14 DAY TRIAL // Though there still are too few movies that pass the Bechdel Test each year, in 2013, there were more than in previous years. As it turns out, having strong female characters in your film, women who talk with each other about more than just men, is actually one of the key ingredients for box office success.
The infographic above shows that movies that pass the test were the biggest grossers of the year (together, not individually), which could be interpreted to mean that strong female characters are almost a guarantee for box office success.
The Bechdel Test, also known as the gender bias test, is named after cartoonist Alison Bechdel, and is meant to reflect how women are portrayed in film: films that include one or more female characters who talk to each other on other topics than men rank the highest.
In 2013, the movies that did that and also had box office success were “Mama,” “Safe Haven,” and “Smurfs 2.” However, the movies that grossed highest (and that also passed the test) are “Fast & Furious 6,” “Man of Steel,” “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” and “Frozen.”
At the opposite pole, we find horror film “Insidious Chapter 2,” the action flick “White House Down,” and the romantic zombie comedy “Warm Bodies.”