Fails the Bechdel test
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
2001. Directed by Peter Jackson, written by J.R.R. Tolkien and Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens.
The Bechdel test
Bechdel score
1 / 3
Fails
-
Yes
1. At least two women
12 women characters. 2 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 the first part of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, a shy young hobbit named Frodo Baggins inherits a simple gold ring. He knows the ring has power, but not that he alone holds the secret to the survival--or enslavement--of the entire world. Now Frodo, accompanied by a wizard, an elf, a dwarf, two men and three loyal hobbit friends, must become the greatest hero the world has ever known to save the land and the people he loves.
- Released
- 19 Dec 2001
- Genres
- Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
- Rated
- PG-13
- IMDb
- 8.9 / 10
- Metascore
- 92 / 100
- Awards
- Won 4 Oscars. 126 wins & 127 nominations total
- Elsewhere
- View on IMDb
Starring, by lines spoken
- Women
- Men
- Not in the cast list
- Bigger name, more lines
- Gandalf 161 lines, man
- Frodo 126 lines, man
- Sam 60 lines, man
- Bilbo 58 lines, man
- Galadriel 54 lines, woman
- Boromir 52 lines, man
- Aragorn 45 lines, man
- Merry 39 lines, man
- Saruman 32 lines, man
- Pippin 31 lines, man
Full cast, 117 people
- Elijah Wood as Frodo
- Ian McKellen as Gandalf
- Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn
- Sean Astin as Sam
- Ian Holm as Bilbo
- Liv Tyler as Arwen
- Christopher Lee as Saruman
- Sean Bean as Boromir
- Billy Boyd as Pippin
- Dominic Monaghan as Merry
- John Rhys-Davies as Gimli
- Orlando Bloom as Legolas
- Cate Blanchett as Galadriel
- Hugo Weaving as Elrond
- Andy Serkis as Gollum
- Marton Csokas as Celeborn
- Craig Parker as Haldir
- Lawrence Makoare as Lurtz
- Brent McIntyre as Witch-King
- Sala Baker as Sauron
- Peter McKenzie as Elendil
- Mark Ferguson as Gil-Galad
- Harry Sinclair as Isildur
- Noel Appleby as Everard Proudfoot
- Megan Edwards as Mrs. Proudfoot
- Sarah McLeod as Rosie Cotton
- David Weatherley as Barliman Butterbur
- Ian Mune as Bounder
- Michael Elsworth as Gondorian Archivist
- Cameron Rhodes as Farmer Maggot
- Martyn Sanderson as Gate Keeper
- Billy Jackson as Cute Hobbit Child
- Katie Jackson as Cute Hobbit Child
- Alan Howard as The Ring (voice)
- Victoria Beynon-Cole as Hero Orc / Goblin / Uruk-hai / Ringwraith
- Lee Hartley as Hero Orc / Goblin / Uruk-hai / Ringwraith
- Sam La Hood as Hero Orc / Goblin / Uruk-hai / Ringwraith
- Chris Streeter as Hero Orc / Goblin / Uruk-hai / Ringwraith
- Phil Grieve as Hero Orc / Goblin / Uruk-hai / Ringwraith
- Jonathan Jordan as Hero Orc / Goblin / Uruk-hai / Ringwraith
- Semi Kuresa as Hero Orc / Goblin / Uruk-hai / Ringwraith
- Clinton Ulyatt as Hero Orc / Goblin / Uruk-hai / Ringwraith
- Paul Bryson as Hero Orc / Goblin / Uruk-hai / Ringwraith
- Lance Fabian Kemp as Hero Orc / Goblin / Uruk-hai / Ringwraith
- Jono Manks as Hero Orc / Goblin / Uruk-hai / Ringwraith
- Ben Price as Hero Orc / Goblin / Uruk-hai / Ringwraith
- Peter Jackson as Albert Dreary / Painting of Bungo Baggins (uncredited)
- Chris Ryan as Breelander (uncredited)
- Bret McKenzie as Figwit (uncredited)
- Betty Adams as Hobbit (uncredited)
- Timothy Bartlett as Hobbit (uncredited)
- Bob Blackwell as Hobbit (uncredited)
- David Houma as Hobbit (uncredited)
- Jo Surgison as Hobbit (uncredited)
- Liz Merton as Hobbit Band Member (uncredited)
- Zo Hartley as Kissing Hobbit (uncredited)
- Norman Cates as Party Hobbit (uncredited)
- Jeff Kingsford-Brown as Party Hobbit (uncredited)
- Marta Martí as Village Female Hobbit (uncredited)
- Riley Brophy as Cute Hobbit Child (uncredited)
- Phoebe Gittins as Cute Hobbit Child (uncredited)
- Taea Hartwell as Cute Hobbit Child (uncredited)
- Shane Rangi as Witch-King (uncredited)
- Jed Brophy as Ringwraith (uncredited)
- Paul Shapcott as Burning Ringwraith (uncredited)
- Alan Lee as Ring King of Men (uncredited)
- Larry Rew as Ring King of Men (uncredited)
- Gino Acevedo as Ring Dwarf-Lord (uncredited)
- Xander Forterie as Ring Dwarf-Lord (uncredited)
- Richard Maybery as Ring Dwarf-Lord (uncredited)
- Sabine Crossen as Rivendell Elf (uncredited)
- Gareth Jensen as Rivendell Elf (uncredited)
- Ben Britton as Last Alliance Elf / Rivendell Elf (uncredited)
- Kester Fordham as Last Alliance Elf / Rivendell Elf (uncredited)
- Jarl Benzon as Last Alliance Elf (uncredited)
- Sam Kelly as Last Alliance Elf / Council Elf (uncredited)
- Matt Appleton as Council Elf (uncredited)
- Blair Morton as Council Elf (uncredited)
- Ray Henwood as Council Man (uncredited)
- Ralph Johnson as Council Man / Orc (uncredited)
- Jonathan Harding as Council Elf / Lothlorien Elf (uncredited)
- Jørn Benzon as Lothlorien Elf (uncredited)
- Ben Fransham as Lothlorien Elf / Goblin / Uruk-hai (uncredited)
- Tim Kano as Gondorian Citizen (uncredited)
- Sacha Lee as Arms of Gollum (uncredited)
- Thomas Robins as Hand of Gollum (uncredited)
- Randall William Cook as Cave Troll (uncredited)
- Rachel Clentworth as Goblin (uncredited)
- Lani Jackson as Goblin (uncredited)
- Sharon Maxwell as Goblin (uncredited)
- David J. Muzzerall as Goblin (uncredited)
- Winham Hammond as Goblin / Orc / Uruk-hai (uncredited)
- Mana Hira Davis as Goblin / Orc / Uruk-hai (uncredited)
- Warren Green as Isengard Orc Blacksmith (uncredited)
- Stu Johnson as Isengard Orc Blacksmith (uncredited)
- Peter Lyon as Isengard Orc Blacksmith (uncredited)
- Peter Daube as Khai (uncredited)
- Samuel E. Shore as Refugee / Orc (uncredited)
- Rodney Bane as Orc (uncredited)
- Siaosi Fonua as Orc / Uruk-hai (uncredited)
- Ken Stratton as Isengard Orc / Last Alliance Soldier / Morgul Orc / Uruk-hai (uncredited)
- Lynden Berrymen as Uruk-hai at Amon Hen (uncredited)
- Ryan Carey as Uruk-hai (uncredited)
- Tack Daniel as Uruk-hai (uncredited)
- Shane Dawson as Uruk-hai (uncredited)
- Branko Dordevich as Uruk-hai (uncredited)
- Greg Lane as Uruk-Hai (uncredited)
- Tim McLachlan as Uruk-hai (uncredited)
- Dean Morganty as Uruk-hai (uncredited)
- Greg Morrison as Uruk-hai (uncredited)
- Andrew Munro as Uruk-hai (uncredited)
- Grant Roa as Uruk-hai (uncredited)
- Vincent Roxburgh as Uruk-hai (uncredited)
- Mike Stearne as Uruk-hai (uncredited)
- Andrew Stehlin as Uruk-hai (uncredited)
- Tim Wong as Uruk-hai (uncredited)
- Daniel Andrews as Orc / Uruk-hai (uncredited)
Who talks, scene by scene
Lines of dialogue in every 3 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 140
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 | 35 | 5 |
| 4 to 6 | 0 | 23 |
| 7 to 9 | 0 | 30 |
| 10 to 12 | 0 | 48 |
| 13 to 15 | 0 | 24 |
| 16 to 18 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 to 21 | 0 | 6 |
| 22 to 24 | 0 | 7 |
| 25 to 27 | 0 | 12 |
| 28 to 30 | 0 | 11 |
| 31 to 33 | 0 | 21 |
| 34 to 36 | 0 | 9 |
| 37 to 39 | 0 | 10 |
| 40 to 42 | 0 | 46 |
| 43 to 45 | 0 | 16 |
| 46 to 48 | 0 | 21 |
| 49 to 51 | 0 | 2 |
| 52 to 54 | 0 | 10 |
| 55 to 57 | 0 | 0 |
| 58 to 60 | 0 | 11 |
| 61 to 63 | 0 | 11 |
| 64 to 66 | 0 | 3 |
| 67 to 69 | 0 | 19 |
| 70 to 72 | 0 | 8 |
| 73 to 75 | 10 | 8 |
| 76 to 78 | 1 | 0 |
| 79 to 81 | 5 | 9 |
| 82 to 84 | 0 | 10 |
| 85 to 87 | 0 | 10 |
| 88 to 90 | 0 | 28 |
| 91 to 93 | 2 | 8 |
| 94 to 96 | 6 | 52 |
| 97 to 99 | 0 | 16 |
| 100 to 102 | 0 | 11 |
| 103 to 105 | 0 | 23 |
| 106 to 108 | 0 | 8 |
| 109 to 111 | 0 | 21 |
| 112 to 114 | 1 | 22 |
| 115 to 117 | 0 | 17 |
| 118 to 120 | 2 | 14 |
| 121 to 123 | 5 | 10 |
| 124 to 126 | 9 | 9 |
| 127 to 129 | 2 | 0 |
| 130 to 132 | 0 | 3 |
| 133 to 135 | 0 | 27 |
| 136 to 138 | 0 | 51 |
| 139 to 140 | 0 | 14 |
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, 10 are women's.
78 lines from women, 724 from men.
- Women
- Men
Exhibit B: who's in it
12 women and 68 men in the cast. 2 women and 21 men from it get lines.
Characters
With lines
- Women
- Men
Exhibit C: who gets heard
A woman speaks the first line.
The longest stretch with no woman speaking runs 371 lines.
Every line of dialogue, first to last
- First line by a woman
- Longest stretch with no woman speaking
Words spoken
Women speak 13% of the words (1,212), men 87% (8,145). Women have 10% of the lines, so their lines run longer 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
0
Two men
76
Exhibit E: behind the camera
8 of the 20 people in these jobs are women.
Across the whole crew, 16% of the people whose gender is listed are women.
- Directed by
- Peter Jackson (man)
- Written by
- Fran Walsh (woman), Philippa Boyens (woman), Peter Jackson (man)
- From the novel by
- J. R. R. Tolkien (man)
- Produced by
- Peter Jackson (man), Barrie M. Osborne (man), Tim Sanders (man), Fran Walsh (woman)
- Shot by
- Andrew Lesnie (man)
- Edited by
- John Gilbert (man)
- Music by
- Howard Shore (man)
- Production design by
- Grant Major (man)
- Costumes by
- Ngila Dickson (woman), Richard Taylor (man)
- Cast by
- Victoria Burrows (woman), John Hubbard (man), Liz Mullane (woman), Ann Robinson (woman), Amy Hubbard (woman)
The crew, department by department
-
Other crew
2 women, 29 men, 11 not listed
-
Costume & Make-Up
2 women, 11 men, 17 not listed
-
Sound
5 women, 19 men, 6 not listed
-
Art
2 women, 12 men, 6 not listed
-
Visual Effects
2 women, 12 men, 6 not listed
-
Production
5 women, 11 men, 3 not listed
-
Directing
1 women, 3 men, 4 not listed
-
Camera
0 women, 4 men, 1 not listed
- Women
- Men
- Gender not listed on TMDB
Exhibit F: how old the stars were
Women: 24 on average. Men: 45 on average.
The top-billed cast, at the film's release.
Women
Liv Tyler 24
Men
Elijah Wood 20, Dominic Monaghan 25, Sean Astin 30, Billy Boyd 33, Sean Bean 42, Viggo Mortensen 43, Ian McKellen 62, Ian Holm 70, Christopher Lee 79
Exhibit G: the money
It made 9.4 times what it cost.
- Budget
- $93 million
- Box office
- $871 million
From TMDB, not adjusted for inflation.
About this analysis
Our parser read the script: 140 scenes and 860 lines of dialogue. The bechdeltest.com rating comes from that site’s readers. How the test works
