Bechdel Test Movie List

/bech·del test/ n.
1. It has to have at least two [named] women in it
2. Who talk to each other
3. About something besides a man

[[3]] Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) [imdb]

This movie passed 3 of 3 tests. It was entered by Kyle on 2010-08-13 21:33:16.

Reviews

Comments

Kyle said:
While the film has several named female characters, all the conversations between them revolve around the main character in some way.
Message posted on 2010-08-13 21:33:16
Danny said:
I'd call it dubious. Knives and Tamara talk about how much Knives hates Ramona, and how Knives is dying her hair. It's dubious because both conversations are really about Scott.

Knives does talk to Kim about the band, but it's not really a "conversation" so much as three lines of dialouge ("Are you a drummer?" "...Yes" "That's so cool!". I still think it counts, though.
Message posted on 2010-08-15 09:44:52
Jenny W. said:
Also, Knives tells Envy that she loves her band and reads her blog. So it passes, technically.
Message posted on 2010-08-15 15:58:21
Machombie said:
In a movie like this, it's hard to say, I think.

The whole movie revolves around the relationship, between Knives and Scott and Ramona. Hell, when ANYONE is really talking, they're talking about the relationships (even the exes really only talk about Scott and Ramona)

It's hard to say, also, because the underlying current is always both Scott and Ramona. Even when Ramona and Envy are glaring at each other from the couches, they are "talking" to each other, but it's out of jealousy. Even Julie and Knives talking to Envy (or trying to) can be construed as "two women talking to each other about something other than a man" but it's masked by the tension of the relationship.

I think this movie has enough moments of the ladies talking to each other about something other than Scott (or any guy) to count, especially since even the guys talk about nothing other than Scott and Ramona, for the most part.

That's my two cents though :D
Message posted on 2010-08-15 20:29:23
Donovan said:
Admittedly no one really talks about anything besides Scott and his relationships in this movie (with the occasional exception of the band talking about practice or gigs), but I still don't think this movie passes.

The only exchange in dialogue between females that isn't about other males is, as Danny pointed out, when Knives asked Kim if she was a drummer and Kim answered "yes". Some may consider this to technically be "talking to each other", but in my opinion Kim only answered a yes-or-no question with the single matter-of-fact word "yes". I consider "talking to each other" to mean "having a conversation", and I consider a conversation to require more than answering a simple fact. I know the Bechdel test doesn't strictly say that, but in my opinion answering a self-evident question with a one-word answer doesn't qualify this movie as having female characters that "talk to each other".
Message posted on 2010-08-16 11:45:13
Skrud said:
There are a couple of more points that seemed to be missed in previous comments:

Knives asks Julie to show her where to find Clash at Demonhead albums.

Roxy and Ramona talk a little bit about their past that isn't really about Scott.

I'd say the movie passes narrowly but I still think it passes. It's way more than most other movies
Message posted on 2010-08-16 21:53:53
Destructor said:
Agreed- this needs revision. Knives tells Envy she loves her blog. PASS!
Message posted on 2010-08-19 01:16:05
Raphael said:
I agree with the other commentors: A narrow pass. Knives has several conversations with named female characters about topics other than Scott.
Message posted on 2010-08-20 00:59:34
Kyle said:
Good points. My mistake. I concede that this movie passes the test (albeit narrowly).
Message posted on 2010-08-20 06:04:07
neil (webmaster) said:
I've updated the rating from 2/3 to 3/3.
Message posted on 2010-08-20 11:20:16
Emily Kane said:
I think many more of the conversations center around Ramona than Scott.
Message posted on 2010-11-10 07:50:15
Michael said:
I want to point out that the "when anyone is talking, it is about Scott and Ramona" idea doesn't really fly. There are extensive conversations between Scott and his roommate and between members of the band which are not about Ramona or Knives.

Don't get me wrong -- this movie passes, definitely. But it's important to do a Reverse Bechdel sometimes if we don't want to just be apologists.
Message posted on 2010-12-20 15:30:49
Bete said:
While the film may pass this test technically, it fails to avoid being yet another movie that has a mediocre-looking male win over the gorgeous, out-of-his-class female through his wits and charm. We need a test for that tedious trend as well. :P
Message posted on 2011-03-05 13:13:50
hymnharmonia said:
You're right, Bete.
Obviously, mediocre-looking males should only be with mediocre-looking females.
Message posted on 2011-10-30 13:56:21
I Teach this Test said:
No.. then all the mediocre-looking women would be taken before the hot men could try to win them over.

I've got to give this movie props for passing at all. I wonder how many other guy-wants-girl-guy-fights-for-girl-guy-gets-girl movies come close.
Message posted on 2011-12-06 13:53:33
olleicua said:
I agree. Genre is so important. When a movie is primarily about relationships and most of those relationships involve men (and realistically 15/16 relationships do (about 1/8 people are gay and about 1/2 gay people are female)) it can't be too surprising that conversation will involve men.
Message posted on 2012-03-17 15:48:15
Rose said:
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the little bits of conversation between Julie and Envy. I mean, sure, it's very little and hardly counts due to the fact that Envy is glaring at Ramona and Scott the whole time but there's SOMETHING.
Julie: (to Envy) So, I heard you guys opened for the Pixies. You're like a superstar now.
Envy: (looking at Ramona and Scott, but talking to Julie) Yeah...it's, uh, not something I can really put into words.
Of course, Envy uses this as a lead-in to mention Gideon to rile up Ramona, but as the whole movie revolves around Scott's relationships with Ramona and Knives and very few of the characters (male included) rarely talking about anything BUT said relationships.
Which is quite unfortunate as the comic books pass the Bechdel test with flying colours.
Still, the movie passes the Bechdel Test too, narrowly, but it passes just the same and ever-more surprising is the fact that it's a male-centered rom-com, so really, that's rather impressive no matter by how much (or little) it passes.
Message posted on 2012-04-01 02:54:26

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