Bechdel Test Movie List

One of my all-time favorite movies. A smart female lead who isn't obsessed with her love life and kicks butt??? Sign me up.

This fails test 3.

Clarice and her roommate talk, but its about Lecter and Jame Gumb.

In an earlier scene, Clarice answers an open question from a female - posed to a large group - in an undirected manner.

And thats all there is.

True--but this is a case of a film that fails the test as it is, but certainly passes in terms of presenting a powerful, three-dimensional female character.

That's not what the website is about. If you feel that way, then write a review and link to it.

Fails the test clearly.

This film passes the test, but barely. I'm watching it now, and there's a scene where Jodie Foster and her fellow trainee played by Kasi Lemmons talk about how the senator uses her kidnapped daughter's name in a televised plea in order to humanize the victim to her killer. This is not a scene about a man. Indirectly, it's about Buffalo Bill, but it's more about the senator and the victim and the televised plea.

I think it passes.

Clarice and her roommate are quizzing each other about the number codes when they are running.

The only thing that is iffy for me is the fact that I don't remember hearing the roommate's name mentioned in the film.

It does pass because Clarice also talks to the first victim's friend Stacy at the bank about the victim (Fredrica) and the FBI.
She does call her roommate 'Ardelia' at some point.

Watching it right now. Technically, Clarice also talks to the victim Catherine at the end when she is saving her. She does ask where Buffalo Bill is in that conversation, but most of it is her reassuring Catherine and telling her she needs her to be quiet.

I wonder if talking about Buffalo Bill/James Gumb counts as talking about a man or not: he/she identifies as a woman, so in polite conversation, you'd refer to him/her as 'her', but then Lecter says he/she's not really transsexual. However, I kinda feel that we should go by what the individual in question says, not anyone else.

Also, it'd pass regardless of this, as Clarice and Agent Mapp discuss number codes and compliment one another on graduating. Also, there's Catherine/Clarice, although I can kinda see this interaction as being about a man, since it's mainly about how Bill's put her in danger.

After reading the comments here, this question is directed at the people who disagree. It was my belief that the Bechdel test was more for "two female characters talking about a man and all his qualities etc." In this film, the female is an agent during an investigation. She's going to have to talk about the suspect/killer to other agents, male or female. Should it fail the test for that? If she didn't, it wouldn't be realistic at all.

Exactly, Commissioner. I've always felt that this movie passes the test because Clarice and Ardelia are talking about their work, not so much "about a man."

Commissioner, Martinet, I disagree; when Clarice is talking about Bill or Lecter, they are talking about a man. Therefore such conversations do not pass.

However, the conversation about rule codes is a pass. The roommate is named Ardelia.

This is addressed to those who believe this movie doesn't pass the test. This movie does indeed pass the test because Clarice and Ardelia are jogging and studying for a test at the same time in one scene. They also discuss the case with each other as well, and to claim that the scene doesn't count because the case itself involves men is really rather petty. They are talking about the case, not the men involved with the case specifically. Also if we followed this test so this strictly, then something like Stephanie Meyer's The Host passes with flying colors. And anyone familiar with her knows she is one of the farthest things from feminism you can get.

Oh come on, this movie definitely passes! Clarice talks to Ardelia at the beginning about the test, the woman Stacy when she is trying to get some information to help find Buffalo Bill (but they don't just talk about him), and to Catherine at the end telling her to be quiet, etc. She is one of the most awesome female characters of all time! But aside from that fact it passes the test anyway.

I agree with the raiting. Clarice and her roomate Ardelia talks a lot about Hannibal, Jack and the killer, but is not about romantic issues and is all professional subjects involving a field dominated by male figures. So I agree that is valid bacause in a lot of movies, like "Pirates of the Caribean" a female character is talking with other woman just to expose a conflict between romantic subjects and they are talking about man on a romantic subject. The conversations between Ardelia and Clarice is all related about work and catching a killer.

Also there is a scene where Clarice is talking with Stacy, a cashier and she is interogating her about the victim and Jame, the suspect.

And finally, Clarice talks with Catherine in the end, when she finds her. They talk about Jame but she is warning her about the danger.