Fails the Bechdel test

Mystery Men

Name: Mystery Men
Released: 1999

1999. Directed by Kinka Usher, written by Neil Cuthbert and Bob Burden.

The Bechdel test

Bechdel score

1 / 3

Fails

Yes 1. At least two women
24 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 order to generate more endorsement revenue, Champion City's resident superhero Captain Amazing arranges for the release of super villain Casanova Frankenstein, only to be captured by him. The city's fate rests in the hands of seven loser superhero wannabes: the fork-flinging Blue Rajah, the shovel-wielding Shoveler, the possessed bowling ball-hurling Bowler, the flatulent Spleen, the only-when-nobody's-looking Invisible Boy, the mysterious Sphinx, and the perpetually-angry Mr. Furious.

Released: 06 Aug 1999
Genres: Action, Comedy, Fantasy
Rated: PG-13
IMDb: 6.1 / 10
Metascore: 66 / 100
Awards: 3 nominations total
Elsewhere: View on IMDb

Starring, by lines spoken

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

Furious 147 lines, man
Raja 116 lines, man
Casanova 96 lines, man
Shoveler 80 lines, man
Monica 66 lines, woman
Bowler 52 lines, woman
Invisible Boy 27 lines, man
Tony P 27 lines, man
Heller 23 lines, man
Spleen 20 lines, man

Full cast, 117 people

Ben Stiller as Mr. Furious / Roy
Hank Azaria as Blue Raja / Jeffrey
William H. Macy as Shoveler / Eddie
Greg Kinnear as Captain Amazing / Lance
Kel Mitchell as Invisible Boy
Paul Reubens as Spleen
Janeane Garofalo as Bowler / Carol
Wes Studi as Sphinx
Claire Forlani as Monica
Geoffrey Rush as Casanova Frankenstein
Lena Olin as Dr. Anabel Leek
Suzy Eddie Izzard as Tony P
Tom Waits as Doc Heller
Artie Lange as Big Red
Louise Lasser as Violet
Ricky Jay as Vic Weems
Jenifer Lewis as Lucille
Pras Michel as Tony C
Ned Bellamy as Funk
Joel McCrary as McGuire
Ernie Lee Banks as Ted
Gerry Becker as Banyon
Corbin Bleu as Butch
Philip Bolden as Roland
Jake Cross as Thug
Emmy Laybourne as Reporter
Mason Lucero as Young Kid
Monet Mazur as Becky Beaner
Christopher Mugglebee as Reporter
Olivia Lauren Todd as Tracy
Frederick Usher as Thug
Kinka Usher as Moe
Gayle Vance as Sally
Adrian Armas as Disco Boy
Gichi Gamba as Disco Boy
Thomas Lake as Disco Boy
Robert Musselman as Disco Boy / Ballerinaman
Solo Scott as Disco Boy
Erik Michael Tristan as Disco Boy
James Duke as Big Tobacco
Angelica Bridges as Furrier
Ungela Brockman as Furrier
Kimberly James as Furrier
Andreea Radutoiu as Furrier
Michael Bay as Frat Boy
Noah Blake as Frat Boy
Riki Rachtman as Frat Boy
T-Mo as Rapper
Cee Lo Green as Rapper
Big Gipp as Rapper
Khujo as Rapper
Michael Chieffo as Suit
Gil Christner as Suit
Carl Strand as Suit
Robert Chow as Susie
John Brantley Cole as Susie
Steven Jang as Susie
Sung Kang as Susie
Sasha Bray as Disco Girl
Sunny Görg as Disco Girl
Shane J. Bobb as Disco Girl
Jennifer Lee Keyes as Disco Girl
Marie Matiko as Disco Girl
Jody Watley as Disco Girl
Margaret Wheeler as Old Lady
Billy Beck as Old Man
Robert P. Lieb as Old Man
Florence Stone Fevergeon as Old Party Goer
Sarah Kane as Old Party Goer
Ed Denette as Old Veteran
Nori T. Gehr as Back-Up Singer
Kiko Kiko as Back-Up Singer
Kiyoko Yamaguchi as Back-Up Singer
Mark Mothersbaugh as Band Leader
Nancye Ferguson as Singer
Katie Adams as Dancer
Shirley Bowden as Dancer
Helen Etting as Dancer
Lu Gay as Dancer
Valerie Gitter as Dancer
Mac Greenstein as Dancer
C. Elane Innes as Dancer
Irene Kamsler as Dancer
Miriam R. Lawless as Dancer
Teresa MacLean as Dancer
Joanne McDermott as Dancer
Crystal Gaer White as Dancer
Joann Richter as Powerwoman
Stacey Travis as Powerwoman
Larkin Campbell as Supervacman
Oliver Clark as Reverse Psychologist
Jack Plotnick as Mr. Pups
Dane Cook as El Súper Waffler
Vince Melocchi as Mailman
Doug Jones as Eraserhead
Vincent Bowman as Son of Eraserhead
Vylette Fagerholm as Little Miss Vengeance
Dana Gould as Squeegeman
Branden Williams as Maintainer
Aaron Priest as The Artiste
Robert B. Martin Jr. as Big Billy Hill Billy
Gabrielle Conforti as PMS Avenger
Jeff Z. Danziger as Radio Man
Wilbert Sampson as Pig
Kenneth W. Watts as Pig
Elliot Durant III as Martial Artist
Anthony Marinelli as Gorilla
Drinda E. Shaneyfelt as Evil Devil Woman
Félix Castro as Globalman
Michael Craig as Gardener
Ronald Lasky as Bullfighter
David Still as Stilt Man
Jonathan Khan as Fisherman
Jerry Farmer as Thirstyman
Stephanie D'Abruzzo as Mrs. Cornelius - Gambler (uncredited)
Lucas Meyers as Citizen Kane (uncredited)
Eiko Nijo as Bride (uncredited)

Who talks, scene by scene

Lines of dialogue in every 4 scenes, start to finish. Women above the line, men below. 7% of lines come from characters we couldn't match to the cast list and aren't shown.

Women

Men

Scene 1 Scene 147

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 4	0	7
5 to 8	0	35
9 to 12	12	54
13 to 16	3	6
17 to 20	0	28
21 to 24	0	1
25 to 28	2	39
29 to 32	2	29
33 to 36	1	28
37 to 40	14	54
41 to 44	1	17
45 to 48	3	13
49 to 52	11	34
53 to 56	4	31
57 to 60	5	4
61 to 64	2	5
65 to 68	18	31
69 to 72	2	10
73 to 76	4	24
77 to 80	10	40
81 to 84	1	1
85 to 88	9	10
89 to 92	10	8
93 to 96	4	11
97 to 100	4	10
101 to 104	11	21
105 to 108	0	4
109 to 112	0	6
113 to 116	0	4
117 to 120	0	1
121 to 124	1	2
125 to 128	1	5
129 to 132	1	15
133 to 136	1	1
137 to 140	5	25
141 to 144	1	4
145 to 147	4	27

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, 19 are women's.

147 lines from women, 645 from men.

Women
Men

Exhibit B: who's in it

24 women and 49 men in the cast. 4 women and 29 men from it get lines.

Characters

With lines

Women
Men

Exhibit C: who gets heard

The first woman speaks at line 73 of 853. The longest stretch with no woman speaking runs 72 lines.

Every line of dialogue, first to last

First line by a woman
Longest stretch with no woman speaking

Words spoken

Women speak 15% of the words (910), men 85% (4,998). Women have 19% 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 11 people in these jobs are women. Across the whole crew, 27% of the people whose gender is listed are women.

Directed by: Kinka Usher (man)
Written by: Neil Cuthbert (man)
Produced by: Lawrence Gordon (man), Lloyd Levin (man), Mike Richardson (man)
Shot by: Stephen H. Burum (man)
Edited by: Conrad Buff IV (man)
Music by: Stephen Warbeck (man)
Production design by: Kirk M. Petruccelli (man)
Costumes by: Marilyn Vance (woman)
Cast by: Mindy Marin (woman)