Fails the Bechdel test
Chaplin
1993. Directed by Richard Attenborough, written by David Robinson and Charles Chaplin and Diana Hawkins.
The Bechdel test
Bechdel score
2 / 3
Fails
-
Yes
1. At least two women
30 women characters. 15 of them speak. -
Yes
2. Who talk to each other
Women do talk to each other. -
No
3. About something besides a man
Every conversation between women that our parser found mentions a man.
Second opinion
Agree bechdeltest.com readers give it 1 out of 3.
The film
The biography of Charlie Chaplin, filmmaker extraordinaire. From his formative years in England to his highest successes in America, Chaplin's life, work, and loves are followed. While his screen characters were extremely hilarious, the man behind "The Little Tramp" was constantly haunted by a sense of loss.
- Released
- 08 Jan 1993
- Genres
- Biography, Comedy, Drama
- Rated
- PG-13
- IMDb
- 7.5 / 10
- Metascore
- 47 / 100
- Awards
- Nominated for 3 Oscars. 3 wins & 20 nominations total
- Elsewhere
- View on IMDb
Starring, by lines spoken
- Women
- Men
- Not in the cast list
- Bigger name, more lines
- Chaplin 245 lines, man
- Sydney 48 lines, man
- George 46 lines, man
- Fairbanks 30 lines, man
- Oona 23 lines, woman
- Charlie 22 lines, man
- Paulette 22 lines, woman
- Sennett 22 lines, man
- Hannah 18 lines, woman
- Karno 16 lines, man
Full cast, 143 people
- Robert Downey Jr. as Charles Spencer Chaplin
- Geraldine Chaplin as Hannah Chaplin
- Paul Rhys as Sydney Chaplin
- John Thaw as Fred Karno
- Moira Kelly as Hetty Kelly / Oona O'Neill
- Anthony Hopkins as George Hayden
- Dan Aykroyd as Mack Sennett
- Marisa Tomei as Mabel Normand
- Penelope Ann Miller as Edna Purviance
- Kevin Kline as Douglas Fairbanks
- Maria Pitillo as Mary Pickford
- Milla Jovovich as Mildred Harris
- Kevin Dunn as J. Edgar Hoover
- Deborah Moore as Lita Grey
- Diane Lane as Paulette Goddard
- Nancy Travis as Joan Barry
- James Woods as Joseph Scott
- Hugh Downer as Charlie Age 5
- Nicholas Gatt as Sydney Age 9
- Bill Paterson as Stage Manager
- Anthony Bowles as Conductor
- Bryan Coleman as Drunk
- Howard Lew Lewis as Workhouse Official
- P.H. Moriarty as Workhouse Official
- Brian Lipson as Warder
- Alan Ford as Warder
- Thomas Bradford as Charlie Age 14
- Liz Porter as Matchgirl
- Ultan Ely-O'Carroll as Rummy Binks
- Marcus Eyre as Policeman
- Anwar Adaoui as Lambeth Kid
- Ben Bilson as Lambeth Kid
- Matthew Cartwright as Lambeth Kid
- Ian Covington as Lambeth Kid
- Adam Goodwin as Lambeth Kid
- Milly Gregory as Lambeth Kid
- Sam Holland as Lambeth Kid
- Josh Maguire as Lambeth Kid
- Daniel Sherman as Lambeth Kid
- Luke Strain as Lambeth Kid
- Frankie Sullivan as Lambeth Kid
- Karen Salt as Little Girl
- Gerald Sim as Doctor
- Una Brandon-Jones as Inmate
- Audrey Leybourne as Inmate
- Graham Sinclair as Master of Ceremonies
- Karen Lewis as Yankee Doodle Dancer
- Andrée Bernard as Yankee Doodle Dancer
- Carole Jahme as Yankee Doodle Dancer
- Jacqueline Leonard as Yankee Doodle Dancer
- Claire Perriam as Yankee Doodle Dancer
- Theresa Petts as Yankee Doodle Dancer
- David Gant as London Maitre D'
- Mary Healey as Mrs. Karno
- Malcolm Terris as Stallholder
- Phil Brown as Projectionist
- Matthew Cottle as Stan Laurel
- Ena Baga as Pianist
- David Duchovny as Rollie Totheroh
- Mario Govoni as Swiss Butler
- David Mooney as Wedding Photographer
- C.J. Golden as Bride's Mother
- Raymond Lynch as Bride's Father
- Peter Georges as Groom
- Mike Randleman as Groom's Mother
- Mike Peluso as Groom's Father
- Caroline Cornell as Wedding Guest
- Ann Fairlie as Wedding Guest
- Paul Hayes as Wedding Guest
- Dennis Vero as Wedding Guest
- Francesca Buller as Minnie Chaplin
- Nick Corello as Masseur
- Richard Fast as Bronco Billy Anderson
- Brad Blumenthal as Party Photographer
- Yoshio Be as Chauffeur
- Peter Crook as Frank Hooper
- David Totheroh as Cameraman
- Jack Totheroh as Cameraman
- Jack Ritschel as William Randolph Hearst
- Heather McNair as Marion Davies
- Laura Bastianelli as Dinner Guest
- Joy Claussen as Dinner Guest
- Paul Bruno Grenier as Dinner Guest
- Marykate Harris as Dinner Guest
- Charles Howerton as Dinner Guest
- Jason Logan as Dinner Guest
- Renata Scott as Dinner Guest
- Michael Villani as Dinner Guest
- Jerry Jensen as Hotel Porter
- Larry Randolph as Waiter
- Alan Charof as Federal Marshal
- Dana Craig as Federal Marshal
- Kennedy Grant as Federal Marshal
- Ken Magee as Federal Marshal
- Benjamin Whitrow as Station Master
- Edward Crangle as Young Autograph Hunter
- Stuart Richman as Barman
- Mark Vegh as Barman
- Caroline Guthrie as Courting Couple
- Lawrence Lambert as Courting Couple
- Robert Stephens as Ted the Drunk
- Tim Chaplin as Working Man
- Nick Edmett as Working Man
- David Finch as Working Man
- Mark Long as Working Man
- Tommy Wright as Working Man
- Leonard Kirby as Young Fan
- Sean O'Bryan as Lewis Seeley
- Donald Elson as Prop Man
- Donnie Kehr as Sound Engineer
- Sky Rumph as Charles Chaplin Jr. Age 7
- Bradley Pierce as Sydney Chaplin Jr. Age 8
- Richard James as Pianist
- William Dennis Hunt as US Maitre D'
- Michael Blevins as David Raksin
- Norbert Weisser as German Diplomat
- Vicki Frederick as Party Guest
- Gene Wolande as Party Guest
- Michael Adler as Party Guest
- Iris Bath as Party Guest
- Thomas Belgrey as Party Guest
- Tom Preston as Party Guest
- Mary Stark as Party Guest
- Annie Waterman as Party Guest
- Noah Lee Margetts as Clapper Boy
- Rhett Smith as Tennis Party Guest
- John Standing as Butler
- Michael A. Goorjian as Charles Chaplin Jr.
- Michael Cade as Sydney Chaplin Jr.
- Todd Mason Covert as Reporter
- Phil Forman as Reporter
- Charley J. Garrett as Reporter
- Jerry Giles as Reporter
- Howard Hughes as Reporter
- Jayson Kane as Reporter
- Michael Miller as Reporter
- John Otrin as Reporter
- J. Michael Patterson as Reporter
- Paul Sinclair as Reporter
- Terrence Stone as Reporter
- Ralph Votrian as Reporter
- Emma Lewis as Production Assistant
- Philip Waley as Man at Train Station (uncredited)
Who talks, scene by scene
Lines of dialogue in every 2 scenes, start to finish. Women above the line, men below. 12% of lines come from characters we couldn't match to the cast list and aren't shown.
Women
Men
Scene 1 Scene 88
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 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 to 4 | 1 | 6 |
| 5 to 6 | 1 | 3 |
| 7 to 8 | 0 | 7 |
| 9 to 10 | 0 | 4 |
| 11 to 12 | 6 | 13 |
| 13 to 14 | 0 | 15 |
| 15 to 16 | 8 | 11 |
| 17 to 18 | 6 | 15 |
| 19 to 20 | 3 | 11 |
| 21 to 22 | 0 | 11 |
| 23 to 24 | 1 | 7 |
| 25 to 26 | 0 | 13 |
| 27 to 28 | 0 | 4 |
| 29 to 30 | 0 | 1 |
| 31 to 32 | 5 | 3 |
| 33 to 34 | 1 | 7 |
| 35 to 36 | 2 | 26 |
| 37 to 38 | 8 | 15 |
| 39 to 40 | 0 | 11 |
| 41 to 42 | 8 | 11 |
| 43 to 44 | 4 | 6 |
| 45 to 46 | 0 | 22 |
| 47 to 48 | 3 | 21 |
| 49 to 50 | 1 | 5 |
| 51 to 52 | 0 | 1 |
| 53 to 54 | 0 | 0 |
| 55 to 56 | 0 | 1 |
| 57 to 58 | 10 | 8 |
| 59 to 60 | 0 | 13 |
| 61 to 62 | 0 | 0 |
| 63 to 64 | 0 | 7 |
| 65 to 66 | 0 | 13 |
| 67 to 68 | 0 | 28 |
| 69 to 70 | 0 | 7 |
| 71 to 72 | 0 | 1 |
| 73 to 74 | 0 | 14 |
| 75 to 76 | 0 | 1 |
| 77 to 78 | 8 | 14 |
| 79 to 80 | 2 | 2 |
| 81 to 82 | 4 | 4 |
| 83 to 84 | 4 | 6 |
| 85 to 86 | 8 | 51 |
| 87 to 88 | 38 | 94 |
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, 20 are women's.
132 lines from women, 516 from men.
- Women
- Men
Exhibit B: who's in it
30 women and 69 men in the cast. 15 women and 34 men from it get lines.
Characters
With lines
- Women
- Men
Exhibit C: who gets heard
The first woman speaks at line 17 of 738.
The longest stretch with no woman speaking runs 101 lines.
Every line of dialogue, first to last
- First line by a woman
- Longest stretch with no woman speaking
Words spoken
Women speak 17% of the words (1,551), men 83% (7,704). Women have 20% 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
1
Two men
64
Exhibit E: behind the camera
4 of the 17 people in these jobs are women.
Across the whole crew, 15% of the people whose gender is listed are women.
- Directed by
- Richard Attenborough (man)
- Written by
- Bryan Forbes (man), William Goldman (man), William Boyd (man)
- Story by
- Diana Hawkins (gender not listed)
- Produced by
- Mario Kassar (man), Richard Attenborough (man)
- Shot by
- Sven Nykvist (man)
- Edited by
- Anne V. Coates (woman)
- Music by
- John Barry (man), José Padilla (man)
- Production design by
- Stuart Craig (man)
- Costumes by
- Ellen Mirojnick (woman), John Mollo (man)
- Cast by
- Valorie Massalas (woman), Susie Figgis (woman), Mike Fenton (man)
The crew, department by department
-
Other crew
2 women, 12 men, 3 not listed
-
Costume & Make-Up
2 women, 4 men, 5 not listed
-
Production
2 women, 5 men, 3 not listed
-
Sound
0 women, 8 men, 2 not listed
-
Directing
1 women, 4 men, 1 not listed
-
Writing
0 women, 5 men, 1 not listed
-
Art
0 women, 3 men, 1 not listed
-
Camera
0 women, 3 men
- Women
- Men
- Gender not listed on TMDB
Exhibit F: how old the stars were
Women: 32 on average. Men: 41 on average.
The top-billed cast, at the film's release.
Women
Moira Kelly 24, Marisa Tomei 28, Penelope Ann Miller 28, Geraldine Chaplin 48
Men
Robert Downey Jr. 27, Paul Rhys 28, Dan Aykroyd 40, Kevin Kline 45, John Thaw 50, Anthony Hopkins 54
Exhibit G: the money
It made 31% of what it cost.
- Budget
- $31 million
- Box office
- $9.5 million
From TMDB, not adjusted for inflation.
About this analysis
Our parser read the script: 88 scenes and 738 lines of dialogue. The bechdeltest.com rating comes from that site’s readers. How the test works
