Fails the Bechdel test

Batman Forever

Name: Batman Forever
Released: 1995

1995. Directed by Joel Schumacher, written by Bob Kane and Lee Batchler and Janet Scott Batchler.

The Bechdel test

Bechdel score

1 / 3

Fails

Yes 1. At least two women
20 women characters. 4 of them speak.
No 2. Who talk to each other
Our parser found no scene where two women talk to each other.
No 3. About something besides a man
Not reached: the film fails an earlier rule.

Second opinion

Agree bechdeltest.com readers give it 1 out of 3.

The film

The Dark Knight of Gotham City confronts a dastardly duo: Two-Face and the Riddler. Formerly District Attorney Harvey Dent, Two-Face incorrectly believes Batman caused the courtroom accident which left him disfigured on one side; he has unleashed a reign of terror on the good people of Gotham. Edward Nygma, computer-genius and former employee of millionaire Bruce Wayne, is out to get the philanthropist; as The Riddler he perfects a device for draining information from all the brains in Gotham, including Bruce Wayne's knowledge of his other identity. Batman/Wayne is/are the love focus of Dr. Chase Meridan. Former circus acrobat Dick Grayson, his family killed by Two-Face, becomes Wayne's ward and Batman's new partner Robin the Boy Wonder.

Released: 16 Jun 1995
Genres: Action, Adventure
Rated: PG-13
IMDb: 5.5 / 10
Metascore: 54 / 100
Awards: Nominated for 3 Oscars. 10 wins & 26 nominations total
Elsewhere: View on IMDb

Starring, by lines spoken

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

Bruce 153 lines, man
Two-Face 98 lines, man
Chase 90 lines, woman
Edward 68 lines, man
Alfred 60 lines, man
Riddler 55 lines, man
Dick 43 lines, man
Batman 39 lines, man
Gordon 11 lines, man
Stickley 11 lines, man

Full cast, 95 people

Val Kilmer as Batman / Bruce Wayne
Tommy Lee Jones as Harvey Two-Face / Harvey Dent
Jim Carrey as Riddler / Edward Nygma
Nicole Kidman as Dr. Chase Meridian
Chris O'Donnell as Robin / Dick Grayson
Michael Gough as Alfred Pennyworth
Pat Hingle as Commissioner Gordon
Drew Barrymore as Sugar
Debi Mazar as Spice
Joe Grifasi as Bank Guard
René Auberjonois as Dr. Burton
Elizabeth Sanders as Gossip Gerty
Philip Moon as Newscaster
Jessica Tuck as Female Newscaster
Dennis Paladino as Crime Boss Moroni
Kimberly Scott as Margaret
Michael Paul Chan as Executive
Jon Favreau as Assistant
Greg Lauren as Aide
Ramsey Ellis as Young Bruce Wayne
Michael Scranton as Thomas Wayne
Eileen Seeley as Martha Wayne
David U. Hodges as Shooter
Jack Betts as Fisherman
Tim Jackson as Municipal Police Guard
Daniel Reichert as Ringmaster
Glory Fioramonti as Mom Grayson
Larry A. Lee as Dad Grayson
Bruce Roberts as Handsome Reporter
George Wallace as Mayor
Bob Zmuda as Electronic Store Owner
Rebecca Budig as Teenage Girl
Don Wilson as Gang Leader
Sydney D. Minckler as Teen Gang Member
Maxine Jones as Girl on Corner #1
Terry Ellis as Girl on Corner #2
Cindy Herron as Girl on Corner #3
Dawn Robinson as Girl on Corner #4
Gary Kasper as Pilot
Amanda Trees as Paparazzi Reporter
Andrea Fletcher as Reporter
Ria Coyne as Socialite
Jed Curtis as Chubby Businessman
William Mesnik as Bald Guy
Marga Gómez as Journalist
Kelly Vaughn as Showgirl
John Fink as Deputy
Noby Arden as Trapeze Act
Marlene Bologna as Trapeze Act
Danny Castle as Trapeze Act
Troy S. Wolfe as Trapeze Act
Christopher Caso as Harvey's Thug
Gary Clayton as Harvey's Thug
Oscar Dillon as Harvey's Thug
Keith Graham as Harvey's Thug
Kevin Grevioux as Harvey's Thug
Mark Hicks as Harvey's Thug
Corey Jordan as Harvey's Thug
Randy Lamb as Harvey's Thug
Maurice Lamont as Harvey's Thug
Sidney S. Liufau as Harvey's Thug
Brad Martin as Harvey's Thug
Deron McBee as Harvey's Thug
Mario Mugavero as Harvey's Thug
Joey Nelson as Harvey's Thug
Jim Palmer as Harvey's Thug
Robert Powell as Harvey's Thug
Peewee Piemonte as Harvey's Thug
Peter Radon as Harvey's Thug
François Rodrigue as Harvey's Thug
Joe Sabatino as Harvey's Thug
Mike Sabatino as Harvey's Thug
Ofer Samra as Harvey's Thug
Matt Sigloch as Harvey's Thug
Mike Smith as Harvey's Thug
Ed Begley Jr. as Fred Stickley (uncredited)
George Cheung as Guest (uncredited)
Erik Cord as Gotham Circus Guest (uncredited)
Scott Cranford as Indian Drummer (uncredited)
Michael Dane as Gotham SWAT (uncredited)
Holiday Freeman as Ritz Gotham Party Guest (uncredited)
Mitch Gaylord as Mitch Grayson (uncredited)
Timothy Guest as Lab Technician (uncredited)
Bob Kane as Guest (uncredited)
Joe Kent as Two-Face Henchman (uncredited)
Patrick Leahy as Sen. Patrick Leahy (uncredited)
Susan Lewis as Ritz Gotham Party Guest (uncredited)
Marshall Dancing Elk Lucas as Guest (uncredited)
Gorja Max as Gotham Elite (uncredited)
Bob McGovern as Casino Security Guard (uncredited)
Ve Neill as Woman Using NygmaTech Box (uncredited)
Velvet Rhodes as Hooker (uncredited)
Dana Walsh as Hooker (uncredited)
Harry Williams Jr. as Gotham SWAT (uncredited)
Ilona Wilson as Casino Patron (uncredited)

Who talks, scene by scene

Lines of dialogue in every 4 scenes, start to finish. Women above the line, men below. 2% of lines come from characters we couldn't match to the cast list and aren't shown.

Women

Men

Scene 1 Scene 169

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 4	0	2
5 to 8	1	16
9 to 12	0	36
13 to 16	0	2
17 to 20	7	29
21 to 24	0	9
25 to 28	0	2
29 to 32	0	2
33 to 36	0	0
37 to 40	0	4
41 to 44	0	8
45 to 48	0	0
49 to 52	0	31
53 to 56	4	41
57 to 60	6	10
61 to 64	25	38
65 to 68	0	2
69 to 72	12	37
73 to 76	0	23
77 to 80	0	5
81 to 84	0	3
85 to 88	0	7
89 to 92	0	1
93 to 96	12	36
97 to 100	3	22
101 to 104	8	25
105 to 108	1	12
109 to 112	0	1
113 to 116	0	23
117 to 120	3	21
121 to 124	0	1
125 to 128	9	12
129 to 132	1	16
133 to 136	2	16
137 to 140	0	17
141 to 144	0	12
145 to 148	0	3
149 to 152	0	4
153 to 156	0	0
157 to 160	0	5
161 to 164	1	42
165 to 168	9	10
169 to 169	0	0

The evidence

Straight from the script
Counted from the script and the credits

Tap an exhibit to open it.

Exhibit A: every 100 lines

Out of every 100 lines with a known speaker, 15 are women's.

104 lines from women, 586 from men.

Women
Men

Exhibit B: who's in it

20 women and 52 men in the cast. 4 women and 23 men from it get lines.

Characters

With lines

Women
Men

Exhibit C: who gets heard

The first woman speaks at line 14 of 706. The longest stretch with no woman speaking runs 81 lines.

Every line of dialogue, first to last

First line by a woman
Longest stretch with no woman speaking

Words spoken

Women speak 14% of the words (997), men 86% (6,293). Women have 15% of the lines, so their lines run shorter than men's.

Exhibit D: 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 E: behind the camera

5 of the 16 people in these jobs are women. Across the whole crew, 29% of the people whose gender is listed are women.

Directed by: Joel Schumacher (man)
Written by: Akiva Goldsman (man), Janet Scott Batchler (woman), Lee Batchler (man)
Story by: Lee Batchler (man), Janet Scott Batchler (woman)
Produced by: Tim Burton (man), Peter Macgregor-Scott (man)
Shot by: Stephen Goldblatt (man)
Edited by: Mark Stevens (man), Dennis Virkler (man)
Music by: Elliot Goldenthal (man)
Production design by: Barbara Ling (woman)
Costumes by: Bob Ringwood (man), Ingrid Ferrin (woman)
Cast by: Mali Finn (woman)