Bechdel Test Movie List

Foul Play is a romantic comedy/crime caper with Hitchcockian overtones about a librarian named Gloria Mundy (Goldie Hawn) who unwittingly becomes involved in a criminal conspiracy when she stops to help a stranded motorist. Although Hawn spends most of her screen time with Chevy Chase, playing the investigating cop who she falls in love with, she does have interactions with three other named female characters. Two are relatively inconsequential (a discussion with her friend Sally about Gloria's reluctance to begin dating again after her divorce, and several short conversations with another librarian, Mrs. Monk), but she has several conversations with a co-worker, Stella, including a central one in which Stella, after hearing about Gloria's fears that she's being followed, gives her a primer on self defense. Stella later gives Gloria her personal self defense weapons (mace, a noisemaker and a set of brass knuckles) that (spoiler alert) Gloria later uses to great effect in gaining her freedom after being kidnapped. In fact, although Hawn plays a slightly ditzy blonde character, Gloria is very capable of self defense, using her umbrella, a book cart and knitting needles at various times in the film.