Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
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A late-night gathering between two couples devolves into a brutal psychological war of verbal abuse and hidden secrets.
The story
George, an associate professor of history, and his wife Martha return home drunk from a party. Martha has invited a young married couple, Nick and Honey, for a drink. Despite George's reluctance, the guests arrive just before 2:30 a.m. As the four consume alcohol, the evening quickly descends into a series of scathing verbal attacks from Martha and George directed at the younger couple. The atmosphere becomes increasingly tense and uncomfortable as the older couple's personal grievances and bitter dynamics are laid bare in front of their guests, leading to a night of escalating psychological warfare.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
George and Martha, a married couple, host Nick and Honey for drinks. The night is defined by Martha and George's brutal verbal sparring, which eventually targets the younger couple's secrets. Martha reveals they have a son, sparking a fight that leads the women to leave the room. Alone, Nick confesses he married Honey for her money, believing she was pregnant. George admits he views Nick as a threat and shares a disturbing story about a boy who killed his parents. The group later goes to a roadhouse where Martha mockingly dances with Nick. Back at the house, George suggests a game of 'get the guests,' unearthing Nick's past and Honey's secret history of terminated pregnancies. George eventually 'kills' their imaginary son—a fantasy they shared to fill the void of infertility—because Martha broke their rule of secrecy. The film ends with George and Martha holding hands, singing the title song.
- First release year
- 1966
- Runtime (minutes)
- 132
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Mike Nichols
- Writers
- Ernest Lehman · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Elizabeth Taylor · Martha; Richard Burton · George; George Segal · Nick; Sandy Dennis · Honey
- Genres
- drama
- Themes
- adultery; alcoholism; dysfunctional families; mental health
- Tone and mood
- scathing; tense; psychological
- Premise and plot tags
- based on a play; adult content
- Source material / true-story basis
- Edward Albee's 1962 play
- Content notes
- adult content
- Reception
- The film was a major critical and commercial success, praised for its performances and direction, and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Actress · win; Academy Award · Best Supporting Actress · win; Academy Award · Best Cinematography · win; Academy Award · Best Black and White Art Direction · win; Academy Award · Best Costume Design · win; Academy Award · Best Picture · nomination; Academy Award · Best Director · nomination
- Production trivia
- It is one of only three films to be nominated in every possible category at the Academy Awards.; It was the first film to have its entire credited cast be nominated for acting Oscars.; The film's title alludes to the English novelist Virginia Woolf.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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