Passes the Bechdel test

The Nutty Professor

Name: The Nutty Professor
Released: 1996

1996. Directed by Tom Shadyac, written by Jerry Lewis and Bill Richmond and David Sheffield.

The Bechdel test

Bechdel score

3 / 3

Passes

Yes 1. At least two women
12 women characters. 3 of them speak.
Yes 2. Who talk to each other
In 1 scene out of 133.
Yes 3. About something besides a man
In that scene, our script parser found no man named. See the scene.

Second opinion

Not rated bechdeltest.com readers haven't rated this film.

The film

Brilliant and obese scientist Sherman Klump invents a miraculous weight-loss solution. After a date with chemistry student Carla Purty goes badly, a depressed Klump tries the solution on himself. Though he instantly loses 250 pounds, the side effects include a second personality: an obnoxiously self-assertive braggart who calls himself Buddy Love. Buddy proves to be more popular than Sherman, but his arrogance and bad behavior quickly spiral out of control.

Released: 28 Jun 1996
Genres: Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi
Rated: PG-13
IMDb: 5.7 / 10
Metascore: 64 / 100
Awards: Won 1 Oscar. 10 wins & 12 nominations total
Elsewhere: View on IMDb

Starring, by lines spoken

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

Professor Klump 121 lines, man
Buddy Love 109 lines, man
Carla 73 lines, woman
Dean Richmond 40 lines, man
Jason 26 lines, man
Reggie Warrington 26 lines, man
Papa Klump 18 lines, man
Hartley 13 lines, man
Mama Klump 13 lines, man
Meg 8 lines, woman

Full cast, 39 people

Eddie Murphy as Sherman Klump / Buddy Love / Lance Perkins / Papa Klump / Mama Klump / Grandma Klump / Ernie Klump
Jada Pinkett Smith as Carla Purty
James Coburn as Harlan Hartley
Larry Miller as Dean Richmond
Dave Chappelle as Reggie Warrington
John Ales as Jason
Patricia Wilson as Dean's Secretary
Jamal Mixon as Ernie Klump, Jr.
Nichole McAuley as Fit Woman
Hamilton von Watts as Health Instructor
Chao Li Chi as Asian Man
Tony Carlin as Host
Quinn Duffy as Bartender
Montell Jordan as Montell Jordan
Doug Williams as Band Leader
David Ramsey as Student
Chaz Lamar Shepherd as Student
Lisa Halpern as Sad Fat Firl
Mark McPherson as Doctor
John Prosky as Doctor
Michael Rothhaar as Doctor
Sara Ballantine as Nurse
Greg Natale as Cop
Roy Werner as Guy in Crowd
Retha Jones as Woman in Crowd
Steve Monroe as Student
Joe Greco as Security Guard
Nick Kokotakis as Waiter
Stanley D. Petter III as Fireman
Mohamed Mohsen as Bodybuilder
Michael D. Starks as Boxing Trainer
Julianne Christie as Sporting Goods Clerk
Christie Blanchard-Power as Woman Dignitary
Alexia Robinson as Sexy Girl
Lisa Boyle as Sexy Girl
Athena Massey as Sexy Girl
Judith Woodbury as Wellman College Alumni
Arthur Tovey as Elderly Man in Alumni Receiving Line (uncredited)
Ned Luke as Construction Worker (uncredited)

Who talks, scene by scene

Lines of dialogue in every 3 scenes, start to finish. Women above the line, men below. 14% of lines come from characters we couldn't match to the cast list and aren't shown.

Women

Men

Scene 1 Scene 133

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	0
4 to 6	0	1
7 to 9	0	1
10 to 12	0	35
13 to 15	26	50
16 to 18	0	8
19 to 21	0	1
22 to 24	0	1
25 to 27	1	0
28 to 30	0	2
31 to 33	0	0
34 to 36	14	40
37 to 39	0	4
40 to 42	0	1
43 to 45	0	4
46 to 48	11	34
49 to 51	0	0
52 to 54	0	0
55 to 57	0	6
58 to 60	0	0
61 to 63	0	1
64 to 66	0	27
67 to 69	7	4
70 to 72	0	1
73 to 75	0	0
76 to 78	14	26
79 to 81	0	7
82 to 84	0	2
85 to 87	7	2
88 to 90	0	21
91 to 93	0	6
94 to 96	0	18
97 to 99	0	1
100 to 102	0	4
103 to 105	0	2
106 to 108	3	9
109 to 111	7	6
112 to 114	1	1
115 to 117	0	3
118 to 120	0	5
121 to 123	1	16
124 to 126	1	12
127 to 129	1	8
130 to 132	6	47
133 to 133	0	1

The evidence

Straight from the script
Counted from the script and the credits

Tap an exhibit to open it.

Exhibit A: the passing scene

The scene our parser counted as passing, word for word.

CARLA: Those lines might work up on the stage, but don't expect them to work here. MEG: Speak for yourself, honey, I'm Meg.

Exhibit B: every 100 lines

Out of every 100 lines with a known speaker, 19 are women's.

100 lines from women, 418 from men.

Women
Men

Exhibit C: who's in it

12 women and 24 men in the cast. 3 women and 26 men from it get lines.

Characters

With lines

Women
Men

Exhibit D: who gets heard

The first woman speaks at line 50 of 600. The longest stretch with no woman speaking runs 71 lines.

Every line of dialogue, first to last

First line by a woman
Longest stretch with no woman speaking

Words spoken

Women speak 14% of the words (970), men 86% (5,839). Women have 19% 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

Two women

Two men

Exhibit F: behind the camera

1 of the 14 people in these jobs is a woman. Across the whole crew, 16% of the people whose gender is listed are women.

Directed by: Tom Shadyac (man)
Written by: Barry W. Blaustein (man), Steve Oedekerk (man), David Sheffield (man), Tom Shadyac (man), Jeffrey Price (man), Peter S. Seaman (man)
Produced by: Brian Grazer (man), Russell Simmons (man)
Shot by: Julio Macat (man)
Edited by: Don Zimmerman (man)
Music by: David Newman (man)
Production design by: William A. Elliott (man)
Costumes by: Ha Nguyen (woman)