Passes the Bechdel test

In the Bedroom

Name: In the Bedroom
Released: 2002

2002. Directed by Todd Field, written by Andre Dubus and Robert Festinger and Todd Field.

The Bechdel test

Bechdel score

3 / 3

Passes

Yes 1. At least two women
5 women characters. 7 of them speak.
Yes 2. Who talk to each other
In 1 scene out of 110.
Yes 3. About something besides a man
In that scene, our script parser found no man named. See the scene.

Second opinion

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

The film

In idyllic Mid-Coast Maine, the Fowler family's only son Frank comes home from his freshman year at college for summer vacation. His mother Ruth, the school choir director, is unhappy with Frank dating soon-to-be divorced mother Natalie who is several years his senior, but Frank's father Matt, the town doctor, doesn't see a problem. While Frank considers holding off his future for Natalie, her jilted husband causes them all problems until an unthinkable tragedy shakes the community to its very core.

Released: 08 Feb 2002
Genres: Crime, Drama
Rated: R
IMDb: 7.4 / 10
Metascore: 86 / 100
Awards: Nominated for 5 Oscars. 39 wins & 75 nominations total
Elsewhere: View on IMDb

Starring, by lines spoken

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

Matt 181 lines, man
Ruth 121 lines, woman
Willis 67 lines, man
F 61 lines
Natalie 58 lines, woman
Ric 42 lines
Katie 18 lines, woman
Davis 17 lines
Frank 15 lines, man
Henry 14 lines

Full cast, 76 people

Tom Wilkinson as Matt Fowler
Sissy Spacek as Ruth Fowler
Nick Stahl as Frank Fowler
Marisa Tomei as Natalie Strout
William Mapother as Richard Strout
William Wise as Willis Grinnel
Celia Weston as Katie Grinnel
Karen Allen as Marla Keyes
Frank T. Wells as Henry
W. Clapham Murray as Carl
Justin Ashforth as Tim Bryson
Terry A. Burgess as District Attorney
Jonathan Walsh as Father McCasslin
Diane E. Hamlin as Davis' Assistant
Camden Munson as Jason Strout
Christopher Adams as Duncan Strout
Henry Field as Young Frank / Rockland T-Ball
Deborah Derecktor as Janelle
Harriet Dawkins as Alma Adamson
Bill Dawkins as Elwyn Adamson
Kevin Chapman as Tim's Friend
Joseph Field as Judge
Harold Withee as Grocery Clerk
David Blair as Marlboro Man
Elisabeth McClure as Elderly Woman
Alida P. Field as Young Gymnast
Andrea Wright as Waitress
John Campanello as Reporter
Robert Demkowicz as Reporter
Veronica Cartwright as Minister on Television
Daran Norris as Red Sox Replay
Don Lewis as Bridge Operator
Doug Rich as Fork Lift Operator
Sara Armstrong as Chorus
Elly Barksdale as Chorus
Erin Barksdale as Chorus
Adah Holman as Chorus
Gwendolyn Gilchrist as Chorus
Shauneen Grout as Chorus
Jessie Lanoue as Chorus
Alicia Laplant as Chorus
Iris Leslie as Chorus
Erica Towle-Powers as Chorus
Nichole Wimbiscus as Chorus
Anna Winsor as Chorus
Lisa Carlton as Rockland T-Ball
Rebecca Benner as Rockland T-Ball
Francis Mazzeo as Rockland T-Ball
Tyler Shane Smith-Campbell as Rockland T-Ball
Brian Hagley as Rockland T-Ball
Sam Cousins as Rockland T-Ball
Jackie Hagley as Rockland T-Ball
Comenic Cuccinello III as Rockland T-Ball
Ronald Russell as Rockland T-Ball
Rachel Freeman as Rockland T-Ball
Dale Johnson as Rockland T-Ball
Daniel Hendricks as Rockland T-Ball
Parker Spear as Rockland T-Ball
Sam Johnson as Rockland T-Ball
Matthew Maxwell as Rockland T-Ball
Shyann Gauthier as Rockland T-Ball
Joshua Mills as Rockland T-Ball
Bethany Berry as Rockland T-Ball
Eric Rahkonen as Rockland T-Ball
Hope Berry as Rockland T-Ball
Natalie Russell as Rockland T-Ball
Chelsea Peasley as Rockland T-Ball
Misty Seekins as Rockland T-Ball
Daniel Baxter-Leahy as Rockland T-Ball
Philip Spearing as Rockland T-Ball
Brandon Carleton as Rockland T-Ball
Mackenzie Tucker as Rockland T-Ball
Owen Thompson as Rockland T-Ball
Ben Staples as Rockland T-Ball
Ryan Ecker as Rockland T-Ball
Jared Meklin as Rockland T-Ball

Who talks, scene by scene

Lines of dialogue in every 3 scenes, start to finish. Women above the line, men below. 30% of lines come from characters we couldn't match to the cast list and aren't shown.

Women

Men

Scene 1 Scene 110

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	2	1
4 to 6	2	2
7 to 9	0	20
10 to 12	2	10
13 to 15	12	6
16 to 18	8	9
19 to 21	10	9
22 to 24	0	5
25 to 27	12	8
28 to 30	53	17
31 to 33	6	12
34 to 36	3	8
37 to 39	5	2
40 to 42	1	2
43 to 45	0	0
46 to 48	5	35
49 to 51	20	2
52 to 54	1	1
55 to 57	11	8
58 to 60	5	3
61 to 63	3	0
64 to 66	11	4
67 to 69	7	5
70 to 72	1	4
73 to 75	0	7
76 to 78	0	0
79 to 81	4	0
82 to 84	25	41
85 to 87	0	29
88 to 90	2	6
91 to 93	0	21
94 to 96	0	6
97 to 99	0	1
100 to 102	0	3
103 to 105	0	14
106 to 108	0	4
109 to 110	5	5

The evidence

Straight from the script
Counted from the script and the credits

Tap an exhibit to open it.

Exhibit A: the passing scene

The scene our parser counted as passing, word for word.

RUTH: Yes? There's a pause, then the door slowly opens. Natalie takes a step in. Ruth looks up. If she's surprised, she doesn't show it, NATALIE: I - -a I hope this is okay. Ruth says nothing. Natalie moves closer. NATALIE: I've been hoping we might be able to get together - to talk. Ruth watches her as she approaches the desk. Natalie bends and cautiously exten… NATALIE: I just want to tell you how -e- And in a flash Ruth SLAPS Natalie across the face with her open hand. Natalie springs back, paralyzed with s…

Exhibit B: every 100 lines

Out of every 100 lines with a known speaker, 41 are women's.

216 lines from women, 310 from men.

Women
Men

Exhibit C: who's in it

5 women and 9 men in the cast. 7 women and 8 men from it get lines.

Characters

With lines

Women
Men

Exhibit D: who gets heard

The first woman speaks at line 2 of 751. The longest stretch with no woman speaking runs 90 lines.

Every line of dialogue, first to last

First line by a woman
Longest stretch with no woman speaking

Words spoken

Women speak 39% of the words (3,273), men 61% (5,198). Women have 41% 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

Two men

Exhibit F: behind the camera

1 of the 12 people in these jobs is a woman. Across the whole crew, 25% of the people whose gender is listed are women.

Directed by: Todd Field (man)
Written by: Todd Field (man), Robert Festinger (man)
Produced by: Todd Field (man), Graham Leader (gender not listed), Ross Katz (man)
Shot by: Antonio Calvache (man)
Edited by: Frank Reynolds (man)
Music by: Thomas Newman (man)
Costumes by: Melissa Economy (gender not listed)
Cast by: Randi Hiller (woman), Belinda Monte (gender not listed)