The Sixth Sense (1999 #2 Box Office and Oscar Nominee)

 Bechdel-Wallace Test

1. Does the movie have at least two named female characters?
   • Yes.  There’s Lynn Sear, Anna Crowe, Kyra Collins, and Mrs. Collins.
2. Do the female characters talk to each other on-screen?
   • Yes. Kyra talks to her mom, Mrs. Collins.
3. Does their conversation revolve around something other than a man?
   • Yes, they talk about Kyra’s illness and lunch.

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

The Insider (1999 Oscar Nominee)

Bechdel-Wallace Test

1. Does the movie have at least two named female characters?
   • Yes.  There’s Liane, Barbara, and Deborah Wigand as well as Sharon Tiller, Debbie De Luca, and Helen Caperelli.
2. Do the female characters talk to each other on-screen?
   • Yes.  There are a few conversations between Liane and her daughters, Barbara and Deborah.
3. Does their conversation revolve around something other than a man?
   • Yes.  At one point, the Wigand females talk about dance class and dinner.

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

The Green Mile (1999 Oscar Nominee)

Bechdel-Wallace Test

1. Does the movie have at least two named female characters?
   • Yes.  There’s Elaine Connelly, Jan Edgecomb, and Melinda Moores, to name a few.
2. Do the female characters talk to each other on-screen?
   • Yes.  Jan talks to Melinda.  This conversation is brief and a little difficult to track because Jan’s husband joins in halfway through, but its clear that they address each other at some point.
3. Does their conversation revolve around something other than a man?
   • Yes.  Jan and Melinda talk about the latter’s health.

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

American Beauty (1999 Oscar Winner)

Bechdel-Wallace Test

1. Does the movie have at least two named female characters?
   • Yes.  There’s Carolyn and Jane Burnham, Angela Hayes, and Barbara Fitts, to name a few.
2. Do the female characters talk to each other on-screen?
   • Yes.  There are several conversations, especially between Jane and Carolyn or Angela.
3. Does their conversation revolve around something other than a man?
   • Yes.  Early in the film, Jane and Angela talk about her parents (as a collective) coming to watch her cheerleading routine and, later, Angela’s modeling career.

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

The Cider House Rules (1999 Oscar Nominee)

Bechdel-Wallace Test

1. Does the movie have at least two named female characters?
   • Yes, there are several female characters.  The major ones include Candy Kendall, Nurses Angela and Edna, Rose Rose, Olive Worthington, and Mary Agnes.
2. Do the female characters talk to each other on-screen?
   • Yes, there are multiple conversations, especially between Candy and Rose.
3. Does their conversation revolve around something other than a man?
   • Yes.  At one point, Candy and Olive talk with Rose about some clothes they want to give her.  Candy and Nurse Agnes also talk about Candy still wanting to have children after her abortion, though its unclear if Candy’s really talking to her or Dr. Larch.

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

The Matrix (1999 #5 Box Office)

Bechdel-Wallace Test

1. Does the movie have at least two named female characters?
   • Yes.  There’s Trinity, Switch, and the Oracle.
2. Do the female characters talk to each other on-screen?
   • Yes, Trinity and Switch talk to each other briefly.
3. Does their conversation revolve around something other than a man?
   • Yes.  They talk about the bug Trinity is trying to extract.  Mind you, the bug is in Neo’s stomach, but he isn’t explicitly mentioned in this exchange.

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

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999 #4 Box Office)

To see my review of Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, click here.

Bechdel-Wallace Test

1. Does the movie have at least two named female characters?
   • Yes.  Vanessa Kensington and Frau Farbissina are back from the first movie.  New female characters include Felicity Shagwell, Robin Swallows, and Ivana Humpalot.
2. Do the female characters talk to each other on-screen?
   • No.  If you want to get technical, Felicity signs to some other Go-Go Dancers, but obviously none of them have names.
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.

Toy Story 2 (1999 #3 Box Office)

To see my analysis of Toy Story, click here.

Bechdel-Wallace Test

1. Does the movie have at least two named female characters?
   • Yes.  Andy’s Mom, Molly, and Bo Peep are back from the first movie.  New characters include Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl, Mrs. Potato Head, Tour Guide Barbie, and Emily.
2. Do the female characters talk to each other on-screen?
   • No.  There is a scene of multiple Barbie dolls having a pool party where they presumably talk, but only one of the Barbies is specifically named.  Jessie also has a few scenes with human Emily, but they (obviously) don’t verbally talk 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.

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999 #1 Box Office)

 To see my analysis of Episodes 4-6, click here.

Bechdel-Wallace Test

1. Does the movie have at least two named female characters?
   • Yes.  There’s Queen Amidala/Padme and Shmi Skywalker.  Queen Amidala also has several handmaidens, but aside from closing credits  and outside sources they aren’t specifically named in the movie.
2. Do the female characters talk to each other on-screen?
   • Yes, Padme and Shmi talk briefly with each other.
3. Does their conversation revolve around something other than a man?
   • Yes.  They talk about slavery and podracing.

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