Passes the Bechdel test
Downsizing
2017. Directed by Alexander Payne, written by Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor.
The Bechdel test
Bechdel score
3 / 3
Passes
-
Yes
1. At least two women
33 women characters. 14 of them speak. -
Yes
2. Who talk to each other
In 4 scenes out of 202. -
Yes
3. About something besides a man
In those scenes, our script parser found no man named. See the scene.
Second opinion
Disagree bechdeltest.com readers give it 1 out of 3.
The film
A new world of possibilities awaits, thanks to a revolutionary medical procedure known as Downsizing. Billed as environmentally-friendly, many people choose to downsize for economic benefits. When the kindly occupational therapist, Paul, undergoes the new procedure, finding himself in this brand-new existence, he must choose between a sheltered life or making an impact in his own small way. Can he help save the planet and afford a nice lifestyle at the same time?
- Released
- 22 Dec 2017
- Genres
- Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
- Rated
- R
- IMDb
- 5.8 / 10
- Metascore
- 64 / 100
- Awards
- 1 win & 16 nominations total
- Elsewhere
- View on IMDb
Starring, by lines spoken
- Women
- Men
- Not in the cast list
- Bigger name, more lines
- Paul 296 lines, man
- Ngoc Lan 112 lines, woman
- Dusan 64 lines, man
- Audrey 39 lines, woman
- Tergehl 32 lines, man
- Solveig 20 lines, woman
- Kristen 17 lines, woman
- Dave 16 lines, man
- Konrad 16 lines, man
- Kay 13 lines
Full cast, 127 people
- Matt Damon as Paul Safranek
- Christoph Waltz as Dusan Mirkovic
- Hong Chau as Ngoc Lan Tran
- Kristen Wiig as Audrey Safranek
- Rolf Lassgård as Dr. Jorgen Asbjørnsen
- Ingjerd Egeberg as Anne-Helene Asbjørnsen
- Udo Kier as Konrad
- Søren Pilmark as Dr. Andreas Jacobsen
- Jason Sudeikis as Dave Johnson
- Maribeth Monroe as Carol Johnson
- Jayne Houdyshell as Paul's Mother
- Phil Reeves as Audrey's Dad Larry
- James Van Der Beek as Anesthesiologist
- Alison J. Palmer as Anesthesiologist's Wife
- Tim Driscoll as Good Friend Tim
- Kristen Thomson as Good Friend Gina
- Kevin Kunkel as Buddy Kevin
- Patrick Gallagher as Drunk Guy at Bar
- Linda M. Anderson as Realtor
- John Reynolds as Estate Sale Buyer
- Carmen Orellana as Meat Cutter Carmen
- David Noonen as Meat Cutter Dave
- Bob Bezousek as Omaha Steaks Bob
- Ana Marie Cox as TV Pundit
- Roland Martin as TV Pundit
- Milo Goodman as Mortgage Broker
- Dave Sokolowski as Friend at Bar
- Michael Heathcote as Carrying Box Carrier
- Martha Girvin as Curious Reunion Friend
- Brendan Beiser as Reunion Friend
- Alison Brooks as Reunion Friend
- Paul Constable as Reunion Friend
- Neil Patrick Harris as Jeff Lonowski
- Laura Dern as Laura Lonowski
- Niecy Nash-Betts as Leisureland Salesperson
- Margo Martindale as Woman on Shuttle
- Kerri Kenney as Single Mom Kristen
- Donna Lynne Champlin as Leisureland Administrator
- Don Lake as Leisureland Guide Matt
- Mary Kay Place as Land's End Customer (voice)
- Sherry Mandujano as Waiting Room Nurse
- Kimberly Kodatsky as Treatment Room Nurse
- Larry Mannell as Downsizing Supervisor
- Kerry-Lee Finkle as Downsizing Nurse
- Natasha Bromfield as Recovery Room Nurse
- Raffaele Brereton as Leisureland Orderly
- Damiãn Garth Brown as Leisureland Orderly
- Jermaine Otis Granville as Leisureland Orderly
- Jeffrey Sinclair as Leisureland Orderly
- Richard D. Leko as Woman on Shuttle's Son
- Jon De Leon as Keepsake Box Mover
- Howard J. Davis as Keepsake Box Mover
- Maryam Moshiri as BBC Anchor
- Bill Coulter as Brian Fakler
- Jeff Clarke as Divorce Lawyer
- Juan Carlos Velis as Call Center Co-Worker
- Paul Mabon as Olive Garden Roger
- Veena Sood as Leislureland Housewife
- Nick Douzenis as Greek Party Guest
- Spiros Kontos as Greek Party Guest
- Maria Kontou as Greek Party Guest
- Peter Melatos as Greek Party Guest
- Loukia Papadapoulos as Greek Party Guest
- Paul Landais as Spaniard
- Rodrigo Salera as Spaniard
- Salvador Sindoni as Spaniard
- Balaram Vilchis as Spaniard
- Ann Bordwine Beeder as Cool Woman at Dusan's Party
- Kathryn Aboya as Dose Girl at Dusan's Party
- Jack Haven as Dusan's Girlfriend
- Kristina Cocoli as Dusan's Party Girl
- Lina Shekhovtsova as Dusan's Party Girl
- Jeffrey R. Smith as Guy at Dusan's Party
- Pepe Serna as Señor Cárdenas
- Rose Bianco as Gladys
- Lidia Perez as Ringworm Mother
- Ramon Marroquin as Ringworm Father
- Cicela Bravatti as Bickering Deaf Couple
- Jorge Tello as Bickering Deaf Couple
- Pamela Archer as Alondra Resident
- Dalila Gamboa Diaz as Alondra Resident
- Margareta Pettersson as Solveig Edvardsen
- Joaquim de Almeida as Conference Director Dr. Pereira
- Cameron Geddes as Little Ronni
- Bjørnar Egede-Nissen as Torvald
- Warren Belle as Tunde
- George B. Seremba as Asbjørnsen's Colleague
- Christoph Friedrich Richter as Norway Colony Scientist
- Michaela Sanielevici as Norway Colony Scientist
- Caroline Andersen as Colony Member
- Erik Andersen as Colony Member
- Solveig Barber as Colony Member
- Aaron Befus as Colony Member
- Bent Brakas as Colony Member
- Steve Fievet as Colony Member
- Jahkeil Goldson as Colony Member
- David Gudjonsson as Colony Member
- Marianne Haldorsen as Colony Member
- Jani Hamalainen as Colony Member
- Ida Linckert Hertzman as Colony Member
- Erik Irwin as Colony Member
- Anastasia Kharlamova as Colony Member
- Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova as Colony Member
- Aleksander Krogevoll as Colony Member
- Elizabeth Jeanne le Roux as Colony Member
- Tero Konttinen as Colony Member
- Raimo Kurppa as Colony Member
- Kristin Lyssand as Colony Member
- Mark Makivirta as Colony Member
- Sari Miettinen as Colony Member
- Tanya Missirlian as Colony Member
- Antti Muhunen as Colony Member
- Kent Nielsen as Colony Member
- Riita Nikolakakos as Colony Member
- Velva Nystrom as Colony Member
- Thomas Paloheimo as Colony Member
- Lars Paronen as Colony Member
- Jacob Pettersson as Colony Member
- Kimberly Rowntree as Colony Member
- Jorgen Runas as Colony Member
- Michael Skretteberg as Colony Member
- Tomas Straum as Colony Member
- Kari Svenneby as Colony Member
- Alari Tork as Colony Member
- Thomas Wicks as Colony Member
- Kristina Yedlitska as Colony Member
- Hélène Cardona as Newscaster (uncredited)
Who talks, scene by scene
Lines of dialogue in every 5 scenes, start to finish. Women above the line, men below. 11% of lines come from characters we couldn't match to the cast list and aren't shown.
Women
Men
Scene 1 Scene 202
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 5 | 1 | 8 |
| 6 to 10 | 1 | 1 |
| 11 to 15 | 0 | 6 |
| 16 to 20 | 0 | 1 |
| 21 to 25 | 0 | 15 |
| 26 to 30 | 2 | 4 |
| 31 to 35 | 3 | 9 |
| 36 to 40 | 4 | 7 |
| 41 to 45 | 5 | 20 |
| 46 to 50 | 4 | 5 |
| 51 to 55 | 0 | 0 |
| 56 to 60 | 13 | 11 |
| 61 to 65 | 1 | 6 |
| 66 to 70 | 10 | 19 |
| 71 to 75 | 22 | 12 |
| 76 to 80 | 0 | 0 |
| 81 to 85 | 0 | 0 |
| 86 to 90 | 7 | 21 |
| 91 to 95 | 0 | 7 |
| 96 to 100 | 1 | 6 |
| 101 to 105 | 3 | 3 |
| 106 to 110 | 0 | 5 |
| 111 to 115 | 0 | 14 |
| 116 to 120 | 12 | 26 |
| 121 to 125 | 6 | 47 |
| 126 to 130 | 1 | 14 |
| 131 to 135 | 10 | 40 |
| 136 to 140 | 5 | 4 |
| 141 to 145 | 2 | 2 |
| 146 to 150 | 32 | 32 |
| 151 to 155 | 15 | 7 |
| 156 to 160 | 6 | 8 |
| 161 to 165 | 15 | 27 |
| 166 to 170 | 11 | 8 |
| 171 to 175 | 5 | 9 |
| 176 to 180 | 4 | 1 |
| 181 to 185 | 23 | 16 |
| 186 to 190 | 17 | 41 |
| 191 to 195 | 2 | 10 |
| 196 to 200 | 2 | 11 |
| 201 to 202 | 2 | 8 |
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.
AUDREY: Okay, I wasn’t able to find a 6-1/2 in the plum, so I brought out black and brown. CUSTOMER: But I want plum. Do you have it in a seven?
AUDREY: Yes. ADMINISTRATOR: And do you give full consent to Gateway Medical Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of TD Enterprises, to administer the medical procedure c…
AUDREY: Yes. ADMINISTRATOR: Do you understand that there exists an approximately one in 225,000 chance that the procedure could result in injury, permanent disability o…
GLADYS: Ay, doctor, me duele todo, todo. Ya no me queda mucho tiempo en esta vida. NGOC LAN: Which pill good for her? How much she take?
NGOC LAN: Where it go? SOLVEIG: To China! I’m sorry, forgive me. Sometimes I’m so silly. No, to the vault.
Exhibit B: every 100 lines
Out of every 100 lines with a known speaker, 33 are women's.
247 lines from women, 491 from men.
- Women
- Men
Exhibit C: who's in it
33 women and 27 men in the cast. 14 women and 18 men from it get lines.
Characters
With lines
- Women
- Men
Exhibit D: who gets heard
The first woman speaks at line 7 of 832.
The longest stretch with no woman speaking runs 42 lines.
Every line of dialogue, first to last
- First line by a woman
- Longest stretch with no woman speaking
Words spoken
Women speak 37% of the words (4,119), men 63% (7,161). Women have 33% of the lines, so their lines run longer 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
11
Two men
33
Exhibit F: behind the camera
3 of the 14 people in these jobs are women.
Across the whole crew, 34% of the people whose gender is listed are women.
- Directed by
- Alexander Payne (man)
- Written by
- Jim Taylor (man), Alexander Payne (man)
- Produced by
- Jim Burke (man), Mark Johnson (man), Alexander Payne (man), Jim Taylor (man)
- Shot by
- Phedon Papamichael (man)
- Edited by
- Kevin Tent (man)
- Music by
- Rolfe Kent (man)
- Production design by
- Stefania Cella (woman)
- Costumes by
- Wendy Chuck (woman)
- Cast by
- John Jackson (man), Iselin Saga (woman)
The crew, department by department
-
Production
14 women, 13 men, 9 not listed
-
Art
10 women, 10 men, 15 not listed
-
Sound
1 women, 14 men, 6 not listed
-
Costume & Make-Up
4 women, 2 men, 13 not listed
-
Camera
1 women, 7 men, 8 not listed
-
Other crew
2 women, 6 men, 5 not listed
-
Directing
3 women, 3 men, 3 not listed
-
Visual Effects
0 women, 6 men, 1 not listed
- Women
- Men
- Gender not listed on TMDB
Exhibit G: how old the stars were
Women: 43 on average. Men: 58 on average.
The top-billed cast, at the film's release.
Women
Hong Chau 38, Maribeth Monroe 39, Kristen Wiig 44, Ingjerd Egeberg 50
Men
Jason Sudeikis 42, Matt Damon 47, Christoph Waltz 61, Rolf Lassgård 62, Søren Pilmark 62, Udo Kier 73
Exhibit H: the money
It made 81% of what it cost.
- Budget
- $68 million
- Box office
- $55 million
From TMDB, not adjusted for inflation.
About this analysis
Our parser read the script: 202 scenes and 832 lines of dialogue. The bechdeltest.com rating comes from that site’s readers. How the test works
