Passes the Bechdel test

American Hustle

Name: American Hustle
Released: 2013

2013. Directed by David O. Russell, written by Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell.

The Bechdel test

Bechdel score

3 / 3

Passes

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

Second opinion

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

The film

A fictional film set in the alluring world of one of the most stunning scandals to rock our nation, American Hustle tells the story of brilliant con man Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale), who along with his equally cunning and seductive British partner Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) is forced to work for a wild FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper). DiMaso pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and mafia that's as dangerous as it is enchanting. Jeremy Renner is Carmine Polito, the passionate, volatile, New Jersey political operator caught between the con-artists and Feds. Irving's unpredictable wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) could be the one to pull the thread that brings the entire world crashing down.

Released: 20 Dec 2013
Genres: Crime, Drama
Rated: R
IMDb: 7.2 / 10
Metascore: 90 / 100
Awards: Nominated for 10 Oscars. 70 wins & 229 nominations total
Elsewhere: View on IMDb

Starring, by lines spoken

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

Irving Rosenfeld 345 lines, man
Richie Dimaso 265 lines, man
Carmine Polito 106 lines, man
Rosalyn Rosenfeld 103 lines, woman
Edith Greensly 90 lines, woman
Sydney Prosser 85 lines, woman
Stoddard Thorsen 52 lines, man
Pete Musane 27 lines, man
Anthony Amado 19 lines, man
Alfonse Simone 17 lines, man

Full cast, 75 people

Christian Bale as Irving Rosenfeld
Bradley Cooper as Richie DiMaso
Amy Adams as Sydney Prosser
Jeremy Renner as Mayor Carmine Polito
Jennifer Lawrence as Rosalyn Rosenfeld
Louis C.K. as Stoddard Thorsen
Jack Huston as Pete Musane
Michael Peña as Paco Hernandez / Sheik Abdullah
Shea Whigham as Carl Elway
Alessandro Nivola as Anthony Amado
Elisabeth Röhm as Dolly Polito
Paul Herman as Alfonse Simone
Saïd Taghmaoui as Irv's Sheik Plant
Matthew Russell as Dominic Polito
Thomas Matthews as Francis Polito
Adrian Martinez as Julius
Anthony Zerbe as Senator Horton Mitchell
Colleen Camp as Brenda
Steve Gagliastro as Agent Schmidt
Christopher Tarjan as Agent Stock
Zachariah Supka as Young Irv
Christy Scott Cashman as Cosmo Interview Girl
Simon Hamlin as Photographer
Martie Barylick as Helen
Dawn Olivieri as Cosmo Girl
Becki Dennis as Nanny
Jay Giannone as Suburban Businessman
Arthur Birnbaum as Queens Businessman
Rob DiNinni as Desperate Businessman
Michael Fennimore as Car Salesman
Michael Fennimore as Car Salesman
Jack Jones as Jazz Quartet Singer
Danny Corbo as Danny Rosenfeld
Sonny Corbo as Danny Rosenfeld
Bo Cleary as FBI Agent #1
Greg Maxwell as FBI Agent #2
Mickey O'Keefe as FBI Agent #3
Aaron Flanders as Elway's Friend
Erica McDermott as Carl Elway's Assistant
Alura Carbrey as Elizabeth Polito
Kayla Feeney as Lorna Polito
Shannon Halliday as Doreen Polito
Volieda Webb as Melora
Patsy Meck as Richie's Mother
Abby Lavin as Richie's Girlfriend
Damien Di Paola as Baron Owner
Paul Campbell as Baron's Patron
Jeff Avigian as Disco Dancer
Stacy Hock as Girl Outside Stall
Michael Trigg as Baron's Manager
Richard Heneks as Al Kalowski
Ted Zalewski as Carpenter
Elias Birnbaum as Carpenter Apprentice
Armen Garo as Dick Helsing
Sal DiMino as Lou Salvano
Gary Craig as Jerry Catone
Barry Primus as Tellegio's Consigliere
Sonny Gordon as Tellegio's Consigliere
Deva Mahal as Funk Band Singer
Dicky Eklund Jr. as Street Thug #1
Sean Eklund as Street Thug #2
Charley Broderick as Rep. John O'Connell
Richard Donelly as Rep. Sanders
Gary Zahakos as Congressman Keshoygan
Frank Geraci as Simone's Gang #1
Melson Alford as Simone's Gang #2
Melissa McMeekin as Simone's Gang #3
J.J. Wright as Divorce Lawyer
Bob Taraschi as Rep. Stelford
Tiffany Crosby as Well Wisher (uncredited)
Robert De Niro as Victor Tellegio (uncredited)
Mary Hronicek as Casino Gala Guest (uncredited)
Michael Maggiani as Mob Associate, Baron's Restaurant (uncredited)
Susan Garfield as Casino Patron
Stephen Radochia as Disco Club Dancer (uncredited)

Who talks, scene by scene

Lines of dialogue in every 3 scenes, start to finish. Women above the line, men below. 1% 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	10	26
4 to 6	1	21
7 to 9	0	7
10 to 12	8	14
13 to 15	9	1
16 to 18	25	30
19 to 21	3	5
22 to 24	2	7
25 to 27	0	1
28 to 30	0	2
31 to 33	14	18
34 to 36	13	31
37 to 39	0	18
40 to 42	22	37
43 to 45	10	57
46 to 48	0	6
49 to 51	6	44
52 to 54	20	32
55 to 57	26	20
58 to 60	1	26
61 to 63	6	23
64 to 66	2	41
67 to 69	22	32
70 to 72	13	38
73 to 75	14	41
76 to 78	15	2
79 to 81	0	7
82 to 84	17	46
85 to 87	2	14
88 to 90	0	28
91 to 93	3	16
94 to 96	3	10
97 to 99	0	28
100 to 102	2	3
103 to 105	5	8
106 to 108	0	0
109 to 111	2	1
112 to 114	0	9
115 to 117	14	23
118 to 120	10	11
121 to 123	0	1
124 to 126	0	0
127 to 129	6	45
130 to 132	3	37
133 to 135	4	27
136 to 138	1	3
139 to 141	4	21
142 to 144	0	2

The evidence

Straight from the script
Counted from the script and the credits

Tap an exhibit to open it.

Exhibit A: the passing scenes

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

COSMO INTERVIEWER GIRL: Well you're obviously here for a reason. Let's get to it. SYDNEY PROSSER: Alright. COSMO INTERVIEWER GIRL: Our cover story right now is on cunnilingus. What do you think about that? SYDNEY PROSSER: I like it.

EDITH GREENSLY: NO! SYDNEY PROSSER: It was almost scary how easy it could be to take money from desperate people.

EDITH GREENSLY: Rosalyn, you need to come with me alright? ROSALYN ROSENFELD: I don't need to come with you. EDITH GREENSLY: You need to come with me. This needs to stop. Come on. ROSALYN ROSENFELD: Oh, you think I should come with you?

Exhibit B: every 100 lines

Out of every 100 lines with a known speaker, 26 are women's.

318 lines from women, 920 from men.

Women
Men

Exhibit C: who's in it

13 women and 28 men in the cast. 8 women and 20 men from it get lines.

Characters

With lines

Women
Men

Exhibit D: who gets heard

The first woman speaks at line 8 of 1,252. The longest stretch with no woman speaking runs 48 lines.

Every line of dialogue, first to last

First line by a woman
Longest stretch with no woman speaking

Words spoken

Women speak 25% of the words (4,228), men 75% (12,724). Women have 26% 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

4 of the 16 people in these jobs are women. Across the whole crew, 32% of the people whose gender is listed are women.

Directed by: David O. Russell (man)
Written by: David O. Russell (man), Eric Warren Singer (man)
Produced by: Megan Ellison (woman), Charles Roven (man), Richard Suckle (man), Jonathan Gordon (man)
Shot by: Linus Sandgren (man)
Edited by: Jay Cassidy (man), Crispin Struthers (man), Alan Baumgarten (man)
Music by: Danny Elfman (man)
Production design by: Judy Becker (woman)
Costumes by: Michael Wilkinson (man)
Cast by: Mary Vernieu (woman), Lindsay Graham Ahanonu (woman)