Movies that pass, February 2009.


Movies I watched that passed the Bechdel Test

  1. Smiley’s People (talking about hospitals, gardening)
  2. Careful (talking about dirt, scrubbing)
  3. What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (most of the movie)

Movies that fail.

  1. Driving With My Wife’s Lover
  2. Careful with commentary (Guy Maddin commentary is still ecstatic and life-affirming)

Movies I’m especially glad I watched are in bold.

I noticed there is a website compiling Bechdel ratings for movies. Anyone can add to it. I am surprised how many reactions I have to the existence of this unassuming website.

  • How did I not notice it when I started posting these lists?
  • Now that I have found a big list of movies that pass and fail, I don’t think it will be that useful to me. I really only use the test to measure my own movie watching, not to choose movies. I didn’t realize.
  • The same but different: my first thought was that I should stop posting my little lists here but, upon reflection, these lists are more about me than the movies and I still want them for now.