Fails the Bechdel test

Green Book

Name: Green Book
Released: 2018

2018. Directed by Peter Farrelly, written by Nick Vallelonga and Brian Hayes Currie and Peter Farrelly.

The Bechdel test

Bechdel score

2 / 3

Fails

Yes 1. At least two women
8 women characters. 6 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

In 1962, tough bouncer Frank "Tony Lip" Vallelonga searches for work while his nightclub is closed for renovations. The most promising offer turns out to be the driver for African-American classical pianist Don Shirley for a concert tour into the Deep South states. Although hardly enthused at working for a Black man, Tony accepts the job and they begin their trek armed with "The Negro Motorist Green Book," a guide for safe travel through America's racial segregation. The snobbishly erudite pianist and the crudely practical bouncer can barely get along with their clashing attitudes to life and ideals. However, as the disparate pair witness and endure America's appalling injustices on the road, they find a newfound respect for each other's talents and start to face them together. In doing so, they nurture an understanding and a friendship that would change both their lives.

Released: 16 Nov 2018
Genres: Biography, Comedy, Drama
Rated: PG-13
IMDb: 8.2 / 10
Metascore: 69 / 100
Awards: Won 3 Oscars. 58 wins & 125 nominations total
Elsewhere: View on IMDb

Starring, by lines spoken

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

Lip 341 lines, man
Dr. Shirley 234 lines, man
Dolores 39 lines, woman
Johnny 24 lines, man
Graham Kindell 21 lines, man
Patrolman #1 16 lines, man
Morgan Anderson 12 lines, man
Oleg 12 lines, man
Stage Manager 11 lines, man
Loscudo 10 lines, man

Full cast, 68 people

Viggo Mortensen as Tony Lip
Mahershala Ali as Dr. Don Shirley
Linda Cardellini as Dolores
Sebastian Maniscalco as Johnny Venere
Dimiter D. Marinov as Oleg
Mike Hatton as George
P.J. Byrne as Record Exec
Joe Cortese as Gio Loscudo
Mary Agnes Nixon as Copa Coat Check Girl
Von Lewis as Bobby Rydell
Jon Sortland as Rydell Band Leader
Don Stark as Jules Podell
Anthony Mangano as Copa Bouncer Danny
Paul Sloan as Copa Maitre D' Carmine
Quinn Duffy as Mikey Cerrone
Seth Hurwitz as Johnny Randazzo
Hudson Galloway as Nick Vallelonga
Gavin Foley as Frankie Vallelonga
Iqbal Theba as Amit
Ricky Muse as Barkeep
David Kallaway as Redneck #1
Montrel Miller
Rodolfo Vallelonga as Grandpa Nicola Vallelonga
Louis Venere as Grandpa Anthony Venere
Frank Vallelonga as Rudy Vallelonga
Don DiPetta as Louie Venere
Jenna Laurenzo as Fran Venere
Suehyla El-Attar Young as Lynn Venere
Kenneth Israel as Bronx Floor Repairman #1
Derrick Spears as Bronx Floor Repairman #2
Johnny Williams as Fat Paulie
Randal Gonzalez as Gorman
Sharon Landry as Carnegie Hall Manager
Nick Vallelonga as Augie
David An as Bobby
Mike Cerrone as Joe and Joe's Customer
Peter Gabb as Charlie the Pawn Guy
Gertrud Sigle as Marie
Geraldine Singer as Pittsburgh MC
Ron Flagge as Pittsburgh Chauffeur
Martin Bats Bradford as Pittsburgh Busboy
Ted Huckabee as Indiana Stage Manager
Gralen Bryant Banks as Horseshoe Man #1
Sam Malone as Horseshoe Man #2
Floyd Miles as Floyd
James W. Evermore as Redneck #2
Harrison Stone as Redneck #3
Iqbal Theba
Tom Virtue as Morgan Anderson
David Kallaway
Christina Simpkins as Margaret Anderson
Kermit Burns III as Pimento Cheese Waiter
Lindsay Brice as Frances Selden
Shane Partlow as Tailor
Daniel Greene as Macon Cop #1
Brian Distance as Macon Cop #2
Craig DiFrancia as Dominic
Dennis W. Hall as Mags
Leslie Castay as Well-Dressed Woman
David Simpson as Louisiana Host
Jim Klock as Patrolman #1
Billy Breed as Patrolman #2
Dane Rhodes as Police Chief
Brian Stepanek as Graham Kindell
Jon Michael Davis as Birmingham Hotel Maitre D'
Montrel Miller as Birmingham Hotel Waiter
Ninja N. Devoe as Orange Bird Bartender
Brian Hayes Currie as Maryland State Trooper

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	0	2
4 to 6	2	13
7 to 9	1	13
10 to 12	0	8
13 to 15	6	18
16 to 18	0	14
19 to 21	3	7
22 to 24	1	51
25 to 27	0	19
28 to 30	12	12
31 to 33	12	35
34 to 36	0	13
37 to 39	0	32
40 to 42	0	0
43 to 45	2	36
46 to 48	1	1
49 to 51	0	25
52 to 54	0	24
55 to 57	0	28
58 to 60	0	10
61 to 63	0	33
64 to 66	0	10
67 to 69	0	21
70 to 72	0	12
73 to 75	0	17
76 to 78	0	23
79 to 81	0	42
82 to 84	0	13
85 to 87	0	3
88 to 90	0	25
91 to 93	0	15
94 to 96	0	12
97 to 99	5	18
100 to 102	0	2
103 to 105	0	49
106 to 108	0	22
109 to 111	0	20
112 to 114	0	3
115 to 117	0	35
118 to 120	0	18
121 to 123	7	12
124 to 126	0	5
127 to 129	0	2
130 to 132	0	5
133 to 135	0	1
136 to 138	0	3
139 to 141	1	8
142 to 144	3	29

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, 6 are women's.

56 lines from women, 819 from men.

Women
Men

Exhibit B: who's in it

8 women and 47 men in the cast. 6 women and 36 men from it get lines.

Characters

With lines

Women
Men

Exhibit C: who gets heard

The first woman speaks at line 4 of 885. The longest stretch with no woman speaking runs 322 lines.

Every line of dialogue, first to last

First line by a woman
Longest stretch with no woman speaking

Words spoken

Women speak 8% of the words (678), men 92% (8,340). Women have 6% of the lines, so their lines run longer 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

1 of the 15 people in these jobs is a woman. Across the whole crew, 20% of the people whose gender is listed are women.

Directed by: Peter Farrelly (man)
Written by: Brian Hayes Currie (man), Nick Vallelonga (man), Peter Farrelly (man)
Produced by: Brian Hayes Currie (man), Peter Farrelly (man), Nick Vallelonga (man), Jim Burke (man), Charles B. Wessler (man)
Shot by: Sean Porter (man)
Edited by: Patrick J. Don Vito (man)
Music by: Kris Bowers (man)
Production design by: Tim Galvin (man)
Costumes by: Betsy Heimann (woman)
Cast by: Rick Montgomery (man)