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]] Despicable Me (2010) [imdb]

This movie passed 3 of 3 tests. It was entered by Acts of Tekla on 2010-07-10 03:56:03.

Reviews

Comments

Acts of Tekla said:
In fact, there are more female main characters than male -- Gru's mother, Miss Hattie, and the three girls: Margo, Edith, and Agnes, versus Gru, Vector, Dr. Nefario, and Mr. Perkins.

The girls have several conversations with each other and with the other major female characters, including one with their ballet teacher. Admittedly, a lot of the conversations are about Gru, but many, particularly during the first act, are about their cookie sales or their hopes to be adopted.
Message posted on 2010-07-10 03:56:04
Carl said:
Even when they talk about Gru it isn't a romantic longing, which I suspect is what most objectionably (and objectifying) female-female conversations are about.
Message posted on 2010-10-12 03:33:14
Benjamin Rosenbaum said:
I don't think only romantic longing is at issue. That might be the worst case, but if all your conversations with other women are about men because you're scheming to get free of them, or trying to figure out what their intentions are, or hoping they'll deliver the goods, or come save you, or whatever... it's still depicting a world where men have all the power.

Delighted to see Despicable Me do so well at the Bechtdel Test, it was a good movie! At this point we might need a higher-bar test, in which we look at what *percentage* of the conversations break down how by gender?
Message posted on 2011-12-07 15:57:21
Aubree said:
Honestly? It passes the test with flying colors, so your next step is to devise a harder test in hopes that it will fail? There is nothing in this movie that could be seriously construed as anti-feminist.
Message posted on 2011-12-21 01:04:50
elika disagreed with the rating and said:
Too many of their conversations (pretty much all) have to do with Gru or things that they do in regards to him. Not sure how this remotely passes.
Message posted on 2013-01-01 02:27:17
109 said:
I agree with the rating and disagree with elika. The test does not require many conversations about not-males. It only requires one.
Message posted on 2013-07-03 00:48:04
Em said:
elika, given the girls only meet Gru about twenty minutes into the film, in what way does this not pass? There is a whole scene of several minutes where the three girls converse with Miss Hattie, then with the girl in the box of shame, then with each other in their bedroom.
Message posted on 2013-07-16 09:11:55
VeggieTart said:
I suspect the "not talking about a man" means in a romantic sense. I mean, if women are talking about a man in a non-romantic sense--a parent, another relative, a famous person--this shouldn't violate the rule. The girls' conversations about Gru are in the context of their hopes of being adopted.
Message posted on 2013-07-29 01:33:57
Mike said:
Not sure why people are disagreeing with this rating..? Out of the main five characters three are women, there are other women characters....they talk to one another about all sorts of things....why are people trying to create sexism out of nothing...? Margo, Edith and Anges are constantly talking, about finding parents, selling cookies, being orphans, unicorns, their ballet recital...and OH WOW THEY TALK ABOUT A MAN. I MEAN A MAN ADOPTS THEM...AND THEN THEY TALK ABOUT THAT. HOW DARE THE FILMAKERS HAVE CHILDREN TALKING ABOUT THE MAN WHO ADOPTS THEM. ABSOLUTELY HORRIFYING. This movie is a great FAMILY film. About a FAMILY. This family is three girls and their father. The girls talk about their father. It passes the test. With flying colours.
Message posted on 2014-06-07 06:05:43
Beth said:
This movie passes with flying colours!

The three little girls, Margo, Edith, and Agnes, have many conversations with each other. Some of these are about Gru, yes, but many of them are not. They have several conversations about cookie sales, their chances of being adopted, the minions (that are genderless), and ballet. Furthermore, all three girls are without a doubt central to the movie's main plot and they all have very distinctive personalities.

Also, the girls have a lengthy conversation with Miss Hattie about cookie sales, adoption, and the box of shame.

The girls are also shown talking to three nameless characters: their dance teacher, the girl in the shame box, and Gru's mother. Gru's mother is nameless, but she is at least a supporting character.

This movie is delightful and passes over and over, starting in the first few minutes.
Message posted on 2015-07-02 03:18:34

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