Passes the Bechdel test
The Witches
1990. Directed by Nicolas Roeg, written by Roald Dahl and Allan Scott.
The Bechdel test
Bechdel score
3 / 3
Passes
-
Yes
1. At least two women
19 women characters. 13 of them speak. -
Yes
2. Who talk to each other
In 2 scenes out of 98. -
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
A recently orphaned young boy is taken to a seaside hotel in England by his grandmother, who is recuperating after an illness.. Also staying at their hotel is a group of witches who have gathered to prepare a plot to rid England of all children.
- Released
- 24 Aug 1990
- Genres
- Adventure, Comedy, Family
- Rated
- PG
- IMDb
- 6.8 / 10
- Metascore
- 78 / 100
- Awards
- Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award. 3 wins & 8 nominations total
- Elsewhere
- View on IMDb
Starring, by lines spoken
- Women
- Men
- Not in the cast list
- Bigger name, more lines
- Helga 115 lines, woman
- Luke 68 lines, man
- Luke-Mouse 59 lines, man
- Grand High Witch 55 lines, woman
- Bruno-Mouse 30 lines, man
- Mr Jenkins 22 lines, man
- Bruno 15 lines, man
- Woman In Black 12 lines, woman
- Mr Stringer 10 lines, man
- Witches 9 lines, man
Full cast, 36 people
- Jasen Fisher as Luke Eveshim
- Mai Zetterling as Helga Eveshim
- Anjelica Huston as Miss Eva Ernst
- Charlie Potter as Bruno Jenkins
- Rowan Atkinson as Mr Stringer
- Bill Paterson as Mr Jenkins
- Brenda Blethyn as Mrs Jenkins
- Jane Horrocks as Miss Irvine
- Nora Connolly as Beatrice
- Rose English as Dora
- Jenny Runacre as Elsie
- Angelique Rockas as Henrietta
- Rosamund Greenwood as Janice
- Sukie Smith as Marlene
- Emma Relph as Millie
- Annabel Brooks as Nicola
- Vincent Marzello as Luke's Father
- Darcy Flynn as Luke's Mother
- Ola Otnes as Erica's Father
- Merete Armand as Erica's Mother
- Elsie Eide as Erica
- Jim Carter as Head Chef
- Roberta Taylor as Witch Chef
- Anne Tirard as Lady #1
- Leila Hoffman as Lady #2
- Johan Sverre Myhre as Policeman
- Arvid Ones as Policeman
- Sverre Røssummoen as Policeman
- Grete Nordrå as Norwegian Witch
- Serena Harragin as Doctor
- Brian Hawksley as Elderly Waiter
- Debra Gillett as Waitress
- Anne Lambton as Woman in Black
- Kristin Steinsland as Child Helga
- Michael Palin as Witch at Meeting (uncredited)
- Gary Dean as Maintenance Man (uncredited)
Who talks, scene by scene
Lines of dialogue in every 3 scenes, start to finish. Women above the line, men below. 4% of lines come from characters we couldn't match to the cast list and aren't shown.
Women
Men
Scene 1 Scene 98
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 | 3 | 2 |
| 4 to 6 | 3 | 0 |
| 7 to 9 | 2 | 2 |
| 10 to 12 | 2 | 2 |
| 13 to 15 | 18 | 10 |
| 16 to 18 | 0 | 1 |
| 19 to 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 to 24 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 to 27 | 2 | 9 |
| 28 to 30 | 18 | 11 |
| 31 to 33 | 8 | 7 |
| 34 to 36 | 4 | 4 |
| 37 to 39 | 0 | 12 |
| 40 to 42 | 15 | 14 |
| 43 to 45 | 67 | 25 |
| 46 to 48 | 0 | 0 |
| 49 to 51 | 2 | 5 |
| 52 to 54 | 0 | 0 |
| 55 to 57 | 4 | 29 |
| 58 to 60 | 0 | 8 |
| 61 to 63 | 7 | 15 |
| 64 to 66 | 0 | 0 |
| 67 to 69 | 0 | 2 |
| 70 to 72 | 2 | 0 |
| 73 to 75 | 10 | 1 |
| 76 to 78 | 0 | 2 |
| 79 to 81 | 7 | 9 |
| 82 to 84 | 13 | 11 |
| 85 to 87 | 7 | 13 |
| 88 to 90 | 1 | 7 |
| 91 to 93 | 20 | 33 |
| 94 to 96 | 1 | 2 |
| 97 to 98 | 9 | 7 |
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.
MILLIE: Beatrice dear, I haven't seen you since last year's meeting.... BEATRICE: What an adorable dress!
GRAND HIGH WITCH: Better is no good either! I demand maximum rree-sults! So here are my orders. GRAND HIGH WITCH -: My orders are that every child in Inkland “shall be rrubbed out, destrroyed....before the year is out. Every single child - eliminated. GRAND HIGH WITCH: Do I make myself clear?
GRAND HIGH WITCH: Who said that? GRAND HIGH WITCH: Who dares to argue vith me? GRAND HIGH WITCH: It vos you? DORA: I didn't mean to argue, Your Grandness. Iowas just talking to myself.
GRAND HIGH WITCH: This smelly brrrat, this filthy scum This horrid little louse Vill very very soon become A lovely little MOUSE! GRAND HIGH WITCH: Enough! Silence! GRAND HIGH WITCH: Before the banquet tonight - you vill come to my room in groups of ten. Room number GRAND HIGH WITCH: I-vill give you each a bottle containing one thousand doses. Also plenty of money. Do not forget your nose plugs for the dinner. The dining …
GRAND HIGH WITCH: You are doomed old vun! Doomed for ever! HELGA: No. This time ~. at last - it is your: turn. . -
Exhibit B: every 100 lines
Out of every 100 lines with a known speaker, 48 are women's.
225 lines from women, 243 from men.
- Women
- Men
Exhibit C: who's in it
19 women and 12 men in the cast. 13 women and 13 men from it get lines.
Characters
With lines
- Women
- Men
Exhibit D: who gets heard
The first woman speaks at line 3 of 490.
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 50% of the words (2,776), men 50% (2,722). Women have 48% 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
10
Two men
23
Exhibit F: behind the camera
2 of the 10 people in these jobs are women.
Across the whole crew, 21% of the people whose gender is listed are women.
- Directed by
- Nicolas Roeg (man)
- Written by
- Allan Scott (man)
- From the novel by
- Roald Dahl (man)
- Produced by
- Mark Shivas (man)
- Shot by
- Harvey Harrison (man)
- Edited by
- Tony Lawson (man)
- Music by
- Stanley Myers (man)
- Production design by
- Andrew Sanders (man)
- Costumes by
- Marit Allen (woman)
- Cast by
- Celestia Fox (woman)
The crew, department by department
-
Production
2 women, 2 men
-
Art
0 women, 1 men, 1 not listed
-
Directing
0 women, 2 men
-
Writing
0 women, 2 men
-
Camera
0 women, 1 men
-
Costume & Make-Up
1 women, 0 men
-
Other crew
0 women, 1 men
-
Editing
0 women, 1 men
- Women
- Men
- Gender not listed on TMDB
Exhibit G: how old the stars were
Women: 43 on average. Men: 30 on average.
The top-billed cast, at the film's release.
Women
Jane Horrocks 26, Anjelica Huston 38, Brenda Blethyn 44, Mai Zetterling 65
Men
Jasen Fisher 10, Rowan Atkinson 35, Bill Paterson 44
Exhibit H: the money
It made 1.4 times what it cost.
- Budget
- $11 million
- Box office
- $15.4 million
From TMDB, not adjusted for inflation.
About this analysis
Our parser read the script: 98 scenes and 490 lines of dialogue. How the test works
