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]] Ghost (1990) [imdb]

This movie passed 3 of 3 tests. It was entered by Renee on 2010-07-09 05:08:58.

Reviews

Comments

Gen said:
Whoopi Goldberg's character talks about her 'gift' with her two female assistants. "My mother had it, and my mother's mother had it..." Indirectly this is because Sam, a ghost and male, started talking and she heard him, but it isn't about men and he isn't mentioned until he comes into the scene.
Message posted on 2011-10-10 07:09:06
Dulcinel said:
Do these two female assistants have names?
Message posted on 2013-02-09 23:27:32
luminum said:
The sisters are not named, but there IS a scene where Oda Mae talks to one of her clients, Ortisha, who mistakes what Oda Mae is saying to Sam as being intended for her.

Ortisha: "Are you speaking to me?"

Oda Mae: "Does it look like I'm speaking to you? You'll know when I'm talking to you. You're supposed to be concentrating. Now are you going to try it? Thank you very much [...] 'Scuse me. 'Scuse me. You ready now? Then let's do it."

Oda Mae and Molly also have some smaller snippets of conversation when fleeing from Carl. Oda Mae says they should take the fire escape, Molly tells Oda Mae to "go this way", and Oda Mae says "this way." Pretty small.

Other scenes with named female characters--either clients or Molly-- are always generally about dead husbands or Sam. The other non-male related conversations happen between Oda Mae and her unnamed sisters, a female banker, nuns, tenants, and another unnamed female ghost.

The film passes the Racial Bechdel test (Ortisha, Orlanda, and Oda Mae/Oda Mae and Willy (briefly)/Oda Mae, Julio, and Rosa Santiago).

It also passes the Reverse Bechdel Test, (Sam and Carl).
Message posted on 2013-02-10 18:25:14
Bean said:
Ok this site is just silly. The test is great, but it needs to applied explicitly. When Oda Mae and Molly talk while fleeing from Carl that is clearly a conversation.

and what about "Molly, you in danger girl"
? She has a whole conversation about her life being in danger. Conversations "not being about a man" can't include non-romantic plot driven topics, otherwise its an absurdly broad test. Are you suggesting that whatever plot element the two women are speaking about can in no way be linked to a male character? Bull.
Message posted on 2014-07-02 16:40:25
neil (webmaster) said:
I've updated the rating from 2/3 to 3/3.
Message posted on 2014-07-04 05:22:12
Bean said:
Ok, I take back my previous comment (at least for this movie, I still think the overall point is valid).

But thanks Gen for finding that scene where Whoopi talks about the gift. I knew this movie had to have some scene that passed the test given the number of female characters.
Message posted on 2014-07-05 04:54:58

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