Passes the Bechdel test

Not Easily Broken

Name: Not Easily Broken
Released: 2009

2009. Directed by Bill Duke, written by Brian Bird and T.D. Jakes.

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 5 scenes out of 130.
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

After years of disagreeing on what true happiness, success, and love really are, Dave and Clarice Johnson have finally reached a breaking point in their marriage. When Clarice is hurt in a car accident, the obvious truth that more than just her injuries need immediate attention is exposed. Their odds of making it worsen as Clarice begins to see a physical therapist, and Dave develops a friendship with Julie and her teenage son Bryson. The acceptance and comfort he finds in them stirs his longing for a family and a passionate partner. As temptation tugs at Dave and Clarice pulls farther away, they must confront whether their vows are or are NOT EASILY BROKEN.

Released: 09 Jan 2009
Genres: Drama, Romance
Rated: PG-13
IMDb: 6.1 / 10
Metascore: 43 / 100
Awards: 1 win & 3 nominations total
Elsewhere: View on IMDb

Starring, by lines spoken

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

Dave 272 lines, man
Clarice 147 lines, woman
Julie 127 lines, woman
Brock 67 lines, man
Mama 47 lines, woman
Bryson 46 lines, man
Carmen 29 lines, woman
Darnell 23 lines, man
Michelle 23 lines, woman
Bishop Wilkes 13 lines, man

Full cast, 21 people

Morris Chestnut as Dave Johnson
Taraji P. Henson as Clarice Clark
Maeve Quinlan as Julie Sawyer
Kevin Hart as Tree
Jenifer Lewis as Mary 'Mama' Clark
Eddie Cibrian as Brock Houseman
Wood Harris as Darnell Gooden
Niecy Nash-Betts as Michelle
Albert Hall as Bishop Wilkes
Jeff Krebs as Trauma Doctor
Nathaniel Carter as Deshawn
Brendon Terrell Ferguson as Marcus
Kwame Boateng as Darius
Olivia Brown as Mrs. Reid
Lee Reherman as Coach Spinello
Elizabeth Uhl as Trauma Nurse
Henry Brown as Mr. Reid
Marilyn Harris Smith as Church Member (uncredited)
Andre Pitre as Basketball Player (uncredited)
Jesse Campbell as Wedding Singer
Garry Guerrier as Curtis

Who talks, scene by scene

Lines of dialogue in every 3 scenes, start to finish. Women above the line, men below. 5% of lines come from characters we couldn't match to the cast list and aren't shown.

Women

Men

Scene 1 Scene 130

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	0	3
4 to 6	11	16
7 to 9	11	12
10 to 12	10	0
13 to 15	0	13
16 to 18	16	16
19 to 21	11	32
22 to 24	5	43
25 to 27	11	6
28 to 30	5	13
31 to 33	2	2
34 to 36	11	21
37 to 39	22	10
40 to 42	12	6
43 to 45	11	7
46 to 48	10	5
49 to 51	12	6
52 to 54	0	2
55 to 57	0	1
58 to 60	9	9
61 to 63	13	21
64 to 66	4	6
67 to 69	3	10
70 to 72	11	8
73 to 75	24	29
76 to 78	3	26
79 to 81	2	13
82 to 84	5	6
85 to 87	4	3
88 to 90	22	5
91 to 93	24	41
94 to 96	0	0
97 to 99	0	0
100 to 102	0	0
103 to 105	0	0
106 to 108	0	14
109 to 111	14	18
112 to 114	15	5
115 to 117	2	1
118 to 120	0	6
121 to 123	20	3
124 to 126	25	3
127 to 129	13	19
130 to 130	7	9

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.

CLARICE: You sure you don’t mind working out of the “home office” for a minute? MICHELLE: You kidding? Kickin’ it with my home-girl? It’ll be like we havin’ a get-rich slumber party. I almost forgot. MICHELLE: To the Salesperson of the Year. CLARICE: I have died and gone to heaven.

CLARICE: I didn’t ask them. You did. JULIE: Clarice, after what you’ve been through, I know the last thing you want is some stranger in your life. So let’s just start by talking. CLARICE: I ain’t looking for anyone to psychoanalyze me either. JULIE: Good. Because I’m not looking to get sued for masquerading as a psychologist either.

CLARICE: Oh, please. Let’s not drag out that tired old topic. CARMEN: What topic is that?

MICHELLE: Girl, you a sight for sore eyes. CLARICE: Time to get back to work.

JULIE: But I wouldn’t mind coffee later. CLARICE: All these years, I never knew you were such a good coach. You oughta do more of it.

Exhibit B: every 100 lines

Out of every 100 lines with a known speaker, 45 are women's.

380 lines from women, 469 from men.

Women
Men

Exhibit C: who's in it

7 women and 9 men in the cast. 6 women and 7 men from it get lines.

Characters

With lines

Women
Men

Exhibit D: who gets heard

The first woman speaks at line 8 of 891. The longest stretch with no woman speaking runs 39 lines.

Every line of dialogue, first to last

First line by a woman
Longest stretch with no woman speaking

Words spoken

Women speak 48% of the words (5,855), men 52% (6,399). Women have 45% 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

2 of the 14 people in these jobs are women. Across the whole crew, 27% of the people whose gender is listed are women.

Directed by: Bill Duke (man)
Written by: Brian Bird (man)
From the novel by: T.D. Jakes (man)
Produced by: Aaron Norris (man), T.D. Jakes (man), Curtis Wallace (gender not listed), Bill Duke (man)
Shot by: Geary McLeod (man)
Edited by: Josh Rifkin (man)
Music by: Kurt Farquhar (man)
Production design by: Cecil Gentry (gender not listed)
Costumes by: Diane Bunch (gender not listed)
Cast by: Michelle Adams (woman), Kimberly Hardin (woman)