Jerry Maguire (1996 #4 Box Office and Oscar Nominee)

Bechdel-Wallace Test

1. Does the movie have at least two named female characters?
   • Yes, there are several.  Some of the major ones include Dorothy and Laurel Boyd, Marcee Tidwell, and Avery Bishop.
2. Do the female characters talk to each other on-screen?
   • Yes.  Dorothy has multiple conversations with Laurel and Marcee.  There are also group conversations at Laurel’s divorced women support group, but not all of the members of this group have names.
3. Does their conversation revolve around something other than a man?
   • Yes.  At one point, Dorothy and Laurel discuss Dorothy’s need to”be practical.”

Please leave your comments below on whether you agree or disagree with my assessment.

Shine (1996 Oscar Nominee)

Bechdel-Wallace Test

1. Does the movie have at least two named female characters?
   • Yes.  There’s Rachel, Margaret, Suzie, and Louise Helfgott as well as Sylvia and Gillian.
2. Do the female characters talk to each other on-screen?
   • Yes.  There are a few group conversations between the Helfgott women.
3. Does their conversation revolve around something other than a man?
   • No.  The aforementioned conversations all revolve around David or Peter Helfgott.

Please leave your comments below on whether you agree or disagree with my assessment.

Secrets and Lies (1996 Oscar Nominee)

Bechdel-Wallace Test

1. Does the movie have at least two named female characters?
   • Yes.  There are several named female characters, but some of the major ones include Cynthia, Monica, and Roxanne Purley as well as Hortense Cumberbatch, Dionne, and Jenny Ford.
2. Do the female characters talk to each other on-screen?
   • Yes.  There are several conversations, especially between Cynthia and Hortense or Roxanne.
3. Does their conversation revolve around something other than a man?
   • Yes.  Early in the movie, Hortense talks to Dionne about her birth and adopted mothers.

Please leave your comments below on whether you agree or disagree with my assessment.

Fargo (1996 Oscar Nominee)

Bechdel-Wallace Test

1. Does the movie have at least two named female characters?
   • Yes.  There’s Marge Gunderson and Jean Lundegaard.
2. Do the female characters talk to each other on-screen?
   • No.  Marge and Jean don’t even share a scene together.
   • Marge does talk to three women during the movie: two hookers and a female friend, but none of these characters are named.
3. Does their conversation revolve around something other than a man?
   • N/A
   • Its worth noting that Marge does talk to two hookers about where they’re from.  This conversation would have counted, but unfortunately neither hooker is named.

Please leave your comments below on whether you agree or disagree with my assessment.

The English Patient (1996 Oscar Winner)

 Bechdel-Wallace Test

1. Does the movie have at least two named female characters?
   • Yes.  There’s Katharine Clifton, Hana, Jan, and Mary, to name a few.
2. Do the female characters talk to each other on-screen?
   • Yes.  Hana talks to Jan and Mary.  There’s also a group conversation between Hana, Jan, and Mary.
3. Does their conversation revolve around something other than a man?
   • Yes.  Early in the movie, Hana and Jan talk about sewing and whether the former will lend money for lace to the latter.

Please leave your comments below on whether you agree or disagree with my assessment.

Ransom (1996 #5 Box Office)

Bechdel-Wallace Test

1. Does the movie have at least two named female characters?
   • Yes.  There’s Kate Mullen, Maris Conner, Agent Kimba Welch, and Fatima.
2. Do the female characters talk to each other on-screen?
   • Yes.  Kate talks a few times with Kimba and Fatima.
3. Does their conversation revolve around something other than a man?
   • Yes.  At one point, Kate and Kimba talk about the phone panel.

Please leave your comments below on whether you agree or disagree with my assessment.

Mission: Impossible (1996 #3 Box Office)

 Bechdel-Wallace Test

1. Does the movie have at least two named female characters?
   • Yes.  There’s Claire Phelps, Max, Sarah Davies, and Hannah Williams.
2. Do the female characters talk to each other on-screen?
   • No.  There is a briefing scene where Claire, Sarah, and Hannah are all present, but they only talk to other male characters (if they talk at all) and not directly to each other.
3. Does their conversation revolve around something other than a man?
   • N/A

Please leave your comments below on whether you agree or disagree with my assessment.

Twister (1996 #2 Box Office)

Bechdel-Wallace Test

1. Does the movie have at least two named female characters?
   • Yes.  There’s Dr. Jo Harding, Dr. Melissa Reeves, Meg Greene, and Haynes.
2. Do the female characters talk to each other on-screen?
   • Yes. Jo talks to all of the women listed above.  Melissa also talks to Meg.
3. Does their conversation revolve around something other than a man?
   • Yes.  Jo and Meg talk about Jo’s work as a storm chaser and that Meg needs to go to the hospital.

Please leave your comments below on whether you agree or disagree with my assessment.

Independence Day (1996 #1 Box Office)

 Bechdel-Wallace Test

1. Does the movie have at least two named female characters?
   • Yes, there are several name female characters.  Some of the major ones include Marilyn and Patricia Whitmore, Constance Spano, Jasmine Dubrow, and Tiffany.
2. Do the female characters talk to each other on-screen?
   • Yes.  Jasmine talks to both Tiffany and Marilyn.
3. Does their conversation revolve around something other than a man?
   • Yes.  Jasmine and Tiffany talk about the alien welcome party.  Later, Jasmine and Marilyn talk about Jasmine’s job as a “dancer.”

Please leave your comments below on whether you agree or disagree with my assessment.