# Any movies fail a reverse Bechdel Test? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 25, 2013, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630 "2013-09-25T06:48:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/41 "2013-09-25T22:37:53Z")
Once again a gimmick, but it was the first that came to mind. **Hell in the Pacific**. I don’t think we ever learn Lee Marvin’s name and I know we never learn Toshero Mufine’s name in the film. And as for a conversation taking place, if that necessitates communication, no it doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/42 "2013-09-25T22:48:11Z")
Ingmar Bergman’s \*\*Persona \*\* completely fails. ---
**Author:** ![Rollo\_Tomasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/58956e/32.png) [@Rollo\_Tomasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rollo_Tomasi)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/43 "2013-09-25T22:53:23Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I can’t recall there being any significant male-male conversations in “Bad Teacher”. Jason Segel and Justin Timberlake have that weird conversation about sharks. I don’t know if it adds up to a minute of screen time, but I’d say it’s significant because Segel is specifically setting up Timberlake to look like an idiot in front of Cameron Diaz. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/44 "2013-09-25T23:00:46Z")
Another gimmick, but mildly qualifies. In **Enemy Mine** We think that the two characters (Dennis Quaid, and Louis Gosset Jr.) are male until Gosset Jr.'s character from another planet gives birth to a baby. So despite most of the film having the two talking, if giving birth is limited to women, that is a fail for that point. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/45 "2013-09-25T23:07:26Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I see I misunderstood the intention, but #3 threw me. If you’re talking about one conversation with women as the subject causing the movie to fail this test, then some of mine also fit – **Key Largo** have Bogart and Robinson discussing Claire Trevor; **Casablanca** has Rick and Renault talking about Ilsa. In **The Big Sleep** , Marlowe and Eddie Mars talk about Mrs. Rutledge. > > I assume that **American Pie** , by its very nature would seem to have named characters talking about women all the time (haven’t seen it). > > **Play it Again Sam** has Woody Allen and the Humphrey Bogart character constantly talking about women. > > **Hitch** is nothing _but_ conversations about women. > > In **Chicago** , Billy and Amos have a conversation about Roxie, and the number “She Reached for the Gun” is all about Roxie in the form of an interview with male newspaper reporters (I’m assuming certain things in the stage musical that were neither confirmed nor denied in the movie). > > As stated, #3 of the test is very confusing and seems to say any conversation by two men talking about a woman means the movie fails the test. That would include any movie where two buddies were discussing one guy’s girlfriend or love life – very common. Okay, then rephrase it as ‘Is at least one of those conversations about something other than women?’ Thus, if male characters have 7 conversation scenes, 5 are about women, 2 are about other things, then the move still passes the test. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/46 "2013-09-25T23:11:33Z")
Probably going to be my closest to non-gimmick. **Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison** with Deborah Kerr and Robert Mitchum. He’s a Marine corporal and she is a nun. They are the only characters we ever learn their names. They are the only ones to converse. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/47 "2013-09-25T23:21:29Z")
The aliens in Enemy Mine are hermaphrodites. I’m not sure what that means for either version of the test. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/48 "2013-09-25T23:24:10Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > **The Women** has no male characters (at least, not onscreen). The 1939 version or 2008? In the 2008 version, Edie’s baby is male. I don’t think there’s any male in the original. They even made sure the pets were female. I’d like to see a version of this in which everyone who worked on it, not just the cast, was female. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/49 "2013-09-26T00:01:27Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > As stated, #3 of the test is very confusing and seems to say any conversation by two men talking about a woman means the movie fails the test. That would include any movie where two buddies were discussing one guy’s girlfriend or love life – very common. No, they can talk about women. They can even talk mostly about women. All they have to do to pass the test is have at least one minute of conversation on any subject other than women. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/50 "2013-09-26T00:41:04Z")
Trying to stay away from rom-coms: _Sucker Punch_, maybe? ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/51 "2013-09-26T00:48:42Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > No, they can talk about women. They can even talk mostly about women. All they have to do to pass the test is have at least one minute of conversation on any subject other than women. I’ll give credit for ‘a substantial conversation’ even if it’s less than 60 seconds. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/52 "2013-09-26T02:57:28Z")
_I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing_ has two named male characters, but they appear only once each, in separate scenes. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/53 "2013-12-26T09:20:32Z")
> [@Flywheel](#): > > Two from the same (male) director: [Margot at the Wedding](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margot_At_The_Wedding) and [Frances Ha](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Ha). In Frances Ha, the two male roommates have conversations not about Frances. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/54 "2013-12-26T09:37:52Z")
What about **Gravity?** Clooney talks to Houston, but whom he’s talking to doesn’t have a name. There is the Indian astronaut, but he only says a few words before getting smoked. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/55 "2013-12-26T13:09:17Z")
Clueless? ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/56 "2013-12-26T17:50:41Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Clueless? I’m pretty sure the father and ex-stepbrother talk to each other, although I don’t remember what they talk about so it may have been just Cher and/or the ex-wife. _Bridesmaids_ was on TV last night, and I don’t think it would pass the RBT. There are several male characters, but IIRC the only time any of them speak to each other is the jewelry store owner telling the security guard to get back to work and maybe a couple of words between the John Ham character and Rhodes the cop when the former comes to pick up Kristen Wiig after her car accident. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/57 "2013-12-26T18:02:29Z")
Does **The Descent** have any male characters at all? IIRC, there are references to a (possibly unfaithful with one of the other characters? It’s been a while) husband of one of the characters, but I don’t remember if we even see him, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t talk to another guy. I feel like it should get bonus points for being a straight-up horror movie, rather than a romcom or drama. ---
**Author:** ![randompattern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@randompattern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randompattern)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/58 "2013-12-26T18:03:10Z")
Castaway? ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/59 "2013-12-26T22:55:44Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > In Frances Ha, the two male roommates have conversations not about Frances. Right - good catch. How about **Funny Ha Ha**? ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/60 "2013-12-26T23:13:32Z")
I’m thinking Nicole Holofcener movies would fail. In _Walking and Talking_, it’s possible that Liev Schrieber and Randall Batinkoff had a scene together; I don’t remember. But I’m pretty sure that Jennifer Aniston and Julia Louis-Dreyfus were in every scene of _Friends with Money_ and _Enough Said_, respectively. Of course, I could be misremembering all of this. Question: If two male characters and a female character all participate in a conversation about, say, architecture, does that count? Or does it have to be two (or more) men without any women? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630.md?page=4)