Tagline: The Violet-Eyed Venus Becomes a Boozing, Tired, Greying “Virago”
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? movie storyline. George and Martha are a middle aged married couple, whose charged relationship is defined by vitriolic verbal battles, which underlies what seems like an emotional dependence upon each other. This verbal abuse is fueled by an excessive consumption of alcohol. George being an associate History professor in a New Carthage university where Martha’s father is the President adds an extra dimension to their relationship.
Late one Saturday evening after a faculty mixer, Martha invites Nick and Honey, an ambitious young Biology professor new to the university and his mousy wife, over for a nightcap. As the evening progresses, Nick and Honey, plied with more alcohol, get caught up in George and Martha’s games of needing to hurt each other and everyone around them. The ultimate abuse comes in the form of talk of George and Martha’s unseen sixteen year old son, whose birthday is the following day.
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), a famous and shocking black comedy, was based on Edward Albee’s scandalous play (Ernest Lehman’s screenplay left the dialogue of the play virtually intact). It was first performed in New York in October of 1962, and it captured the New York Drama Critics Circle Award and the Tony Award for the 1962-63 season.
The film’s title refers to Virginia Woolf (1882-1941), an influential British feminist writer who pioneered the ‘stream of consciousness’ literary style while examining the psychological and emotional motives of her characters. [Perhaps the ‘fear’ of VW refers to the film’s characters who are suffering marital discord in the emotionally-draining film, and who may have ‘known’ that she suffered from mental illness and ultimately went insane and committed suicide.] The title is also a parody of Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?, a tune sung in Disney’s Three Little Pigs (1933) animated short film. The names of the two major characters, George and Martha, are those of the first US President and his wealthy wife – a marriage of convenience.
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is a 1966 American black comedy-drama film directed by Mike Nichols. The screenplay by Ernest Lehman is an adaptation of the play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee. The film stars Elizabeth Taylor as Martha and Richard Burton as George, with George Segal as Nick and Sandy Dennis as Honey.
The film was nominated for thirteen Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Mike Nichols, and is one of only two films to be nominated in every eligible category at the Academy Awards (the other being Cimarron). All of the film’s four main actors were nominated in their respective acting categories.
The film won five awards, including a second Academy Award for Best Actress for Elizabeth Taylor and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Sandy Dennis. However, the film lost to A Man for All Seasons for the Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay awards, and both Richard Burton and George Segal failed to win in their categories.
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
Directed by: Mike Nichols
Starring: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, George Segal, Sandy Dennis
Screenplay by: Ernest Lehman
Production Design by: Richard Sylbert
Cinematography by: Haskell Wexler
Film Editing by: Sam O’Steen
Costume Design by: Irene Sharaff
Set Decoration by: George James Hopkins
Music by: Alex North
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: June 21, 1966
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