Passes the Bechdel test

Machine Gun Preacher

Name: Machine Gun Preacher
Released: 2011

2011. Directed by Marc Forster, written by Jason Keller and Ian Urbina.

The Bechdel test

Bechdel score

3 / 3

Passes

Yes 1. At least two women
7 women characters. 6 of them speak.
Yes 2. Who talk to each other
In 3 scenes out of 252.
Yes 3. About something besides a man
In those scenes, our script parser found no man named. See the scene.

Second opinion

Not rated bechdeltest.com readers haven't rated this film.

The film

In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, addicted gang biker Sam Childers is released from prison and learns that his wife Lynn is no longer a stripper but has converted to Christianity. One night, Sam and his best friend Donnie give a ride to a hitchhiker who threatens Donnie with a pocketknife; however Sam reacts and turns the tables on the stranger. Sam is affected by the incident and is convinced by Lynn and his mother Daisy to join their church, and he is baptized. Sam finds a straight job in construction. When he meets a preacher from Africa, he decides to visit the continent. Sam travels to Northern Uganda and South Sudan many times and builds an orphanage for the victims of the cruel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). Further, he fights whenever necessary and becomes a legend known as The Machine Gun Preacher.

Released: 02 Nov 2011
Genres: Action, Biography, Crime
Rated: R
IMDb: 6.7 / 10
Metascore: 43 / 100
Awards: 2 nominations total
Elsewhere: View on IMDb

Starring, by lines spoken

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

Sam 351 lines, man
Deng 106 lines, man
Lynn 91 lines, woman
Donnie 67 lines, man
Paige 49 lines, woman
William 21 lines, man
Agnete 19 lines
Bill 12 lines, man
Biker 11 lines, man
Garang 11 lines, man

Full cast, 34 people

Gerard Butler as Sam Childers
Michelle Monaghan as Lynn
Kathy Baker as Daisy
Richard Goteri as Gun Shop Owner
Peter Carey as Bill Wallace
Barbara Coven as Shannon Wallace
Michael Shannon as Donnie
Ryann Campos as Paige #1
Madeline Carroll as Paige #2
Mandalynn Carlson as Paige's Friend
Souléymane Sy Savané as Deng
Abena Ayivor as Betty
Grant R. Krause as Billy / Contractor
Reavis Graham as Pastor Krause
Justin Michael Brandt as Teenage Boy
Misty Mills as Biker Chick
Nicole Dupre Sobchack as Bartender
Sidi Henderson as Shaved Head
Steve Blackwood as Bank Manager
Judy Stepanian as Employment Woman
Peter Tocco as Mechanic
Brett Wagner as Ben Hobbes / Biker
Sean Patrick Leonard as Crackhead
Richard Goteri as Pawn Shop Owner
Paul Lang as Prison Clerk
Wandile Molebatsi as LRA Commander
Warren Masemola as LRA Commander
Tau Maserumule as LRA Soldier
Mulweli Muofhe as Anthony
Lebogang Phoshoko as Riverbed Child
Anthony Bishop as Dan
Jerry Mofokeng as Administrator
Warona Seane as Rose
Corey Large as American Businessman (uncredited)

Who talks, scene by scene

Lines of dialogue in every 6 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 252

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 6	0	0
7 to 12	23	19
13 to 18	0	10
19 to 24	0	8
25 to 30	0	27
31 to 36	3	7
37 to 42	8	23
43 to 48	2	5
49 to 54	9	19
55 to 60	15	14
61 to 66	0	41
67 to 72	0	25
73 to 78	0	10
79 to 84	10	10
85 to 90	7	19
91 to 96	5	15
97 to 102	2	22
103 to 108	2	21
109 to 114	1	7
115 to 120	1	5
121 to 126	2	1
127 to 132	2	4
133 to 138	2	11
139 to 144	2	9
145 to 150	0	0
151 to 156	0	16
157 to 162	0	10
163 to 168	6	43
169 to 174	6	6
175 to 180	8	47
181 to 186	0	12
187 to 192	0	5
193 to 198	2	41
199 to 204	0	21
205 to 210	0	5
211 to 216	22	25
217 to 222	2	5
223 to 228	19	10
229 to 234	1	15
235 to 240	4	15
241 to 246	0	6
247 to 252	0	16

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.

LYNN: You excited, get some juice, help me set the table. LYNN: Hope you're staying for supper. DAISY: Well, I didn't know if...

DAISY: Africa? PAIGE: To see the tigers.

PAIGE: Mary Strauss and them is havin dinner at The Chimney. LYNN: Who's her date?

Exhibit B: every 100 lines

Out of every 100 lines with a known speaker, 21 are women's.

166 lines from women, 630 from men.

Women
Men

Exhibit C: who's in it

7 women and 15 men in the cast. 6 women and 15 men from it get lines.

Characters

With lines

Women
Men

Exhibit D: who gets heard

The first woman speaks at line 3 of 862. The longest stretch with no woman speaking runs 84 lines.

Every line of dialogue, first to last

First line by a woman
Longest stretch with no woman speaking

Words spoken

Women speak 17% of the words (1,248), men 83% (5,904). Women have 21% 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 17 people in these jobs is a woman. Across the whole crew, 21% of the people whose gender is listed are women.

Directed by: Marc Forster (man)
Written by: Jason Keller (man)
Produced by: Craig Chapman (gender not listed), Jillian Kugler (gender not listed), Robbie Brenner (woman), Marc Forster (man), Douglas Saylor Jr. (gender not listed), Gary Safady (gender not listed) and 1 more
Shot by: Roberto Schaefer (man)
Edited by: Matt Chessé (man)
Music by: Asche & Spencer (gender not listed), Thad Spencer (gender not listed)
Production design by: Philip Messina (man)
Costumes by: Frank L. Fleming (man)
Cast by: Kerry Barden (man), Paul Schnee (man)