Passes the Bechdel test

Memory

Name: Memory
Released: 2023

2023. Directed by Michel Franco, written by Michel Franco.

The Bechdel test

Bechdel score

3 / 3

Passes

Yes 1. At least two women
8 women characters. 7 of them speak.
Yes 2. Who talk to each other
In 16 scenes out of 112.
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

Sylvia is a social worker who leads a simple and structured life. This is blown open when Saul follows her home from their high school reunion. Their surprise encounter will profoundly impact both of them as they open the door to ...

Released: 05 Jan 2024
Genres: Drama
Rated: R
IMDb: 6.7 / 10
Awards: 2 wins & 5 nominations
Elsewhere: View on IMDb

Starring, by lines spoken

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

Sylvia 199 lines, woman
Saul 113 lines, man
Anna 83 lines, woman
Isaac 50 lines, man
Olivia 37 lines, woman
Samantha 34 lines, woman
Sara 29 lines, woman
Karen 11 lines, woman
Robert 11 lines, woman
Ashley 6 lines, woman

Full cast, 21 people

Jessica Chastain as Sylvia
Peter Sarsgaard as Saul
Merritt Wever as Olivia
Josh Charles as Isaac
Elsie Fisher as Sara
Jessica Harper as Samantha
Blake Baumgartner as Ashley
Davis Duffield as Male Nurse
Billy Griffith as Security Guard
Ross Brodar as Refrigerator Repair Man
Johnny Vorsteg as Twin
Rand Faris as Sales Girl
Elizabeth Loyacano as Megan
Brooke Timber as Anna
Thomas Vorsteg as Twin
Tatiana Ronderos as Hospital Receptionist
Mia Mei Williamson as Nancy
Lexie Braverman as Rebecca
Jett Salazar as Reunion Waiter
Alexis Rae Forlenza as Lucy
Jackson Dorfmann as Mark

Who talks, scene by scene

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

Women

Men

Scene 1 Scene 112

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	9	0
4 to 6	3	0
7 to 9	1	0
10 to 12	1	0
13 to 15	25	0
16 to 18	10	3
19 to 21	6	3
22 to 24	0	0
25 to 27	0	0
28 to 30	2	0
31 to 33	8	0
34 to 36	8	22
37 to 39	10	5
40 to 42	13	17
43 to 45	24	18
46 to 48	11	1
49 to 51	10	0
52 to 54	12	0
55 to 57	32	12
58 to 60	8	8
61 to 63	33	5
64 to 66	25	6
67 to 69	17	13
70 to 72	6	1
73 to 75	20	5
76 to 78	0	12
79 to 81	7	5
82 to 84	11	2
85 to 87	22	18
88 to 90	20	6
91 to 93	7	4
94 to 96	37	3
97 to 99	8	0
100 to 102	9	2
103 to 105	2	0
106 to 108	2	0
109 to 111	5	9
112 to 112	2	1

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.

KAREN: My dear Sylvia. Being your sponsor has been a gift. I know you don't like to hear this, but I really do think you should find yourself a per… KAREN: I love you as if you were my own daughter. Maybe because you're like a child in many ways. I want to take care of you. That's why I don't wa… EMILY: I'm not going to say as much. I've only known you for four days... but I can tell how much everyone loves you. I hope I can get to where you… SYLVIA: I'm very grateful for this space and for all of you and definitely nothing would be possible without you. And I'm very grateful for my daugh…

ANNA: The fridge broke again? SYLVIA: I called to have it fixed. ANNA: It's seven thirty.

OLIVIA: Wash your hands. LUCY: I already did. OLIVIA: You were playing with Rocco. Lucy grudgingly washes her hands. Mark, Anna and Ashley come down. Mark continues to tease Anna, asking her to … SYLVIA: No, we'll eat at home.

SYLVIA: No. SYLVIA: Go back to your room. ANNA: But I'm thirsty.

OLIVIA: Did you have her too? SYLVIA: Yes. I think I had her for P.E but not for dance.

Exhibit B: every 100 lines

Out of every 100 lines with a known speaker, 70 are women's.

426 lines from women, 181 from men.

Women
Men

Exhibit C: who's in it

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

Characters

With lines

Women
Men

Exhibit D: who gets heard

The first woman speaks at line 4 of 628. The longest stretch with no woman speaking runs 13 lines.

Every line of dialogue, first to last

First line by a woman
Longest stretch with no woman speaking

Words spoken

Women speak 75% of the words (3,325), men 25% (1,101). Women have 70% of the lines, so their lines run longer 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 11 people in these jobs is a woman. Across the whole crew, 23% of the people whose gender is listed are women.

Directed by: Michel Franco (man)
Written by: Michel Franco (man)
Produced by: Duncan Montgomery (man), Alex Orlovsky (man), Michel Franco (man), Eréndira Núñez Larios (gender not listed)
Shot by: Yves Cape (man)
Edited by: Michel Franco (man), Óscar Figueroa (man)
Production design by: Claudio Ramírez Castelli (man)
Cast by: Susan Shopmaker (woman)