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all 3 high school musical movies
Feb. 27th, 2011 12:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
trinity_clareEvery once in a while I get the urge to make a big batch of cookie dough and watch High School Musical. It was really only a matter of time before I had the Bechdel test on my mind at the same time. The fascinating thing about these movies is that the combination of mathematical gender equality - there are *exactly* as many female characters as male - and giving everyone names for merchandising purposes leads to a surprisingly solid pass from all three films.
HSM 1 -- Bechdel Pass, Mo Movie Measure Pass
The strongest pass in this movie comes from Gabriella and Taylor, who have at least two sustained conversations not about Troy. Beyond that there's Gabriella and her mom (who doesn't have a name beyond Mrs. Montez), Sharpay & Kelsi, Sharpay & Gabriella, and all three girls with Ms. Darbus. Almost every scene without Troy has a good chance of passing.
HSM 2 - Bechdel Pass, Mo Movie Measure Pass
Not as strong as pass as the first movie. Sharpay & Gabriella do a lot of sniping at each other, but only occasionally is it about something other than a boy. Kelsi talks to the girls far more often than the boys, and she has scenes with all four of the other girls in this one. I don't think Gabriella and Taylor talk about anything besides Troy in the entire movie, sadly. The Sharpettes don't have names, so they're a Bechdel pass but nothing more. Ditto Mrs. Evans when she talks to Sharpay.
HSM 3 - Bechdel Pass, Mo Movie Measure Pass
Even though there are actually more sustained f/f conversations in this one than in the last two, it feels like a much weaker pass. Given more time and a bigger screen, they decided to play up the romance, which led to a lot more focus on Troy and Gabriella at the expense of the minor characters. Kelsi literally doesn't speak to anyone besides Ryan, and Martha might not actually speak at all. Luckily Gabriella and Taylor have a much stronger subplot that doesn't intersect with Troy until the middle of the movie. There's also a new character (Tiara) who spends all her screentime talking to Sharpay and exchanges five words each with Darbus and Gabriella.
HSM 1 -- Bechdel Pass, Mo Movie Measure Pass
The strongest pass in this movie comes from Gabriella and Taylor, who have at least two sustained conversations not about Troy. Beyond that there's Gabriella and her mom (who doesn't have a name beyond Mrs. Montez), Sharpay & Kelsi, Sharpay & Gabriella, and all three girls with Ms. Darbus. Almost every scene without Troy has a good chance of passing.
HSM 2 - Bechdel Pass, Mo Movie Measure Pass
Not as strong as pass as the first movie. Sharpay & Gabriella do a lot of sniping at each other, but only occasionally is it about something other than a boy. Kelsi talks to the girls far more often than the boys, and she has scenes with all four of the other girls in this one. I don't think Gabriella and Taylor talk about anything besides Troy in the entire movie, sadly. The Sharpettes don't have names, so they're a Bechdel pass but nothing more. Ditto Mrs. Evans when she talks to Sharpay.
HSM 3 - Bechdel Pass, Mo Movie Measure Pass
Even though there are actually more sustained f/f conversations in this one than in the last two, it feels like a much weaker pass. Given more time and a bigger screen, they decided to play up the romance, which led to a lot more focus on Troy and Gabriella at the expense of the minor characters. Kelsi literally doesn't speak to anyone besides Ryan, and Martha might not actually speak at all. Luckily Gabriella and Taylor have a much stronger subplot that doesn't intersect with Troy until the middle of the movie. There's also a new character (Tiara) who spends all her screentime talking to Sharpay and exchanges five words each with Darbus and Gabriella.