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Passes the Bechdel test

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

2008. Directed by David Fincher, written by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

The Bechdel test

Bechdel score

3 / 3

Passes

  1. Yes 1. At least two women
    44 women characters. 11 of them speak.
  2. Yes 2. Who talk to each other
    In 11 scenes out of 306.
  3. Yes 3. About something besides a man
    In those scenes, our script parser found no man named. See the scene.

Second opinion

Agree bechdeltest.com readers give it 3 out of 3, though someone marked that rating as dubious.

Poster for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The film

On the day that Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans, elderly Daisy Williams (nee Fuller) is on her deathbed in a New Orleans hospital. At her side is her adult daughter, Caroline. Daisy asks Caroline to read to her aloud the diary of Daisy's lifelong friend, Benjamin Button. Benjamin's diary recounts his entire extraordinary life, the primary unusual aspect of which was his aging backwards, being diagnosed with several aging diseases at birth and thus given little chance of survival, but who does survive and gets younger with time. Abandoned by his biological father, Thomas Button, after Benjamin's biological mother died in childbirth, Benjamin was raised by Queenie, a black woman and caregiver at a seniors home. Daisy's grandmother was a resident at that home, which is where she first met Benjamin. Although separated through the years, Daisy and Benjamin remain in contact throughout their lives, reconnecting in their forties when in age they finally match up. Some of the revelations in Benjamin's diary are difficult for Caroline to read, especially as it relates to the time past this reconnection between Benjamin and Daisy, when Daisy gets older and Benjamin grows younger into his childhood years.

Released
25 Dec 2008
Genres
Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Rated
PG-13
IMDb
7.8 / 10
Metascore
70 / 100
Awards
Won 3 Oscars. 85 wins & 160 nominations total
Elsewhere
View on IMDb

Starring, by lines spoken

  • Women
  • Men
  • Not in the cast list
  • Bigger name, more lines
  1. Benjamin 240 lines, man
  2. Daisy 234 lines, woman
  3. Benjamin Button'S 184 lines, man
  4. Caroline 99 lines, woman
  5. Queenie 61 lines, woman
  6. Thomas Button 56 lines, man
  7. Capt. Mike 52 lines, man
  8. Elizabeth Abbott 49 lines, woman
  9. Daisy'S 34 lines
  10. Ngunda Oti 31 lines, man
Full cast, 110 people
  • Brad Pitt as Benjamin Button
  • Cate Blanchett as Daisy Fuller
  • Taraji P. Henson as Queenie
  • Julia Ormond as Caroline Fuller
  • Jason Flemyng as Thomas Button
  • Tilda Swinton as Elizabeth Abbott
  • Mahershala Ali as Tizzy Weathers
  • Jared Harris as Captain Mike
  • Elias Koteas as Monsieur Gateau
  • Phyllis Somerville as Grandma Fuller
  • Faune Chambers Watkins as Dorothy Baker
  • Donna DuPlantier as Blanche Devereux
  • Jacob Tolano as Martin Gateau
  • Earl Maddox as Man at Train Station
  • Ed Metzger as Teddy Roosevelt
  • Danny Vinson as Priest Giving Last Rites
  • David Jensen as Doctor at Benjamin's Birth
  • Joeanna Sayler as Caroline Button
  • Fiona Hale as Mrs. Hollister
  • Patrick Thomas O'Brien as Dr. Rose
  • Marion Zinser as Mrs. Horton
  • Peter Donald Badalamenti II as Benjamin 1928-31
  • Danny Nelson as General Winston
  • Paula Gray as Sybil Wagner
  • Lance E. Nichols as Preacher
  • Rampai Mohadi as Ngunda Oti
  • Troi Bechet as Filamena Gilea
  • Elle Fanning as Daisy Age 7
  • Ted Manson as Mr. Daws
  • Clay Cullen as Young Mr. Daws
  • Edith Ivey as Mrs. Maple
  • Robert Towers as Benjamin 1932-34
  • Sonya Leslie as Daisy's Nurse
  • Yasmine Abriel as Prostitute with Benjamin
  • Madisen Beaty as Daisy Age 10
  • Tom Everett as Benjamin 1935-37
  • Don Creech as Prentiss Mayes
  • Christopher DesRoches as Rick Brody
  • Joshua Desroches as Vic Brody
  • Richmond Arquette as John Grimm
  • Josh Stewart as Pleasant Curtis
  • Ilia Volok as Russian Interpreter
  • David Ross Paterson as Walter Abbott
  • Taren Cunningham as Young Elizabeth Abbott
  • Myrton Running Wolf as Dennis Smith
  • Stephen Monroe Taylor as Sailor
  • Devyn A. Tyler as Queenie's Daughter Age 14
  • Adrian Armas as David
  • Wilbur Fitzgerald as TV Reporter
  • Ashley Nolan as Woman Doctor
  • Louis Herthum as Man at Caroline's Party
  • Katta Hules as Caroline Age 12
  • Rus Blackwell as Robert Williams
  • Joel Bissonnette as David Hernandez
  • Deneen Tyler as Queenie's Daughter Age 40
  • Spencer Daniels as Benjamin Age 12
  • Chandler Canterbury as Benjamin Age 8
  • Charles Henry Wyson as Benjamin Age 6
  • Jessica Cropper as Featured Dancer
  • Katherine Crockett as Featured Dancer
  • Bianca Roe as Ballerina Who Ties Up Shoelace (uncredited)
  • Emma Degerstedt as Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
  • Megan Brown Martinez as Woman Kissing Benjamin (uncredited)
  • Clay Chamberlin as The Grumpy Sailor (uncredited)
  • Leslie Augustine as Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
  • Blake Balu as Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
  • Aliane Baquerot as Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
  • Brett Beoubay as 1918 Police Officer (uncredited)
  • Allen Boudreaux as Teddy Roosevelt's Secret Service Agent (uncredited)
  • Eve Brent as Old Woman (uncredited)
  • David E. Brown as U.S. Lieutenant (uncredited)
  • Jake Carpenter as Sailor (uncredited)
  • Walter Delmar as Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
  • Louis Dupuy as Taxi Driver (uncredited)
  • Marian Filali as Hospital Receptionist (uncredited)
  • Ron Flagge as Bartender (uncredited)
  • Joe Fontana as Shrimper (uncredited)
  • Garrett Forbes as Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
  • Tiffany Forest as Girl on Street (uncredited)
  • Debby Gaudet as Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
  • Simone-Elise Girard as Parisian Woman (uncredited)
  • Geraldine Glenn as Family Member (uncredited)
  • Zuri Goldman as Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
  • Malerie Grady as Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
  • Bob Harter as Man Who Buys Button House (uncredited)
  • Rhonda Huete as Button Factory Worker (uncredited)
  • Grant James as Joking Old Man (uncredited)
  • Christopher Karl Johnson as Medical Officer on Liberty Ship (uncredited)
  • Shiloh Jolie as Caroline as Baby (uncredited)
  • Spencer Kayden as Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
  • Jonathan Lane as Usher at Theater (uncredited)
  • Shane LeCocq as Dancer (uncredited)
  • Kevin Lorio as Streetcar Driver (uncredited)
  • Audrey Lynn as 1920's Woman Strolling by Window (uncredited)
  • Angelina McCoy as Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
  • Harlon Miller as Soldier (uncredited)
  • Valeska Miller as Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
  • Antonia Putiloff as J. Meranda (voice) (uncredited)
  • Sean Ross as Russian Soldier (uncredited)
  • Ross Rouillier as 1918 U.S. Lieutenant (uncredited)
  • Robert W. Savina as Man in Rowboat (uncredited)
  • Andy Sims as Man in Wheelchair (uncredited)
  • Logan Douglas Smith as Neighbor / Son of Nursing Home Elder (uncredited)
  • Lauren Swinney as Mrs. Carter (uncredited)
  • Dennis Thomas IV as Grave Digger (uncredited)
  • Michel Thériault as Taxi Driver (uncredited)
  • Yvette Tucker as Carousel Dancer (uncredited)
  • Gelsey Weiss as Dancer (uncredited)
  • Autumn Withers as Dancer (uncredited)
  • Michael Wozniak as World War I Officer (uncredited)

Who talks, scene by scene

Lines of dialogue in every 7 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 306

Hover, tap or tab to a bar to see those scenes: where they happen and who's talking.

Show the numbers
ScenesWomen's linesMen's lines
1 to 7170
8 to 1432
15 to 21194
22 to 282315
29 to 351710
36 to 42432
43 to 49328
50 to 56325
57 to 633416
64 to 701018
71 to 77853
78 to 841315
85 to 91149
92 to 981618
99 to 1051213
106 to 11222
113 to 119716
120 to 1261928
127 to 133295
134 to 14078
141 to 147021
148 to 154021
155 to 1612118
162 to 1683020
169 to 175139
176 to 182317
183 to 1891312
190 to 196104
197 to 2031540
204 to 21054
211 to 217146
218 to 22400
225 to 2312318
232 to 23857
239 to 24597
246 to 2522013
253 to 2591710
260 to 266115
267 to 2733319
274 to 280155
281 to 28780
288 to 29443
295 to 30107
302 to 30651

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.
CAROLINE: Is any of this true? DAISY: You have such a lovely voice. CAROLINE: Some pages seem to be torn out here... CAROLINE: There's an old streetcar token.
DAISY: Oh, darlin', the pain... CAROLINE: I'll get the nurse...
DAISY: I wish we could have... CAROLINE: Did you say something, Mother? CAROLINE: It seems to be getting worse. CAROLINE: Are you hearing me, mother?
ELIZABETH ABBOTT'S: They asked me whether I would try again...? ELIZABETH ABBOTT: Why wouldn't I?
QUEENIE: How come you didn't write or nothin'? Just disappearing like that? DAISY: It was what I needed to do for myself. QUEENIE: I never took you to be selfish. I hope I'm not wrong. I'm not usually wrong about people. DAISY: She's still taking care of you.

Exhibit B: every 100 lines

Out of every 100 lines with a known speaker, 44 are women's.

509 lines from women, 654 from men.

  • Women
  • Men

Exhibit C: who's in it

44 women and 50 men in the cast. 11 women and 17 men from it get lines.

Characters

With lines

  • Women
  • Men

Exhibit D: who gets heard

The first woman speaks at line 2 of 1,254. The longest stretch with no woman speaking runs 55 lines.

Every line of dialogue, first to last

  • First line by a woman
  • Longest stretch with no woman speaking

Words spoken

Women speak 43% of the words (5,666), men 57% (7,617). Women have 44% 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

Exhibit F: behind the camera

4 of the 12 people in these jobs are women. Across the whole crew, 36% of the people whose gender is listed are women.

Directed by
David Fincher (man)
Written by
Eric Roth (man)
Produced by
Frank Marshall (man), Ceán Chaffin (woman), Kathleen Kennedy (woman)
Shot by
Claudio Miranda (man)
Edited by
Kirk Baxter (man), Angus Wall (man)
Music by
Alexandre Desplat (man)
Production design by
Donald Graham Burt (man)
Costumes by
Jacqueline West (woman)
Cast by
Laray Mayfield (woman)

The crew, department by department

  • Visual Effects

    5 women, 20 men, 63 not listed

  • Costume & Make-Up

    33 women, 9 men, 42 not listed

  • Art

    8 women, 20 men, 50 not listed

  • Other crew

    7 women, 17 men, 30 not listed

  • Lighting

    0 women, 10 men, 28 not listed

  • Sound

    6 women, 19 men, 7 not listed

  • Camera

    0 women, 12 men, 13 not listed

  • Production

    9 women, 6 men, 9 not listed

  • Women
  • Men
  • Gender not listed on TMDB

Exhibit G: how old the stars were

Women: 47 on average. Men: 43 on average. The top-billed cast, at the film's release.

Women

Taraji P. Henson 38, Cate Blanchett 39, Julia Ormond 43, Tilda Swinton 48, Phyllis Somerville 65

Men

Mahershala Ali 34, Jason Flemyng 42, Brad Pitt 45, Jared Harris 47, Elias Koteas 47

Exhibit H: the money

It made 2.2 times what it cost.

Budget
$150 million
Box office
$336 million

From TMDB, not adjusted for inflation.

About this analysis

Our parser read the script: 306 scenes and 1,254 lines of dialogue. The bechdeltest.com rating comes from that site’s readers. How the test works

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