Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Mike Nichols

Writers:

Edward Albee (play)
Ernest Lehman (screenplay)

Release Date:

22 June 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

You are cordially invited to George and Martha's for an evening of fun and games.

Plot:

A bitter aging couple with the help of alcohol, use a young couple to fuel anguish and emotional pain towards each other.

Plot Keywords:

Couple | Professor | Marriage | New England | Aging

Awards:

Won 5 Oscars. Another 13 wins & 18 nominations

Cast

Elizabeth Taylor	...	Martha
Richard Burton	...	George
George Segal	...	Nick
Sandy Dennis	...	Honey

Also Known As:

Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

131 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Latin

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Portugal:17 (original rating) | Singapore:PG | West Germany:16 (f) (re-rated) | West Germany:18 (f) (original rating) | USA:Approved (certificate #21074) | South Korea:12 | Netherlands:12 (2007) | UK:12 (re-rating) (2009) | Australia:M | Czech Republic:12 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:X (original rating) | UK:15 (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

When Martha opens the door to find George with the snapdragons, he says "Flores... Flores para los muertos." This is a direct quote from "A Streetcar Named Desire", when a peddlar woman comes to the door and offers these "flowers for the dead" to Blanche.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: As George and Nick are coming back into the house from their scene in the garden, Nick's shadow on the porch is seen to suddenly disappear just before George enters the shot.

Quotes:

Nick: [to Honey] We'll go in a little while.
George: Oh no. No, you mustn't. Martha is changing, and Martha is not changing for me, Martha hasn't changed for me in years. If Martha is changing, that means we're going to be here for days. You're being accorded an honor, and you mustn't forget that Martha is the daughter of our beloved boss. She is his right... arm. I was going to use another word, but we'll leave that sort of talk to Martha.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Sex Movie (2006)

powerful and emotionally draining

This is one of the most powerfully written and acted movies I have ever seen. I was emotionally drained at the end and could not imagine how actors could have done this on Broadway night after night. The terrible verbal inhumanities Taylor and Burton inflicted on each other were done so well, one never knew what was truth and what was game. A must see if you can handle such a well acted but emotionally traumatic film.