Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

film by Nichols [1966]

Written by Lee Pfeiffer

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Last Updated: Nov 15, 2024 • Article History

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, American dramatic film, released in 1966, that was an adaptation of Edward Albee’s shocking play of the same name. The acclaimed movie—which marked Mike Nichols’s film directorial debut—won 5 of the 13 Academy Awards it was nominated for; each of the four main actors in the film—Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, George Segal, and Sandy Dennis—received Oscar nominations.

The emotionally draining film revolves around a young couple, Nick (played by Segal) and Honey (Dennis), who are invited for drinks at the home of henpecked professor George (Burton) and his vulgar, sexually aggressive wife, Martha (Taylor). In the course of the evening, all manner of psychological games are played, revealing shocking secrets about each person.

Albee’s 1962 play was a sensation on Broadway, but many movie fans were upset when it was announced that Taylor and Burton, then at the height of their celebrity, would play the leading roles in the film version. The married couple had been criticized for turning their previous films into vanity productions. However, Taylor and Burton shocked viewers by delivering what are arguably the finest performances of their careers. Taylor won an Academy Award for her deglamorized portrayal of the crass Martha. The film broke barriers in its use of explicit language.