Bechdel Test Movie List

Even the first criterium is barely met...

There wasn't a single female dog in the villain's huge pack.

Kevin (note: a female bird) "talks" to her babies... some of whom presumably might be female. WEAK.

In a film that has so few characters I think it is harsh it critize it for not having two females talking to each other. I can't see where they could have added more characters into the film without spoiling it, it stands as an excellent film as it is. Some times the Bechdel test just isn't practical.

At the end of the movie it was blatantly apparent to me that it didn't pass the test, and this bothered me. I do think the test is necessary, especially in kid's movies. At the end, the mother watches as her son gets his award and just sits in the audience while she lets a stranger act as the father figure. Why can't she? Why is she a bystander? She doesn't even speak. It's like saying that moms just cheer you on but they can't REALLY support you. Not okay in my book.

Thinking about how this fails, it amused me to think that the only female character is a bird named "Kevin". Lol!

@Laura Ruth
If I remember the movie correctly, the boy's mother is actually dead. What we see in the end of the movie is just the boy's imagination as he wishes his mother was there.

I have to disagree with Olivia. The movie has plenty of male characters talking to one another about something other than women, so I don't see why it wouldn't have had room for the reverse.

Elisa, it's his stepmother, who does have a name (although I can't recall it)

If all the genders in the movie had been reversed, I guarantee you that there would be people disagreeing with the rating of the movie purely because the entire trip would have been because of a 'man'--if you'll recall, the whole thing was an attempt by Carl to finally live Ellie's dream.

Now, I won't argue at all that it doesn't pass the test--it clearly doesn't--but I have seen comments on other movies claiming they don't pass because everything in the movie was because of a man. Well, everything that takes place in the movie 'Up' is because of a woman, and it was an incredibly touching tale, so I don't think that just because it fails the Bechdel test means it's anti-feminist in the slightest.

Also, I do believe Elisa is right, Russel was just imagining his mother being there, and being proud of him.

His mother was definitely alive and at the ceremony.

His parents are divorced, and his dad remarried (or is living with) someone named Phyllis. Which is why he sees him less. When Karl says you call your mother by her name he says Phyllis isn't my mom.

But he talk's about his mom also when Karl suggest playing let's see who can be quiet the longest he say's my mom loves that game.