Fails the Bechdel test

Thirteen Lives

Name: Thirteen Lives
Released: 2022

2022. Directed by Ron Howard, written by William Nicholson and Don MacPherson.

The Bechdel test

Bechdel score

1 / 3

Fails

Yes 1. At least two women
7 women characters. 3 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 0 out of 3.

The film

On June 23, 2018, twelve boys of the junior football team "Wild Boars" and their assistant coach Ekkaphon Chanthawong leave practice to explore the Tham Luang cave. When the team fails to arrive at a birthday party organized by their parents, their families head to the caves, only to find them flooded and the boys missing, their bikes left at the entrance. The parents immediately alert emergency services. Royal Thai Navy SEALs, led by Captain Arnont (Teerapat Sajakul), arrive to search for the missing boys, but find the dive too difficult to locate the team. Vernon Unsworth (Lewis Fitz-Gerald), a local British caver, shares his extensive knowledge of the complex and dangerous cave and suggests the authorities get in touch with the British Cave Rescue Council. British cavers Rick Stanton (Viggo Mortensen) and John Volanthen (Colin Farrell) travel to Thailand and attempt the dive, finding the boys and coach four kilometers from the entrance. During an attempt to deliver air tanks to the boys to keep them alive in preparation for the rescue, former Thai Navy Seal Saman Kunan (Sukollawat Kanarot) drowns. Meanwhile, as hundreds of volunteers try to mitigate poor weather conditions, a water technician from Bangkok gains the permission of local farmers to divert water from the mountain onto their fields, destroying their crop. Realizing the boys will have to be removed through the cave, via a 6-hour dive, knowing the risks are, Stanton and Volanthen contact Dr. Richard Harris (Joel Edgerton), plus supporting divers Chris Jewell (Tom Bateman) and Jason Mallinson (Paul Gleeson). With permission from the regional governor (Sahajak Boonthanakit) and minister, the divers sedate the boys and, with one diver per boy, carry each member out of the cave safely. The coach is removed last. Removed to hospital, the parents are reunited with the team. The end scene is the boys celebrating the birthday party that was supposed to happen on the day they went into the cave. The end credits reveal that the coach and three of the boys, who were all stateless, are given Thai citizenship. The film is dedicated to Saman Kunan, the Thai Navy Seal who died on July 6, 2018 during the rescue operation, and Beirut Pakbara, a Thai Navy Seal who later died from a blood infection.

Released: 05 Aug 2022
Genres: Biography, Drama, Thriller
Rated: PG-13
IMDb: 7.8 / 10
Metascore: 66 / 100
Awards: 7 wins & 8 nominations total
Elsewhere: View on IMDb

Starring, by lines spoken

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

John Volanthen 175 lines, man
Rick Stanton 169 lines, man
Narongsak 69 lines, man
Harry 61 lines, man
Captain Arnont 53 lines, man
Chris Jewell 40 lines, man
Kiet 38 lines, man
Jason Mallinson 35 lines, man
Arm 21 lines, man
Coach 20 lines

Full cast, 62 people

Viggo Mortensen as Rick Stanton
Colin Farrell as John Volanthen
Joel Edgerton as Harry Harris
Tom Bateman as Chris Jewell
Paul Gleeson as Jason Mallinson
Teeradon Supapunpinyo as Coach Ek
Girati Sugiyama as Lek
Pasakorn Hoyhon as Chai
Tanatat Srita as Arm
Kaokuson Sorapap as Aat
Nophand Boonyai as Thanet Natisri
Sukniran Sukcharoen as Poom
Ensai O'Haire as Decha
Thanthapthai Chanin as Dew
Achi Jinapanyo as Prem
Thanaphat Thopiata as Wit
Phitakphong Boonnet as Rit
Joe Chuensawan as Tul
Nawanut Kaeomueangsi as Nop
Thitiphat Bheganan as Don
Neungruthai Bungngern-Wynne as Noi
Teerawat Mulvilai as Somboon
Pattrakorn Tungsupakul as Buahom
Sahajak Boonthanakit as Governor Narongsak Osatanakorn
Shakriya Tarinyawat as Manop
Mayuree Ruanpom as Wanna
Tui Thiraphat Sajakul as Captain Arnont
Sukollawat Kanarot as Saman Kunan
Thira Chutikul as Commander Kiet
Blake McFarlane as Matthew
Helen Cassidy as Annabel
Terdphong U-Kham as Park Ranger Kittipong Saisor
Vithaya Pansringarm as General Anuphond
Lewis Fitz-Gerald as Vernon Unsworth
Josh Helman as Major Hodges
Zahra Newman as Captain Olivia Taft
Peter Knight as Police Captain Bas
Chatchawan Kamonsakpitak as Village Headman
Thinatya Popanum as Kanda
Popetorn Soonthornyanakij as Dr. Karn
Natvara Hongsuwan as Preeya
Jonathan Fang as Jay
Bernard Sam as Pichai
Gerwin Widjaja as Udom
Kevin Spink as Josh Bratchley
Christopher Story as Connor Roe
Watcharaphong Korayutpiphat as Dusit
Wirot Nilphongamphai as Navy Seal
U Gambira as Kruba Boonchum
Waraporn Khamsingha as Kampang
Pratuang Boontang as Yod
Nitipoom Khachatphai as Student
Thatpong Hiruntanakitjakul as Minister's Aide
Nick Lawler as Navy Seal Officer (uncredited)
Luisa Prosser as Reporter #1
Artin John as Reporter #2
Sen Shao as Reporter #3
Paula Garcia as Reporter #4
Jane Bychkova as Reporter #5
Vincent B. Gorce as Reporter #6
Rapeeporn Sophonthammakij as Reporter #7
Suphajon Klinsuwan as Reporter #8

Who talks, scene by scene

Lines of dialogue in every 5 scenes, start to finish. Women above the line, men below. 8% of lines come from characters we couldn't match to the cast list and aren't shown.

Women

Men

Scene 1 Scene 215

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 5	0	7
6 to 10	5	6
11 to 15	5	5
16 to 20	0	16
21 to 25	0	8
26 to 30	5	40
31 to 35	0	33
36 to 40	0	28
41 to 45	0	7
46 to 50	0	34
51 to 55	0	47
56 to 60	0	16
61 to 65	0	14
66 to 70	0	6
71 to 75	0	49
76 to 80	5	33
81 to 85	0	20
86 to 90	0	44
91 to 95	5	70
96 to 100	0	19
101 to 105	0	37
106 to 110	0	2
111 to 115	0	27
116 to 120	0	17
121 to 125	1	11
126 to 130	0	1
131 to 135	0	36
136 to 140	0	20
141 to 145	0	7
146 to 150	1	1
151 to 155	2	7
156 to 160	0	16
161 to 165	0	6
166 to 170	0	10
171 to 175	0	7
176 to 180	0	17
181 to 185	0	18
186 to 190	0	16
191 to 195	0	28
196 to 200	0	8
201 to 205	2	14
206 to 210	0	10
211 to 215	0	1

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, 4 are women's.

31 lines from women, 819 from men.

Women
Men

Exhibit B: who's in it

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

Characters

With lines

Women
Men

Exhibit C: who gets heard

The first woman speaks at line 12 of 925. The longest stretch with no woman speaking runs 289 lines.

Every line of dialogue, first to last

First line by a woman
Longest stretch with no woman speaking

Words spoken

Women speak 4% of the words (307), men 96% (6,784).

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

Two men

101

Exhibit E: behind the camera

4 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: Ron Howard (man)
Written by: William Nicholson (man)
Story by: Don MacPherson (man), William Nicholson (man)
Produced by: Gabrielle Tana (woman), P.J. van Sandwijk (man), Karen Lunder (woman), Brian Grazer (man), Ron Howard (man)
Shot by: Sayombhu Mukdeeprom (man)
Edited by: James Wilcox (man)
Music by: Benjamin Wallfisch (man)
Production design by: Molly Hughes (woman)
Cast by: Nikki Barrett (woman)