Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Drama | English | 132 minutes

Info

George, a professor at a small New England college and his wife Martha, daughter of the college president, attend a party and become inebriated. At the party they meet a young couple: Nick, a biology professor and his wife Honey. Even though it’s 2:30 in the morning. Martha invites the couple to their home for drinks. Martha begins to lacerate George bringing up the death of their only son in a car accident. Nick confesses that he aims to “charm and sleep his way to the top,” and jokes Martha may be a good way to start. When Nick and Honey leave, it’s daybreak. George begins singing, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Martha replies, “I am, I am,” as she and George hold hands.

Cast

Elizabeth Taylor (Martha) / Richard Burton (George) / George Segal (Nick) / Sandy Dennis (Honey)

Why Stream This Film?

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is one of two films (Cimarron is the other) in which Best Picture and all four main characters were nominated for an Oscar.

Rotten Tomatoes Score (Critics Consensus): 96%
Metacritic Score: 75

Accolades

Academy Awards: Winner, Best Actress (Elizabeth Taylor); Best Supporting Actress (Sandy Dennis); Nominated, Best Picture; Best Director (Mike Nichols); Best Actor (Richard Burton); Best Supporting Actor (George Segal)
Golden Globe Awards: Nominated, Best Motion Picture – Drama; Best Actor Motion Picture – Drama (Richard Burton); Best Actress Motion Picture – Drama (Elizabeth Taylor); Best Supporting Actress Motion Picture – Drama (Sandy Dennis); Best Supporting Actor Motion Picture – Drama (George Segal)
New York Film Critics Circle Awards: Winner, Best Actress (Elizabeth Taylor); Nominated, Best Film; Best Actor (Richard Burton)
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

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