Fails the Bechdel test

Jack Reacher

Name: Jack Reacher
Released: 2012

2012. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, written by Lee Child and Christopher McQuarrie.

The Bechdel test

Bechdel score

1 / 3

Fails

Yes 1. At least two women
17 women characters. 4 of them speak.
No 2. Who talk to each other
Our parser found no scene where two women talk to each other.
No 3. About something besides a man
Not reached: the film fails an earlier rule.

Second opinion

Agree bechdeltest.com readers give it 1 out of 3.

The film

In an innocent heartland city, five are shot dead by an expert sniper. The police quickly identify and arrest the culprit, and build a slam-dunk case. But instead of confessing, the accused man writes the words, "Get Jack Reacher." Reacher himself sees the news report and turns up in the city. The defense is immensely relieved, but Reacher has come to bury the guy. Shocked at the accused's request, Reacher sets out to confirm for himself the absolute certainty of the man's guilt, but comes up with more than he bargained for.

Released: 21 Dec 2012
Genres: Action, Thriller
Rated: PG-13
IMDb: 7 / 10
Metascore: 50 / 100
Awards: 1 win & 6 nominations total
Elsewhere: View on IMDb

Starring, by lines spoken

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

Reacher 327 lines, man
Helen 218 lines, woman
Emerson 65 lines, man
Charlie 44 lines, man
Sandy 42 lines, woman
Rodin 39 lines
The Zec 30 lines, man
Cash 29 lines, man
Linsky 26 lines, man
Farrior 20 lines

Full cast, 51 people

Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher
Rosamund Pike as Helen Rodin
Richard Jenkins as D.A. Alex Rodin
David Oyelowo as Det. Emerson
Werner Herzog as Zec Chelovek
Jai Courtney as Charlie
Robert Duvall as Martin Cash
Vladimir Sizov as Vlad
Joseph Sikora as James Barr
Nicole Forester as Nancy Holt
Michael Raymond-James as Linsky
Alexia Fast as Sandy
Josh Helman as Jeb Oliver
James Martin Kelly as Rob Farrior
Dylan Kussman as Gary
Denver Milord as Punk
Susan Angelo as Oline Archer
Julia Yorks as Chrissie Farrior
Delilah Picart as Rita Coronado
Joe Coyle as Darren Sawyer
Alicia Murton as Mrs. Sawyer
Peter Gannon as Mr. Archer
David Whalen as Mr. Holt
Tristan Elma as Marcos Coronado
Sophie Guest as Little Girl
Michael Minor as Eyewitness
Scott A. Martin as Wesley
CJ Ramirez as Secretary
Teri Clark as Night Manager
Jarid Faubel as Man on Bus
Sara Lindsey as Woman on Bus
Jace Jeanes as Zec's Thug
Andrei Runtso as Zec's Thug
Efka Kvaraciejus as Zec's Thug
Lee Child as Desk Sergeant
Tommy Lafitte as Man with Ballcap
Kristen Dalton as Mindy
Jordan Trovillion as Goodwill Cashier
Annie Kitral as Pawn Shop Cashier
Lissy Gulick as Diner Waitress
Catherine Albers as Jeb's Mom
Larissa Emanuele as Sportsbar Waitress
Jason McCune as Construction Foreman
Shane Callahan as SWAT Guy
Joshua Elijah Reese as SWAT Guy
Nathan Hollabaugh as Cop
Christopher Stadulis as Cop
Joe Fishel as SWAT Officer (uncredited)
Robert Liscio as Man in Bar (uncredited)
Ronn Surels as Jeb's Wingman (uncredited)
Jackson Nunn as Passenger / Bar Guy (uncredited)

Who talks, scene by scene

Lines of dialogue in every 5 scenes, start to finish. Women above the line, men below. 9% 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	0	1
6 to 10	0	1
11 to 15	0	0
16 to 20	0	0
21 to 25	4	7
26 to 30	3	6
31 to 35	0	5
36 to 40	14	37
41 to 45	15	22
46 to 50	12	16
51 to 55	17	0
56 to 60	0	0
61 to 65	20	52
66 to 70	12	93
71 to 75	4	1
76 to 80	6	0
81 to 85	13	8
86 to 90	8	25
91 to 95	9	9
96 to 100	20	35
101 to 105	0	3
106 to 110	10	32
111 to 115	7	11
116 to 120	30	37
121 to 125	13	14
126 to 130	0	1
131 to 135	0	0
136 to 140	0	3
141 to 145	0	9
146 to 150	15	18
151 to 155	0	40
156 to 160	10	5
161 to 165	1	11
166 to 170	9	13
171 to 175	1	16
176 to 180	0	1
181 to 185	0	0
186 to 190	0	0
191 to 195	0	0
196 to 200	12	38
201 to 202	9	9

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, 32 are women's.

274 lines from women, 579 from men.

Women
Men

Exhibit B: who's in it

17 women and 33 men in the cast. 4 women and 13 men from it get lines.

Characters

With lines

Women
Men

Exhibit C: who gets heard

The first woman speaks at line 22 of 933. The longest stretch with no woman speaking runs 66 lines.

Every line of dialogue, first to last

First line by a woman
Longest stretch with no woman speaking

Words spoken

Women speak 30% of the words (2,680), men 70% (6,204). Women have 32% 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

Two men

Exhibit E: behind the camera

2 of the 12 people in these jobs are women. Across the whole crew, 30% of the people whose gender is listed are women.

Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie (man)
Written by: Christopher McQuarrie (man)
From the novel by: Lee Child (man)
Produced by: Tom Cruise (man), Gary Levinsohn (man), Don Granger (man), Paula Wagner (woman)
Shot by: Caleb Deschanel (man)
Edited by: Kevin Stitt (man)
Music by: Joe Kraemer (man)
Production design by: James D. Bissell (man)
Cast by: Mindy Marin (woman)