Bechdel Test Movie List

The film stars Nicole Kidman as Mrs. Coulter and Dakota Blue Richards as her daughter, Lyra (along with Daniel Craig as Lyra's father, Lord Asriel).

There are several women in supporting roles, as well: Eva Green as the witch queen, Serafina Pekkala; Clare Higgins as Ma Costa; and Magda Szubanski as Mrs. Lonsdale. Finally, Kathy Bates and Kristin Scott Thomas provide voices for two female daemons (spirits in animal form).

There are a number of examples of women talking to one another, both about men and other subjects, too. For example, Lyra goes to live with Mrs. Coulter, acting as her personal assistant; Mrs. Coulter talks to Lyra about academics and her scientific expeditions; Lyra stows away on Ma Costa's boat, where Ma Costa cares for her; and Lyra speaks with Serafina about her "mission."

The daemons, in contrast, generally only speak to "their" humans (i.e., the humans to which they're attached), and the human-daemon pairs are almost always opposite sex.

Mrs Coulter is not Lyra's mother.

Spoiler alert for the Philip Pullman novels:


Rachel, while as I recall the movie doesn't explicitly tell us this, in the subsequent novels in Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy, it is learned that Marisa Coulter <is> Lyra's mother.

I thought the movie does end up revealing both that Lord Asrael is her father and Ms. Coulter is her mother. Haven't seen it since it was in theatres and I had read the books so I could be mistaken or reading into things.

@ Jestak and Rachel: both the novel and film "Golden Compass" reveal that Mrs. Coulter is Lyra's mother. In fact, the novel reveals it earlier in the story than the movie.

This film passes the test with flying colors.

I've just watched the movie again after some years, and payed attention to the interactions between the female characters. And even though there are many strong women, most of their conversations are at least tangentially about men. The movie does pass, but I wouldn't use the expression "flying colours" here.