Passes the Bechdel test

12 Years a Slave

Name: 12 Years a Slave
Released: 2013

2013. Directed by Steve McQueen, written by John Ridley and Solomon Northup.

The Bechdel test

Bechdel score

3 / 3

Passes

Yes 1. At least two women
14 women characters. 8 of them speak.
Yes 2. Who talk to each other
In 1 scene out of 144.
Yes 3. About something besides a man
In that scene, our script parser found no man named. See the scene.

Second opinion

Agree bechdeltest.com readers give it 3 out of 3.

The film

Based on an incredible true story of one man's fight for survival and freedom. In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup, a free Black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty personified by a malevolent slave owner, as well as unexpected kindnesses, Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the twelfth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon's chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist will forever alter his life.

Released: 08 Nov 2013
Genres: Biography, Drama, History
Rated: R
IMDb: 8.1 / 10
Metascore: 96 / 100
Awards: Won 3 Oscars. 244 wins & 338 nominations total
Elsewhere: View on IMDb

Starring, by lines spoken

Women
Men
Not in the cast list
Bigger name, more lines

Solomon 192 lines, man
Epps 104 lines, man
Bass 33 lines, man
Ford 29 lines, man
Celeste 28 lines, woman
Brown 27 lines, man
Tibeats 27 lines, man
Mistress Epps 23 lines, woman
Hamilton 22 lines, man
Patsey 22 lines, woman

Full cast, 84 people

Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup
Michael Fassbender as Edwin Epps
Lupita Nyong'o as Patsey
Benedict Cumberbatch as William Ford
Paul Dano as John Tibeats
Sarah Paulson as Mary Epps
Adepero Oduye as Eliza
Scoot McNairy as Brown
Paul Giamatti as Theophilus Freeman
Brad Pitt as Samuel Bass
Michael Kenneth Williams as Robert
Alfre Woodard as Mistress Shaw
Chris Chalk as Clemens
Taran Killam as Hamilton
Bill Camp as Radburn
Kelsey Scott as Anne Northup
Bryan Batt as Judge Turner
Quvenzhané Wallis as Margaret Northup
Garret Dillahunt as Armsby
Dwight Henry as Uncle Abram
Dickie Gravois as Overseer
Ashley Dyke as Anna
Cameron Zeigler as Alonzo Northup
Tony Bentley as Mr. Moon
Christopher Berry as Burch
Mister Mackey Jr. as Randall
Craig Tate as John
Storm Reid as Emily
Tom Proctor as Biddee
Marc Macaulay as Captain
Vivian Fleming-Alvarez as Mulatto Woman
Douglas M. Griffin as Sailor
John McConnell as Jonus Ray
Marcus Lyle Brown as Jasper
Richard Holden as Fitzgerald
Rob Steinberg as Parker
Anwan Glover as Cape
James C. Victor as Buyer
Liza J. Bennett as Mistress Ford
Nicole Collins as Rachel
J.D. Evermore as Chapin
Andy Dylan as Treach
Deneen Tyler as Phebe
Mustafa Harris as Sam
Gregory Bright as Edward
Austin Purnell as Bob
Thomas Francis Murphy as Patroller
Andre De'Sean Shanks as Victim 1
Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Victim 2
Scott M. Jefferson as Master Shaw
Isaiah Jackson as Zachary
Topsy Chapman as Slave Spiritual Singer 1
Devin Maurice Evans as Slave Spiritual Singer 2
Jay Huguley as Sheriff
Devyn A. Tyler as Margaret Northup (adult)
Willo Jean-Baptiste as Margaret's Husband
Jason Ament as Cooke (uncredited)
Jon Arthur as Steamboat Crew 1st Mate (uncredited)
Sean Paul Braud as Lynchman (uncredited)
Blake Burt as Upper Class Pedestrian (uncredited)
Carroll Burt as Lower Class Pedestrian (uncredited)
Edward J. Clare as Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
JJ Coker as Mr. Bartholomew (uncredited)
Haylie Creppel as Child in the Park (uncredited)
Justin Edward Davis as Saratoga Park Pedestrian (uncredited)
Jim Johnson as Lower Class Pedestrian (uncredited)
John C. Klein as Lumber Mill Customer (uncredited)
Gerard 'Jerry' Lewis as Slave Guard (uncredited)
Kevonte Mcdonald as Slave (uncredited)
Ritchie Montgomery as Roadman (uncredited)
Jason Owen as Safty (uncredited)
Shawn Parsons as Road Man (uncredited)
Wayne Péré as Winslow (uncredited)
Terrell Ransom Jr. as Slave Boy (uncredited)
Erin Rementer as Ballroom Dancer (uncredited)
Andre Robinson as Slave Boy (uncredited)
Corrina Roshea Bobb as Slave Buyer (uncredited)
Jarett Shorts as Hornboy (uncredited)
Tyler Soerries as Boy Playing in Park (uncredited)
Tre Tureaud as Saratoga Park Pedestrians (uncredited)
Justin Christopher Vaughn as Ezra (uncredited)
Bob Walker as Abolitionist Landowner (uncredited)
Caroline Grace Williamson as Ford Daughter (uncredited)
Timothy Wyant as Ford Lumber Buyer (uncredited)

Who talks, scene by scene

Lines of dialogue in every 3 scenes, start to finish. Women above the line, men below. 3% of lines come from characters we couldn't match to the cast list and aren't shown.

Women

Men

Scene 1 Scene 144

Hover, tap or tab to a bar to see those scenes: where they happen and who's talking.

Show the numbers

Scenes	Women's lines	Men's lines
1 to 3	0	0
4 to 6	6	18
7 to 9	10	10
10 to 12	1	24
13 to 15	0	3
16 to 18	0	20
19 to 21	0	17
22 to 24	0	15
25 to 27	1	26
28 to 30	5	8
31 to 33	0	0
34 to 36	1	1
37 to 39	0	6
40 to 42	0	1
43 to 45	0	18
46 to 48	0	0
49 to 51	6	24
52 to 54	0	11
55 to 57	0	0
58 to 60	0	13
61 to 63	0	7
64 to 66	0	2
67 to 69	9	24
70 to 72	0	39
73 to 75	0	1
76 to 78	0	7
79 to 81	0	20
82 to 84	4	8
85 to 87	9	8
88 to 90	1	3
91 to 93	14	30
94 to 96	0	1
97 to 99	3	2
100 to 102	10	17
103 to 105	0	0
106 to 108	0	10
109 to 111	0	0
112 to 114	11	14
115 to 117	8	6
118 to 120	9	14
121 to 123	0	17
124 to 126	0	16
127 to 129	0	12
130 to 132	0	9
133 to 135	0	29
136 to 138	13	28
139 to 141	0	33
142 to 144	4	42

The evidence

Straight from the script
Counted from the script and the credits

Tap an exhibit to open it.

Exhibit A: the passing scene

The scene our parser counted as passing, word for word.

MARGARET: Will you read it again? ANNE: Not just now, darling. Anne enters the dining room and places a large chicken at the center of the table. As she takes a seat, all heads are… MARGARET: For food that stays our hunger, For rest that brings us ease, For homes where memories linger, We give our thanks for these.

Exhibit B: every 100 lines

Out of every 100 lines with a known speaker, 17 are women's.

125 lines from women, 614 from men.

Women
Men

Exhibit C: who's in it

14 women and 48 men in the cast. 8 women and 28 men from it get lines.

Characters

With lines

Women
Men

Exhibit D: who gets heard

A woman speaks the first line. The longest stretch with no woman speaking runs 108 lines.

Every line of dialogue, first to last

First line by a woman
Longest stretch with no woman speaking

Words spoken

Women speak 16% of the words (2,323), men 84% (12,205). Women have 17% of the lines, so their lines run shorter than men's.

Exhibit E: the test the other way

Two named men talk to each other about something besides a woman. It passes the reverse test.

Conversations between two named characters

Two women

Two men

Exhibit F: behind the camera

5 of the 18 people in these jobs are women. Across the whole crew, 33% of the people whose gender is listed are women.

Directed by: Steve McQueen (man)
Written by: John Ridley (man)
From the novel by: Solomon Northup (man)
Produced by: Dede Gardner (woman), Bill Pohlad (man), Arnon Milchan (man), Anthony Katagas (man), Jeremy Kleiner (man), Steve McQueen (man) and 2 more
Shot by: Sean Bobbitt (man)
Edited by: Joe Walker (man)
Music by: Hans Zimmer (man)
Production design by: Adam Stockhausen (man)
Costumes by: Patricia Norris (woman)
Cast by: Francine Maisler (woman), Meagan Lewis (woman)