Passing the Test

Staff decide whether or not films meet criteria of Bechdel Test

What Is It?

The Bechdel Test is a method of analyzing fiction—particularly film—to measure how well a work represents women. The test’s criteria is simple: it must feature two named women who talk to each other about something other than a man. The rule originally appeared in 1985 in a cartoon drawn by Alison Bechdel in her weekly feminist comic strip. Films that pass the Bechdel Test are not automatically positive depictions of women, but the test has continued to increase in popularity since its inception, and is often regarded as the standard for analyzing women’s representation.

By the Decades...

50s To 70s

Levi Walters | Reporter

Singin’ in the Rain (1952) passes when Lina and Zelda talk and Zelda reveals that Kathy is doubling her voice. Sunset Boulevard (1950) passes when Betty and Connie talk about the drive to Norma’s place.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) does not pass.

Rocky (1976) does not pass.

Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979) passes when Loretta, a trans woman, discusses her gender identity with Judith.

Return to Oz (1985) passes when Em and Dorothy talk about Dorothy’s memories from Oz.

80s To 00s

Sophia Johst | Reporter

Back to the Future (1985) does not pass. The Breakfast Club (1985) passes the Bechdel Test. Two of the female main characters open up to each other as one does the other’s makeup.

Girl, Interrupted (1999) passes the Bechdel Test. The majority of the characters are women, and the conversations that occur between the two female leads, Susanna and Lisa, have nothing to do with men or romantic relationships in general.

10 Things I Hate About You (1999) passes the Bechdel Test. Sisters Kat and Bianca have a few conversations, one about the death of their mother.

Real Women Have Curves (2002) passes the Bechdel Test. The movie depicts the struggles of girlhood, self-esteem, and conflict between daughters and mothers.

Juno (2002) passes the Bechdel Test. Multiple conversations take place between Juno and the woman adopting her unborn child.

In 2023... Highest Grossing Films

Kate Hayes | Asst. Editor

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) passes when characters Tuk and Tsireya discuss rescuing their friend Kiri, a woman. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) passes. Cassie saves Jentorra from imprisonment and the two plan an uprising.

Creed III (2023) does not pass.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) passes. Two women, Goldilocks and Mama Bear, discuss Goldilocks’ origins. John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) does not pass.

M3GAN (2023) passes. The film features three female main characters that talk at length about many things besides men, such as grief, robotics, and murder.

Oscar Winners

Kaitlyn Nash | Co-Editor

The Whale (2022) does not pass. Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) passes. The three main female characters, Evelyn, Joy, and Deidre, discuss everything from bagels to nihilism.

All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) does not pass.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) passes because many of the main characters are women, including Shuri and Ramonda, who talk about the safety of their village.

Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio (2023) does not pass.

Women Talking (2023) unsurprisingly passes the Bechdel Test. Multiple women within the fictional colony, including leads Salome, Ona, and Mariche, discuss their experiences of sexual assault as well as their lives and hobbies.