Passes the Bechdel test
Independence Day
1996. Directed by Roland Emmerich, written by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich.
The Bechdel test
Bechdel score
3 / 3
Passes
-
Yes
1. At least two women
17 women characters. 6 of them speak. -
Yes
2. Who talk to each other
In 2 scenes out of 302. -
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
On July 2nd, communications systems worldwide are sent into chaos by a strange atmospheric interference. It is soon learned by the military that a number of enormous objects are on a collision course with Earth. At first thought to be meteors, they are later revealed to be gigantic spacecraft, piloted by a mysterious alien species. After attempts to communicate with the aliens go nowhere, David Levinson, an ex-scientist turned cable technician, discovers that the aliens are going to attack major points around the globe in less than a day. On July 3rd, the aliens all but obliterate New York, Los Angeles and Washington, as well as Paris, London, Houston and Moscow. The survivors set out in convoys towards Area 51, a strange government testing ground where it is rumored the military has a captured alien spacecraft of their own. The survivors devise a plan to fight back against the enslaving aliens, and July 4th becomes the day humanity will fight for its freedom. July 4th is their Independence Day...
- Released
- 03 Jul 1996
- Genres
- Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
- Rated
- PG-13
- IMDb
- 7 / 10
- Metascore
- 59 / 100
- Awards
- Won 1 Oscar. 35 wins & 35 nominations total
- Elsewhere
- View on IMDb
Starring, by lines spoken
- Women
- Men
- Not in the cast list
- Bigger name, more lines
- David 117 lines, man
- President 83 lines, man
- Steve 81 lines, man
- General Grey 62 lines, man
- Constance 56 lines, woman
- Moishe 53 lines, man
- Jasmine 50 lines, woman
- Nimziki 36 lines, man
- Miguel 30 lines, man
- Russell 24 lines, man
Full cast, 118 people
- Will Smith as Capt. Steven Hiller
- Bill Pullman as President Thomas J. Whitmore
- Jeff Goldblum as David Levinson
- Mary McDonnell as Marilyn Whitmore
- Judd Hirsch as Julius Levinson
- Robert Loggia as General William Grey
- Randy Quaid as Russell Casse
- Margaret Colin as Constance Spano
- James Rebhorn as Albert Nimzicki
- Harvey Fierstein as Marty Gilbert
- Adam Baldwin as Major Mitchell
- Brent Spiner as Dr. Brackish Okun
- James Duval as Miguel
- Vivica A. Fox as Jasmine Dubrow
- Lisa Jakub as Alicia
- Ross Bagley as Dylan
- Mae Whitman as Patricia Whitmore
- Bill Smitrovich as Captain Watson
- Kiersten Warren as Tiffany
- Harry Connick Jr. as Capt. Jimmy Wilder
- Giuseppe Andrews as Troy
- John Storey as Dr. Isaacs
- Frank Novak as Teddy
- Devon Gummersall as Philip
- Leland Orser as Techy / Med Asst #1
- Mirron E. Willis as Aide
- Ross Lacy as Aide
- David Pressman as Whitmore's Aide
- Vivian Palermo as Tech / Med Asst
- Raphael Sbarge as Commander / Tech
- Bobby Hosea as Commanding Officer
- Dan Lauria as Commanding Officer
- Steve Giannelli as Radar Tech
- Eric Paskel as Radar Tech
- Carlos Lacámara as Radar Operator
- John Bennett Perry as Secret Serviceman
- Troy Willis as Secret Serviceman
- Tim Kelleher as Technician
- Wayne Wilderson as Area 51 Technician
- Jay Acovone as Area 51 Guard
- James Wong as SETI Tech One
- Thom Barry as SETI Tech Two
- Jana Marie Hupp as SETI Tech Three
- Matt Pashkow as Second Officer
- Robert Pine as Chief of Staff
- Marisa Johnston as Co-Worker #2
- Michael Winther as Co-Worker #3
- Warren Dexter Beatty as Co-Worker #4
- Paul LeClair as Co-Worker #5
- Michael Vacca as Lt. Peterson
- David Channell as Secret Service Agent
- John Capodice as Mario
- Greg Collins as Military Aide
- Derek Webster as Sky Crane Pilot
- Mark Fite as Pilot
- Eric Neal Newman as Pilot
- Levan Uchaneishvili as Russian Pilot
- Kristof Konrad as Russian Pilot
- Kevin Sifuentes as Tank Commander
- Elston Ridgle as Soldier
- Randy Oglesby as Mechanic
- Jack Moore as Mechanic
- Barry Del Sherman as Street Preacher
- Lyman Ward as Secret Service Guy
- Anthony Crivello as Lincoln
- Richard Speight Jr. as Ed
- Barbara Beck as Monica Soloway
- Joe Fowler as Reporter
- Andrew Warner as Reporter
- Sharon Tay as Reporter
- Peter J. Lucas as Russian Reporter
- Yelena Danova as Russian Newscaster
- Johnny Kim as Korean Newscaster
- Vanessa J. Wells as Newscaster
- Jessika Cardinahl as German Video Newscaster
- Gary W. Cruz as Video Newscaster
- Ron Pitts as Video Newscaster
- Wendy L. Walsh as Video Newscaster
- Christine Devine as Video Newscaster
- Mark Thompson as Video Newscaster
- Ernie Anastos as Rex Black / NY Newscaster
- Kevin Cooney as Atlantic Air CINC
- Rance Howard as Chaplain
- Nelson Mashita as Japanese Tech
- Jeff Phillips as B-2 Pilot
- Sayed Badreya as Arab Pilot
- Adam Tomei as Sailor
- John Bradley as Lucas
- Kimberly Beck as Housewife
- Thomas F. Duffy as Lieutenant
- Andrew Keegan as Older Boy
- Jon Matthews as Thomson
- Jim Piddock as Reginald
- Frederic W. Barnes as Self
- Eleanor Clift as Self
- Jerry Dunphy as Self
- Jack Germond as Self
- Morton Kondracke as Self
- John McLaughlin as Himself
- Barry Nolan as Self
- George Putnam as Self
- Eric Michael Zee as Northridge Field Reporter
- Pat Skipper as Redneck
- Carlos Lara as Farmer Kid
- Mike Monteleone as Butler
- Lee Strauss as Elvis Fanatic
- Lisa Star as Woman on Roof
- Malcolm Danare as Intellectual on Roof
- Arthur Brooks as Trucker on Roof
- Michael Moertl as Thief
- James J. Joyce as Master C. P. O.
- Joyce Cohen as Kim Peters (Reporter)
- Julie Moran as Entertainment Tonight Reporter
- Robin Groth as Flagstaff News Anchor
- Richard Pachorek as LAPD Helicopter Pilot
- Dakota as Boomer
- Gary A. Hecker as Alien Vocal Effects (voice)
- Frank Welker as Special Vocal Effects (voice)
Who talks, scene by scene
Lines of dialogue in every 7 scenes, start to finish. Women above the line, men below. 8% of lines come from characters we couldn't match to the cast list and aren't shown.
Women
Men
Scene 1 Scene 302
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 7 | 0 | 2 |
| 8 to 14 | 6 | 17 |
| 15 to 21 | 4 | 31 |
| 22 to 28 | 5 | 43 |
| 29 to 35 | 0 | 11 |
| 36 to 42 | 1 | 22 |
| 43 to 49 | 4 | 16 |
| 50 to 56 | 0 | 2 |
| 57 to 63 | 1 | 2 |
| 64 to 70 | 5 | 2 |
| 71 to 77 | 4 | 20 |
| 78 to 84 | 4 | 10 |
| 85 to 91 | 14 | 30 |
| 92 to 98 | 9 | 25 |
| 99 to 105 | 5 | 18 |
| 106 to 112 | 8 | 23 |
| 113 to 119 | 2 | 7 |
| 120 to 126 | 0 | 4 |
| 127 to 133 | 0 | 0 |
| 134 to 140 | 1 | 7 |
| 141 to 147 | 4 | 22 |
| 148 to 154 | 0 | 9 |
| 155 to 161 | 1 | 18 |
| 162 to 168 | 1 | 5 |
| 169 to 175 | 10 | 44 |
| 176 to 182 | 0 | 46 |
| 183 to 189 | 17 | 26 |
| 190 to 196 | 4 | 26 |
| 197 to 203 | 0 | 9 |
| 204 to 210 | 0 | 3 |
| 211 to 217 | 0 | 6 |
| 218 to 224 | 10 | 55 |
| 225 to 231 | 0 | 22 |
| 232 to 238 | 10 | 35 |
| 239 to 245 | 0 | 6 |
| 246 to 252 | 0 | 11 |
| 253 to 259 | 2 | 10 |
| 260 to 266 | 1 | 9 |
| 267 to 273 | 0 | 9 |
| 274 to 280 | 1 | 13 |
| 281 to 287 | 0 | 7 |
| 288 to 294 | 0 | 10 |
| 295 to 301 | 1 | 0 |
| 302 to 302 | 4 | 5 |
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.
JASMINE: I can't believe I even came in tonight. What was I thinking? TIFFANY: Isn't this cool? And you thought I was nuts. Oh, look, I brought mine with me. JASMINE: You're not thinking of joining those idiots? TIFFANY: I'm going over there soon as I'm off. Wanna come?
MARGARET: Hiya Munchkin. PATRICIA: Mommy, we were worried. We didn't know where you were. MARGARET: I'm right here, baby.
Exhibit B: every 100 lines
Out of every 100 lines with a known speaker, 17 are women's.
139 lines from women, 698 from men.
- Women
- Men
Exhibit C: who's in it
17 women and 79 men in the cast. 6 women and 56 men from it get lines.
Characters
With lines
- Women
- Men
Exhibit D: who gets heard
The first woman speaks at line 25 of 908.
The longest stretch with no woman speaking runs 68 lines.
Every line of dialogue, first to last
- First line by a woman
- Longest stretch with no woman speaking
Words spoken
Women speak 14% of the words (1,067), men 86% (6,574). Women have 17% 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
3
Two men
87
Exhibit F: behind the camera
None of the 11 people in these jobs are women.
Across the whole crew, 28% of the people whose gender is listed are women.
- Directed by
- Roland Emmerich (man)
- Written by
- Roland Emmerich (man), Dean Devlin (man)
- Produced by
- Dean Devlin (man)
- Shot by
- Karl Walter Lindenlaub (man)
- Edited by
- David Brenner (man)
- Music by
- David Arnold (man)
- Production design by
- Oliver Scholl (man), Patrick Tatopoulos (man)
- Costumes by
- Joseph A. Porro (man)
- Cast by
- Wendy Kurtzman (gender not listed)
The crew, department by department
-
Other crew
9 women, 20 men, 5 not listed
-
Art
5 women, 9 men, 2 not listed
-
Directing
2 women, 4 men, 7 not listed
-
Production
3 women, 7 men, 3 not listed
-
Sound
1 women, 6 men, 3 not listed
-
Camera
1 women, 5 men, 2 not listed
-
Costume & Make-Up
1 women, 1 men, 4 not listed
-
Visual Effects
0 women, 3 men, 3 not listed
- Women
- Men
- Gender not listed on TMDB
Exhibit G: how old the stars were
Women: 41 on average. Men: 47 on average.
The top-billed cast, at the film's release.
Women
Margaret Colin 38, Mary McDonnell 44
Men
Will Smith 27, Bill Pullman 42, Jeff Goldblum 43, Harvey Fierstein 44, Randy Quaid 45, James Rebhorn 47, Judd Hirsch 61, Robert Loggia 66
Exhibit H: the money
It made 10.9 times what it cost.
- Budget
- $75 million
- Box office
- $817 million
From TMDB, not adjusted for inflation.
About this analysis
Our parser read the script: 302 scenes and 908 lines of dialogue. The bechdeltest.com rating comes from that site’s readers. How the test works
