Fails the Bechdel test

Whiplash

Name: Whiplash
Released: 2014

2014. Directed by Damien Chazelle, written by Damien Chazelle.

The Bechdel test

Bechdel score

1 / 3

Fails

Yes 1. At least two women
6 women characters. 4 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

Nineteen-year-old Andrew Nieman wants to be the greatest jazz drummer in the world, in a league with Buddy Rich. This goal is despite not coming from a pedigree of greatest, musical or otherwise, with Jim, his high-school-teacher father, being a failed writer. Andrew is starting his first year at Shaffer Conservatory of Music, the best music school in the United States. At Shaffer, being the best means being accepted to study under Terence Fletcher and being asked to play in his studio band, which represents the school at jazz competitions. Based on their less than positive first meeting, Andrew is surprised that Fletcher asks him to join the band, albeit in the alternate drummer position which he is more than happy to do initially. Andrew quickly learns that Fletcher operates on fear and intimidation, never settling for what he considers less than the best each and every time. Being the best in Fletcher's mind does not only entail playing well, but knowing that you're playing well and if not what you're doing wrong. His modus operandi creates an atmosphere of fear and of every man or woman for him/herself within the band. Regardless, Andrew works hard to be the best. He has to figure out his life priorities and what he is willing to sacrifice to be the best. The other question becomes how much emotional abuse he will endure by Fletcher to reach that greatness, which he may believe he can only achieve with the avenues opened up by Fletcher.

Released: 15 Oct 2014
Genres: Drama, Music
Rated: R
IMDb: 8.5 / 10
Metascore: 89 / 100
Awards: Won 3 Oscars. 100 wins & 144 nominations total
Elsewhere: View on IMDb

Starring, by lines spoken

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

Fletcher 234 lines, man
Andrew 209 lines, man
Nicole 36 lines, woman
Jim 30 lines, man
Carl 22 lines, man
Ryan 16 lines, man
Uncle Frank 12 lines, man
Mr. Kramer 7 lines, man
Rachel Bornholdt 7 lines, woman
On Stage 6 lines, man

Full cast, 39 people

Miles Teller as Andrew
J.K. Simmons as Fletcher
Paul Reiser as Jim
Melissa Benoist as Nicole
Austin Stowell as Ryan
Nate Lang as Carl
Chris Mulkey as Uncle Frank
Damon Gupton as Mr. Kramer
Suanne Spoke as Aunt Emma
Max Kasch as Dorm Neighbor
Charlie Ian as Dustin
Jayson Blair as Travis
Kofi Siriboe as Bassist (Nassau)
Kavita Patil as Assistant - Sophie
C.J. Vana as Metz
Tarik Lowe as Pianist (Studio Band)
Tyler Kimball as Saxophonist #2 (Studio Band)
Rogelio Douglas Jr. as Trumpeter #1 (Studio Band)
Adrian Burks as Trumpeter #2 (Studio Band)
Calvin C. Winbush as Saxophonist (Studio Band)
Joseph Bruno as Technician (Overbrook) - Mike
Michael D. Cohen as Stage Hand (Overbrook)
Jocelyn Ayanna as Passerby (Bus Station)
Keenan Henson as Truck Driver
Janet Hoskins as Passerby (Dunellen)
April Grace as Rachel Bornholdt
Clifton 'Fou Fou' Eddie as Drummer (Quartet)
Marcus Henderson as Bassist (JVC)
Tony Baker as Stage Hand (Carnegie Hall)
Henry G. Sanders as Red Henderson
Sam Campisi as Andrew (8 years old)
Jimmie Kirkpatrick as Nassau Trumpeter #2
Keenan Allen as Studio Core Member #1
Ayinde Vaughan as Studio Core Member #2
Shai Golan as Studio Core Member #3
Yancey Wells as Studio Core Member #4
Candace Roberge as Student #1
Krista Kilber as Student #2
Joseph Oliveira as Bartender (uncredited)

Who talks, scene by scene

Lines of dialogue in every 2 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 58

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 2	0	16
3 to 4	1	13
5 to 6	0	3
7 to 8	0	23
9 to 10	5	52
11 to 12	19	17
13 to 14	0	0
15 to 16	0	117
17 to 18	0	1
19 to 20	0	0
21 to 22	0	0
23 to 24	0	13
25 to 26	0	36
27 to 28	9	86
29 to 30	0	3
31 to 32	0	20
33 to 34	0	15
35 to 36	0	3
37 to 38	2	5
39 to 40	1	47
41 to 42	7	16
43 to 44	0	4
45 to 46	0	44
47 to 48	0	0
49 to 50	4	13
51 to 52	0	0
53 to 54	0	0
55 to 56	0	12
57 to 58	0	21

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, 8 are women's.

48 lines from women, 580 from men.

Women
Men

Exhibit B: who's in it

6 women and 25 men in the cast. 4 women and 26 men from it get lines.

Characters

With lines

Women
Men

Exhibit C: who gets heard

The first woman speaks at line 18 of 653. The longest stretch with no woman speaking runs 183 lines.

Every line of dialogue, first to last

First line by a woman
Longest stretch with no woman speaking

Words spoken

Women speak 5% of the words (839), men 95% (15,483). Women have 8% of the lines, so their lines run shorter 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

Two men

Exhibit E: behind the camera

4 of the 12 people in these jobs are women. Across the whole crew, 29% of the people whose gender is listed are women.

Directed by: Damien Chazelle (man)
Written by: Damien Chazelle (man)
Produced by: David Lancaster (man), Jason Blum (man), Michel Litvak (man), Helen Estabrook (woman)
Shot by: Sharone Meir (man)
Edited by: Tom Cross (man)
Music by: Justin Hurwitz (man)
Production design by: Melanie Jones (woman)
Costumes by: Lisa Norcia (woman)
Cast by: Terri Taylor (woman)