces, in which he outlined the 17 stages of a mythological hero's journey.

About half a century later, Christopher Vogler condensed those stages down to 12 in an attempt to show Hollywood how every story ever written should—and, uh, does—follow Campbell's pattern. We're working with those 12 stages, so take a look. (P.S. Want more? We have an entire Online Course devoted to the hero's journey.)

1. Ordinary World

The first thing to note is we have two heroes with two different journeys. First we have Louise: she's a waitress at a diner, she's pushing forty, she's no-nonsense, and she's got a no-show boyfriend.

Then we have Thelma: she's got a mean hubby who yells at her, she's got a bathrobe on, and she's all over the place. She's also Louise's best friend.

Thelma's and Louise's lives are unadventurous and kind of boring. That's one reason they decide to go on a fishing trip. A stop along the way and a bad call by Thelma bring these two face to face with the darker side of male power that surrounds them.

2. Call To Adventure

When Louise faces Harlan with a gun, she's got a choice to make: let him go or fight back. This is the most concrete encounter with male power in the film—something that has hurt her very badly in the past. She shoots Harlan in the chest, hits the road with Thelma, and the adventure begins.

3. Refusal Of The Call

Thelma wants to go to the cops, but Louise knows the cops won't believe them. Thelma's impulse is to appeal to a system that will favor Harlan over her, because part of her believes she'll be protected. Louise knows better and convinces her otherwise.

4. Meeting The Mentor

Thelma met her mentor a long time ago when she became friends with Louise. Louise's mentor is a little more abstract: it's reality—though Detective Hal tries to step in. Hal tries to get Thelma and Louise to come back, thinking he will be able to protect them. Louise, again, knows better, because of experience. Thelma, having faced head on the nasty side of the real world, has to learn a thing or two from Louise in order to even cope.

5. Crossing The Threshold

For Thelma, crossing the threshold involves finally taking on Louise's kind of bravery and facing life head on. When Louise is down for the count (she's lost literally everything), Thelma steps up with a new outlaw—err, outlook on life and robs a convenience store to make up for lost cash. Louise has to realize that sometimes she needs to accept help. She wouldn't have made it without Thelma. Thelma learns that she needs to take things into her own hands in order to be free. This is what we call a role reversal.

6. Tests, Allies, Enemies

First, there's a convo with Hal during which Louise realizes the cops are on to them. If she turns herself in, Louise knows the justice system will ultimately fail her, so she hangs up the phone.

Then, there's a cop that pulls Thelma and Louise over for speeding. Here, Thelma has to protect Louise by holding up the cop, stripping him of weapons, shoving him in the trunk, and shoving off.

Finally, there's that disgusting trucker whose education proves to be a perfect collaboration between Thelma and Louise. Here, they meet in the middle, standing up for women everywhere, demanding respect where respect is due. They get none, so they blow up the dude's truck. That's fair, right?

7. Approach To The Inmost Cave

Thelma realizes that she can't give up her life of freedom. Louise knows what she's running away from and why she's keeping out of Texas. They both realize that their options are few, if they want to keep their freedom and protect themselves from a world that's against them. So it's off to Mexico, before it's too late.

8. Ordeal

Being surrounded by a bunch of dudes with guns and a helicopter is more or less an ordeal, right?

9. Reward (Seizing The Sword)

Thelma and Louise take their lives into their own hands. They decide they want keep their freedom.

10. The Road Back

There ain't none.

11. Resurrection

As far as we know, Thelma and Louise don't resurrect. That being said, this is an important detail. Khouri herself stated that the ending of Thelma and Louise is really important. You wrote it, not me, she says. (By "you," she meant the world, not you, Shmooper.) Let's face it: this world often isn't kind to women. Writing a happy ending wouldn't be true to this world, and it would dilute the commentary Khouri is making.

12. Return With The Elixir

Funnily enough, it's you, dear audience, who will return with the elixir. Which elixir, exactly? Well, maybe it's a better awareness of the crap women have to deal with. And it ain't changed much. (See the article in our "Best of the Web" section where Sarandon says that Thelma and Louise wouldn't be made today.)