Canada 
Mexico 
Spain 
UK 
Ireland 
Australia 
Argentina 
Chile 
Colombia 
Uruguay 
Paraguay 
Peru 
Ecuador 
Venezuela 
Costa Rica 
Honduras 
Guatemala 
Bolivia 
Dominican Rep. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
7.6
8,010
Ratings
- Original title
- Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
- Year
- 1966
- Running time
- 129 min.
- Country
United States- Director
- Screenwriter
- Ernest Lehman. Theater: Edward Albee
- Cast
-
- Music
- Cinematography
Haskell Wexler (B&W)- Producer
- Genre
- Drama
- Synopsis
- Turning the underbelly of bourgeois academia into a microcosm of human relationships in all their arduous complexities, Mike Nichols' auspicious debut feature is a harrowing descent into the private lives and painful secrets of two couples thrown together for an evening. Based on the controversial play by Edward Albee, this noir-ish 1966 drama stars former real-life couple Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, in what many critics consider to be their best performances. George (Burton) is a senior professor of history who has turned to alcohol to deal with his vituperative, vicious wife Martha (Taylor), whose appetite for administering abuse knows no bounds. Invited to the couple's home for late-night drinks are new professor Nick (George Segal), and his naïve wife Honey (Sandy Dennis), where over the course of the evening, the polished veneer of the hosts tarnishes grotesquely. The witty repartee of consummate sophisticate Martha degenerates into increasingly violent verbal abuse of both her husband and guests, while George's stoic façade crumbles both physically and emotionally. The horrified Nick and Honey initially come off as happier foils to the misery of the older married couple, but the guests are soon mirroring George and Martha in their mutual antagonism, giving voice to buried resentments and alcohol-fueled revelations of repressed injuries.
A director with a reputation for delivering intelligent, "adult" films, Nichols made a remarkably smooth and successful transition from stage to screen with this adaptation of Albee's already-notorious play. Screenwriter Ernest Lehman kept the text of the play virtually intact, maintaining the intensity and sheer violence of the frankly foul language. The film shocked audiences, presenting them with a tortuous foray into a love-hate relationship and, ultimately, mental illness. WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? received Academy Award nominations in virtually every category it was eligible for, winning five of them.-
NEWAbout similar movies and series:Similar Movies to Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?Similarity over 75%Similarity between 60% and 75%Similarity between 40% and 60%Similarity below 40%
-
- Rankings Position
- Awards
-
1966: 5 Academy Awards: Actress (Taylor), Supporting Actress (Dennis), Cinematography, Art Direction B&W, Costume Design1966: Golden Globes: 7 Nominations, including Best Film - Drama1966: BAFTA Awards: Best Film, British Actor (Burton), British Actress (Taylor)1966: New York Film Critics Circle: Best Actress (Taylor) ex-aequo. 3 Nominations1966: Directors Guild of America (DGA): Nominated for Best Director1966: Writers Guild of America (WGA): Best Drama Screenplay
- Critics' reviews
-
- Movie Soulmates' ratings
-
Register so you can access movie recommendations tailored to your movie taste.
- Friends' ratings
-
Register so you can check out ratings by your friends, family members, and like-minded members of the FA community.
- Ranking Lists Position
-
- 73 Movies with a Great Female Lead (46)
Is the synopsis/plot summary missing? Do you want to report a spoiler, error or omission? Please send us a message.
If you are not a registered user please send us an email to [email protected]All copyrighted material (movie posters, DVD covers, stills, trailers) and trademarks belong to their respective producers and/or distributors.
For US ratings information please visit: www.mpaa.org www.filmratings.com www.parentalguide.org
