Yeah, I'm not sure what to think about that. Does that make movies like The Great Escape, for instance, not worth watching? I don't think so.

Wasn't there a scene in IM2 where Pepper and Natasha talk business? For about three seconds before RDJ comes in?

I think the Bechdel test is a useful way to demonstrate how little there is for women to do in most Hollywood movies. I don't think it's the only way (or even a good way) to determine if a movie is worth watching.

Not to mention that The Women doesn't necessarily pass that test. I can't think of any conversation that isn't about men, living with men, staying beautiful to catch or keep men, etc.

I think there should be more movies up there that pass it (it's not a difficult test, honestly, but when the protagonist-antagonist pair are male, it does tend to happen that all discussions involve one or both of them, in person or as a topic), but I've seen more people bothered with it that think it's a boycott-or-else rule, than people who run movies through that filter regularly.

people who run movies through that filter regularl

Yeah, I do this. But it's only after I've seen the movie, so clearly I'm not boycotting the movies that fail. (Does LotR pass? I doubt it.)

I think what the test is good for is demonstrating that most movies are about men, even movies with a lot of female characters. It's a starting point for a longer conversation about gender on film.

It may help to see it in the original context, where the test is clearly bitterly hilarious. [link]

Agreed.

There are movies I watch knowing going in that they don't pass this "test." That's okay. I wish there were more movies out there that I know going in do pass the test.

I'm stoked for "Inception" but I bet that doesn't pass the test.

My favorite Bechdel reference is probably this Wondermark:

[link]

(See mouseover alt text)

I think what the test is good for is demonstrating that most movies are about men, even movies with a lot of female characters. It's a starting point for a longer conversation about gender on film.

This, this, this, with a side of this sauce. You don't need to boycott non-passing movies to find the test useful as an eye-opener on just how invisible and useless women have become in a huge chunk of mainstream movie culture. (And how segregated by genre: leaving aside the "not about a man" proviso, there aren't a hell of a lot of non-rom-coms that have two women characters at all.)

Also, how much awesomeness was there in the early years of DTWOF that we're finally talking about 20mumble years later? THIS MUCH.