Passes the Bechdel test
Magnolia
2000. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, written by Paul Thomas Anderson.
The Bechdel test
Bechdel score
3 / 3
Passes
-
Yes
1. At least two women
21 women characters. 14 of them speak. -
Yes
2. Who talk to each other
In 1 scene out of 309. -
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
Over the course of a single day, the fractured lives of emotionally damaged strangers begin colliding through coincidence, regret, and buried pain ~ each one still trying to survive the damage inherited from people who are now dying, absent, or barely present. A sprawling, operatic film about loneliness, forgiveness, and the desperate human need to connect before time runs out.
- Released
- 07 Jan 2000
- Genres
- Drama
- Rated
- R
- IMDb
- 8 / 10
- Metascore
- 78 / 100
- Awards
- Nominated for 3 Oscars. 28 wins & 59 nominations total
- Elsewhere
- View on IMDb
Starring, by lines spoken
- Women
- Men
- Not in the cast list
- Bigger name, more lines
- Jim Kurring 156 lines, man
- Jimmy 130 lines, man
- Claudia 113 lines, woman
- Frank 113 lines, man
- Phil 97 lines, man
- Stanley 77 lines, man
- Donnie 73 lines, man
- Earl 51 lines, man
- Linda 48 lines, woman
- Narrator 44 lines, man
Full cast, 113 people
- Tom Cruise as Frank T.J. Mackey
- Philip Baker Hall as Jimmy Gator
- Philip Seymour Hoffman as Phil Parma
- Julianne Moore as Linda Partridge
- William H. Macy as Quiz Kid Donnie Smith
- John C. Reilly as Officer Jim Kurring
- Melora Walters as Claudia Wilson Gator
- Jeremy Blackman as Stanley Spector
- Jason Robards as Earl Partridge
- Melinda Dillon as Rose Gator
- Michael Bowen as Rick Spector
- April Grace as Gwenovier
- Ricky Jay as Burt Ramsey / Narrator
- Emmanuel Johnson as Dixon
- Pat Healy as Sir Edmund William Godfrey / Young Pharmacy Kid
- Genevieve Zweig as Mrs. Godfrey
- Mark Flanagan as Joseph Green
- Neil Flynn as Stanley Berry
- Rod McLachlan as Daniel Hill
- Allan Graf as Firefighter
- Patton Oswalt as Delmer Darion
- Raymond 'Big Guy' Gonzales as Reno Security Guard
- Brad Hunt as Craig Hansen
- Jim Meskimen as Forensic Scientist
- Chris O'Hara as Sydney Barringer
- Clement Blake as Arthur Barringer
- Frank Elmore as 1958 Detective
- John Kraft Seitz as 1958 Policeman
- Cory Buck as Young Boy
- Tim Soronen as Infomercial Guy
- Jim Ortlieb as Middle-Aged Guy
- Thomas Jane as Young Jimmy Gator
- Holly Houston as Jimmy's Showgirl
- Benjamin Niedens as Little Donnie Smith
- Veronica Hart as Dentist Nurse #1
- Missy Spell Tanner as Dentist Nurse #2
- James Kiriyama-Lem as Dr. Lee
- Jake Cross as Pedestrian #1
- Charlie Scott Jr. as Pedestrian #2
- Juan Medrano as Nurse Juan
- John Pritchett as Police Captain
- Cleo King as Marcie
- Don McManus as Dr. Landon
- Michael Shamus Wiles as Captain Muffy
- Jason Andrews as Doc
- John S. Davies as Cameraman
- Kevin Breznahan as Geoff, Seminar Guy
- Miguel Pérez as Avi Solomon
- Alfred Molina as Solomon Solomon
- David Masuda as Coroner Man
- Neil Pepe as Officer #1
- Lionel Mark Smith as Detective
- Annette Helde as Coroner Woman
- Lynne Lerner as Librarian
- Felicity Huffman as Cynthia
- Scott Burkett as WDKK Page #1
- Bob Brewer as Richard's Dad
- Julie Brewer as Richard's Mom
- Nancy Marston as Julia's Mom
- Maurey Marston as Julia's Dad
- Jamala Gaither as WDKK P.A.
- Danny Wells as Dick Jennings
- Amy Brown as WDKK Page #2
- Eileen Ryan as Mary
- Meagen Fay as Dr. Diane
- Patricia Forte as Mim
- Luis Guzmán as Luis
- Patrick Warren as Todd Geronimo
- Orlando Jones as Worm
- Virginia Pereira as Pink Dot Girl (voice)
- Craig Kvinsland as Brad the Bartender
- Patricia Scanlon as Cocktail Waitress
- Henry Gibson as Thurston Howell
- Natalie Elizabeth Marston as Julia
- Bobby Brewer as Richard
- Clark Gregg as WDKK Floor Director
- Art Frankel as Old Pharmacist
- Matt Gerald as Officer #2
- Guillermo Melgarejo as Pink Dot Guy
- Paul F. Tompkins as Chad (Seduce & Destroy) (voice)
- Mary Lynn Rajskub as Janet (Frank's Assistant) (voice)
- Jim Beaver as Smiling Peanut Patron #1
- Ezra Buzzington as Smiling Peanut Patron #2
- Denise Woolfork as Smiling Peanut Patron #3
- Michael Murphy as Alan Kligman, Esq.
- Robert Downey Sr. as WDKK Show Director
- William Mapother as WDKK Show Director's Assistant
- Larry Ballard as WDKK Medic
- Brett Higgins as Mackey Disciple Twin #1
- Brian Higgins as Mackey Disciple Twin #2
- Michael Lee Phillips Jr. as Mackey Disciple in Middle
- Lillian Adams as Donnie's Old Neighbor
- Steven Bush as Paramedic #1
- Mike Massa as Paramedic #2
- Dale Gibson as Paramedic #3
- Scott Alan Smith as E.R. Doctor
- Paul Thomas Anderson as Man Confiscating Sign (uncredited)
- Miriam Margolyes as Faye Barringer (uncredited)
- Bruno Angelico as Fireman #2 (uncredited)
- Robert Bella as Detective #2 (uncredited)
- Greg Bronson as Waiter (uncredited)
- Douglas Busby as Extra (uncredited)
- Marc Davies as Seminar Attendee #1 (uncredited)
- Bruce Gregory as Randy (uncredited)
- Phil Hawn as Bob (uncredited)
- Spencer Kayden as Seminar Patron (uncredited)
- Brian Kehew as Seminar Patron (uncredited)
- Michael Laren as Officer Tom 1958 (uncredited)
- Aimee Mann as Hot Date Infomercial (uncredited)
- Tom Ohmer as Detective (uncredited)
- Colleen Pelletier as Gameshow Audience Member (uncredited)
- Herb Santos Jr. as 21 Dealer (uncredited)
- Tom Tangen as Drunken Dart Player (uncredited)
Who talks, scene by scene
Lines of dialogue in every 7 scenes, start to finish. Women above the line, men below. 6% of lines come from characters we couldn't match to the cast list and aren't shown.
Women
Men
Scene 1 Scene 309
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 | 15 |
| 8 to 14 | 0 | 2 |
| 15 to 21 | 0 | 10 |
| 22 to 28 | 2 | 18 |
| 29 to 35 | 1 | 8 |
| 36 to 42 | 0 | 18 |
| 43 to 49 | 4 | 14 |
| 50 to 56 | 33 | 83 |
| 57 to 63 | 6 | 19 |
| 64 to 70 | 2 | 12 |
| 71 to 77 | 28 | 43 |
| 78 to 84 | 4 | 107 |
| 85 to 91 | 22 | 27 |
| 92 to 98 | 19 | 14 |
| 99 to 105 | 25 | 50 |
| 106 to 112 | 30 | 58 |
| 113 to 119 | 0 | 19 |
| 120 to 126 | 0 | 41 |
| 127 to 133 | 19 | 45 |
| 134 to 140 | 9 | 8 |
| 141 to 147 | 8 | 53 |
| 148 to 154 | 26 | 36 |
| 155 to 161 | 16 | 25 |
| 162 to 168 | 24 | 59 |
| 169 to 175 | 8 | 32 |
| 176 to 182 | 6 | 14 |
| 183 to 189 | 3 | 10 |
| 190 to 196 | 3 | 5 |
| 197 to 203 | 3 | 7 |
| 204 to 210 | 7 | 11 |
| 211 to 217 | 2 | 26 |
| 218 to 224 | 1 | 5 |
| 225 to 231 | 1 | 4 |
| 232 to 238 | 1 | 5 |
| 239 to 245 | 9 | 51 |
| 246 to 252 | 33 | 43 |
| 253 to 259 | 24 | 30 |
| 260 to 266 | 4 | 26 |
| 267 to 273 | 0 | 1 |
| 274 to 280 | 0 | 1 |
| 281 to 287 | 1 | 1 |
| 288 to 294 | 0 | 32 |
| 295 to 301 | 0 | 5 |
| 302 to 308 | 1 | 13 |
| 309 to 309 | 0 | 0 |
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.
CYNTHIA: Just hold it, you'll be fine. JULIA: Here they come --
Exhibit B: every 100 lines
Out of every 100 lines with a known speaker, 26 are women's.
385 lines from women, 1106 from men.
- Women
- Men
Exhibit C: who's in it
21 women and 67 men in the cast. 14 women and 46 men from it get lines.
Characters
With lines
- Women
- Men
Exhibit D: who gets heard
The first woman speaks at line 33 of 1,583.
The longest stretch with no woman speaking runs 78 lines.
Every line of dialogue, first to last
- First line by a woman
- Longest stretch with no woman speaking
Words spoken
Women speak 21% of the words (4,157), men 79% (15,527). Women have 26% 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
60
Exhibit F: behind the camera
2 of the 11 people in these jobs are women.
Across the whole crew, 21% of the people whose gender is listed are women.
- Directed by
- Paul Thomas Anderson (man)
- Written by
- Paul Thomas Anderson (man)
- Produced by
- Paul Thomas Anderson (man), JoAnne Sellar (woman)
- Shot by
- Robert Elswit (man)
- Edited by
- Dylan Tichenor (man)
- Music by
- Jon Brion (man)
- Production design by
- Mark Bridges (man), William Arnold (man)
- Costumes by
- Mark Bridges (man)
- Cast by
- Cassandra Kulukundis (woman)
The crew, department by department
-
Other crew
5 women, 49 men, 77 not listed
-
Visual Effects
4 women, 7 men, 33 not listed
-
Sound
4 women, 28 men, 10 not listed
-
Production
7 women, 10 men, 24 not listed
-
Art
2 women, 10 men, 18 not listed
-
Camera
2 women, 10 men, 17 not listed
-
Costume & Make-Up
8 women, 4 men, 13 not listed
-
Lighting
0 women, 6 men, 12 not listed
- Women
- Men
- Gender not listed on TMDB
Exhibit G: how old the stars were
Women: 46 on average. Men: 44 on average.
The top-billed cast, at the film's release.
Women
Julianne Moore 39, Melora Walters 40, Melinda Dillon 60
Men
Jeremy Blackman 12, Philip Seymour Hoffman 32, John C. Reilly 34, Tom Cruise 37, William H. Macy 49, Philip Baker Hall 68, Jason Robards 77
Exhibit H: the money
It made 1.3 times what it cost.
- Budget
- $37 million
- Box office
- $48.5 million
From TMDB, not adjusted for inflation.
About this analysis
Our parser read the script: 309 scenes and 1,583 lines of dialogue. The bechdeltest.com rating comes from that site’s readers. How the test works
