Bechdel Test Movie List

Molly is told by her mom to donate some of her old toys. One of the toys she decided to donate is her Barbie.

Later, Mrs. Potato head and Jessie comfort Barbie about being abandoned by Molly.

I don't really think this is a "dubious" pass... the movie clearly passes the test (keep in mind that it's a low bar to pass).

I'd need to see the movie again to verify, but I think there might have also been some conversations between Andy's mom, Bonnie's mom, and Bonnie at the daycare center.

I got the sense that they made a real effort to expand the female roles after the first two Toy Stories. Barbie and Mrs. Potato Head, in particular, had major roles in the story.

Yes, Jenny is correct, Andy's mom and Bonnie's mom had a conversation when she dropped off the toys at the daycare.

Yes but the conversation both times had to do with Andy going to college. This should be that the women talk but only about a man, because it's always Andy-inspired.

Do "Andy's mom" and "Bonnie's mom" have names?

Actualy, I think Andy's mom has always only been known as only "Andy's mom". The reasoning as I understand it is the same as why Calvin's parents have no names in "Calvin and Hobbes". Being simply identified as "Mom and Dad" makes them more identifyable as an every-parent figure allowing readers to identify with them on the level of a child. (Who rarely even knows their parent's names.)

The lack of strong female character in the first Toy Story was well addressed in Toy Story 2 with the character of Jesse, who was not introduced or used as a love interest of Woody. And while she needs rescuing at the end, she returns the favor by immediately rescuing Woody in the very next scene. (She also kicked his butt midway through.)

O think it passes, because of the conversation between Mrs. Potato head, Jessie and Barbie. It was related to molly, not andy.

I agree with Flavia, Jenny, and Emily: Since the Mrs Potato Head and Jessie are comforting Barbie about being donated by Molly, it passes.

There is no way this movie is "dubious". Not only does the movie pass all three tests, it passes the third test at least twice. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who thinks so.

While this movie passes the test, it is still sexist in very obvious ways. I find it ironic that a movie that is supposedly about toys and is made for children (as in both sexes) can be so gender exclusive. Almost all the main characters are male, the female characters are barely present and when they are, they're presented as horribly overused stereotypes (Barbie, really?)
And at one point in the movie, I remember one of the toys making a comment about Ken being a 'girls' toy' and everyone reacting as if it's supposed to be shameful and offensive. And keep in mind this is a movie for CHILDREN. You know how messed up and unaware our society is when blatantly sexist humor and connotations like those permeate even entertainment that is supposedly for kids. I have to wonder what they were thinking when they made this.

I remember reading a comment by someone who called it 'Boy Story'. Can't say I'm surprised.

Well, that is just the nature of children. If it was a girl in the lead, it would be very hard to have her play with two male toys at once.

Because Andy is male, most of his toys would be too, because that's how kids think.

Grawp, so it's sexist female characters are overused stereotypes, and you say there's an obvious stereotype toy like Barbie. That means she is a more relevant character for the whole story than Jessie (the adventure and brave cowgirl).
The fact they make fun of a sexist collection of toys like barbies and kens look anything but sexist to me. The fact that a girl is shown playing with not sexist toys (if you have watched the movie and remember that great ending you'll know what I mean) instead of showing girls only willing to play with sexist toys all society expects them to play and buy, doesn't seem sexist to me either.

Don't know, but I think making fun of stereotypical girl's toys that are all about family life and not showing stereotypical girls that only care about those toys, is anything but sexist. Maybe even some parents realized their children are more than an steretype to rise and think about buying some other toys they would like also apart of the toys adverts tell them to buy.

I don't understand why people think that the Barbie character was sexist. They made her an intelligent participant in both the conversations and the action. She outsmarted and fought a guard; she argued with the privileged toys about the caste system. I was surprised how well-developed her personality was.

I don't see how this passes. I just re-watched it and could not find anything that qualifies as a pass for rule #3. "Andy's mom" and "Bonnie's mom" don't have names. In the beginning when Barbie talks about being abandoned by Molly she is address the whole group of toys. So it doesn't pass.

Along with Barbie breaking her stereotype, she very clearly quotes John Locke's principle in the end, of how authority must derive from consent of the governed; proving her not to be a simple-minded doll, as most Barbies are suggested to be. Furthermore, Ken technically IS a girl's toy. Perhaps his portrayal is slightly overblown with femininity (wearing Barbie's scarf), but he proves to be a male appealing mainly to the young, female audience. Toy Story 3 incorporates female heroism through both Barbie and Jessie, balanced by that of Woody and Buzz.

Just because "Andy's Mom" and "Bonnie's Mom" don't have a name doesn't mean they don't mass the test! They do. There is no rule the characters have to have actual names in the script... just saying.

Also, they don't pass the test even if they're talking about Andy? So if "Andy'm Mom" had a daughter, she'd pass the test? That's messed up...

Matt, congratulations! You just realized how laughable both this test and the website itself are! I often come here in order to laugh at people's who are unable to enjoy a movie, unless it passes this test!

Matt, the reason that the stipulation exists is to make a point of how few movies have a conversation between two named female characters that does not center around a man. It is not to suggest that conversations that are about men have less value - it is that they are so common that they need to be excluded for the point to be better made. If the owner of the toys in Toy Story was a girl, we'd have a far more significant rarity (a female character who does not operate as a secondary character). It would also create a rare situation where a conversation in a movie between two women isn't about a male figure.

Many of the female toys had names (even if they were the names of the toy, i.e. Barbie and Mrs. Potato head, they are names nonetheless) and would talk about things that do not regard men multiple times.