Passes the Bechdel test
Broadcast News
1987. Directed by James L. Brooks, written by James L. Brooks.
The Bechdel test
Bechdel score
3 / 3
Passes
-
Yes
1. At least two women
8 women characters. 5 of them speak. -
Yes
2. Who talk to each other
In 7 scenes out of 143. -
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
Basket-case network news producer Jane Craig falls for new reporter Tom Grunnick, a pretty boy who represents the trend towards entertainment news she despises. Aaron Altman, a talented but plain correspondent, carries an unrequited torch for Jane. Sparks fly between the three as the network prepares for big changes, and both the news and Jane must decide between style and substance.
- Released
- 25 Dec 1987
- Genres
- Comedy, Drama, Romance
- Rated
- R
- IMDb
- 7.3 / 10
- Metascore
- 84 / 100
- Awards
- Nominated for 7 Oscars. 17 wins & 28 nominations total
- Elsewhere
- View on IMDb
Starring, by lines spoken
- Women
- Men
- Not in the cast list
- Bigger name, more lines
- Jane 322 lines, woman
- Tom 283 lines, man
- Aaron 226 lines, man
- Ernie 48 lines, man
- Buddy 42 lines, man
- Blair 37 lines, woman
- Jennifer 23 lines, woman
- Paul 21 lines, woman
- Bill 15 lines, man
- Bobbie 11 lines
Full cast, 61 people
- Holly Hunter as Jane Craig
- William Hurt as Tom Grunick
- Albert Brooks as Aaron Altman
- Robert Prosky as Ernie Merriman
- Lois Chiles as Jennifer Mack
- Joan Cusack as Blair Litton
- Peter Hackes as Paul Moore
- Christian Clemenson as Bobby
- Jack Nicholson as Bill Rorich
- Robert Katims as Martin Klein
- Ed Wheeler as George Wein
- Stephen Mendillo as Gerald Grunick
- Kimber Shoop as Young Tom
- Dwayne Markee as Young Aaron
- Gennie James as Young Jane
- Leo Burmester as Jane's Dad
- Amy Brooks as Elli Merriman
- Jane Welch as Anne Merriman
- Jonathan Benya as Clifford Altman
- Frank Doubleday as Mercenary
- Sally Knight as Lila
- Manuel Alvarez as Spanish Cameraman
- Luis Valderrama as Guerilla Leader
- Francisco Garcia as Guerilla Soldier
- Richard Thomsen as General McGuire
- Nat Benchley as Commander
- Marita Geraghty as Date-Rape Woman
- Nicholas D. Blanchet as Weekend News Producer
- Maura Moynihan as Makeup Woman
- Chuck Lippman as Floor Manager
- Nannette Rickert as Paul's Secretary
- Timothy W. White as Edward Towne
- Peggy Pridemore as Tom's Soundwoman
- Emily Crowley as Emily
- Gerard Ender as Newsroom Worker
- David Long as Donny
- Joshua Billings as Chyron Operator
- Glenn Faigen as Technical Director
- Robert Grevemberg Jr. as Technical Director
- Richard Pehle as Control Room Director
- James V. Franco as Weekend News Director
- Jimmy Mel Green as Assistant Director
- Raoul N. Rizik as Assistant Director
- Mike Skehan as Technician
- Franklyn L. Bullard as Audio Visual Engineer
- Glen Roven as News Theme Writer
- Marc Shaiman as News Theme Writer
- Alex Mathews as Lecture Host
- Steve Smith as Aaron's Cameraman
- Martha Smith as Aaron's Soundwoman
- Cynthia B. Hayes as Mother in Hall
- Dean Nitz as Young Tough
- Phil Ugel as Young Tough
- Lance Wain as Young Tough
- Susan Marie Feldman as Ellen
- Jean Bourne Carinci as Tom's Female Colleague
- M. Fekade-Salassie as Cab Driver
- Gerald F. Gough as Uniformed Cop
- Robert Rasch as Defense Dept. Spokesman
- Robert V. Walsh as NATO Spokesman
- John Cusack as Angry Messenger
Who talks, scene by scene
Lines of dialogue in every 3 scenes, start to finish. Women above the line, men below. 4% of lines come from characters we couldn't match to the cast list and aren't shown.
Women
Men
Scene 1 Scene 143
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 | 18 |
| 4 to 6 | 5 | 10 |
| 7 to 9 | 2 | 0 |
| 10 to 12 | 5 | 14 |
| 13 to 15 | 20 | 10 |
| 16 to 18 | 21 | 19 |
| 19 to 21 | 7 | 6 |
| 22 to 24 | 3 | 3 |
| 25 to 27 | 17 | 20 |
| 28 to 30 | 11 | 4 |
| 31 to 33 | 14 | 13 |
| 34 to 36 | 0 | 1 |
| 37 to 39 | 5 | 14 |
| 40 to 42 | 15 | 42 |
| 43 to 45 | 0 | 6 |
| 46 to 48 | 5 | 23 |
| 49 to 51 | 3 | 8 |
| 52 to 54 | 1 | 11 |
| 55 to 57 | 7 | 16 |
| 58 to 60 | 36 | 25 |
| 61 to 63 | 7 | 1 |
| 64 to 66 | 2 | 14 |
| 67 to 69 | 6 | 8 |
| 70 to 72 | 4 | 10 |
| 73 to 75 | 12 | 10 |
| 76 to 78 | 5 | 7 |
| 79 to 81 | 15 | 11 |
| 82 to 84 | 8 | 5 |
| 85 to 87 | 9 | 2 |
| 88 to 90 | 6 | 42 |
| 91 to 93 | 16 | 18 |
| 94 to 96 | 6 | 10 |
| 97 to 99 | 0 | 41 |
| 100 to 102 | 5 | 15 |
| 103 to 105 | 7 | 7 |
| 106 to 108 | 8 | 19 |
| 109 to 111 | 20 | 25 |
| 112 to 114 | 37 | 42 |
| 115 to 117 | 7 | 6 |
| 118 to 120 | 11 | 19 |
| 121 to 123 | 9 | 5 |
| 124 to 126 | 3 | 24 |
| 127 to 129 | 6 | 5 |
| 130 to 132 | 7 | 8 |
| 133 to 135 | 19 | 18 |
| 136 to 138 | 9 | 9 |
| 139 to 141 | 3 | 3 |
| 142 to 143 | 8 | 31 |
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.
JANE: Let me hear it! BLAIR: We'll need it in ten minutes. We're putting it directly into... JANE: Craig, just a second -- Let me hear it!
JANE: Just a two-second dissolve. BLAIR: Oh, Jesus, we have three minutes... Why do you do this to me. Is it because I won an award?
BLAIR: We have a minute and a half. It's my responsibility to tell them we won't be ready. JANE: Uh-uh. We're be ready. BLAIR: In 84 seconds? JANE: Nine seconds.
JANE: Just a minute. JANE: To State for the message from Libya, then you'll have the carrier pilot from the Sidra in time to... What? No! JANE: We only have ten minutes left -- how can you talk to me about parking problems? No, not you'll try...you'll do it -- do it or I'll fry your … PAUL: I had no idea she was this good.
JANE: Hey, I know how to have a burger by myself. I feel like a little solitude. JENNIFER: I sure know that feeling. Terrific work today. JANE: Right back to you.
Exhibit B: every 100 lines
Out of every 100 lines with a known speaker, 39 are women's.
432 lines from women, 678 from men.
- Women
- Men
Exhibit C: who's in it
8 women and 19 men in the cast. 5 women and 13 men from it get lines.
Characters
With lines
- Women
- Men
Exhibit D: who gets heard
The first woman speaks at line 28 of 1,152.
The longest stretch with no woman speaking runs 55 lines.
Every line of dialogue, first to last
- First line by a woman
- Longest stretch with no woman speaking
Words spoken
Women speak 38% of the words (5,185), men 62% (8,548). Women have 39% 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
22
Two men
41
Exhibit F: behind the camera
2 of the 9 people in these jobs are women.
Across the whole crew, 34% of the people whose gender is listed are women.
- Directed by
- James L. Brooks (man)
- Written by
- James L. Brooks (man)
- Produced by
- James L. Brooks (man)
- Shot by
- Michael Ballhaus (man)
- Edited by
- Richard Marks (man)
- Music by
- Bill Conti (man)
- Production design by
- Charles Rosen (man)
- Costumes by
- Molly Maginnis (woman)
- Cast by
- Ellen Chenoweth (woman)
The crew, department by department
-
Sound
3 women, 12 men, 4 not listed
-
Production
7 women, 2 men, 2 not listed
-
Art
0 women, 4 men, 3 not listed
-
Camera
0 women, 4 men, 2 not listed
-
Directing
2 women, 2 men
-
Editing
2 women, 2 men
-
Costume & Make-Up
2 women, 1 men
-
Other crew
0 women, 2 men, 1 not listed
- Women
- Men
- Gender not listed on TMDB
Exhibit G: how old the stars were
Women: 31 on average. Men: 46 on average.
The top-billed cast, at the film's release.
Women
Joan Cusack 25, Holly Hunter 29, Lois Chiles 40
Men
Christian Clemenson 29, William Hurt 37, Albert Brooks 40, Jack Nicholson 50, Robert Prosky 57, Robert Katims 60
Exhibit H: the money
It made 3.4 times what it cost.
- Budget
- $20 million
- Box office
- $67.3 million
From TMDB, not adjusted for inflation.
About this analysis
Our parser read the script: 143 scenes and 1,152 lines of dialogue. The bechdeltest.com rating comes from that site’s readers. How the test works
