Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (film)

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMike Nichols
Screenplay byErnest Lehman
Based onWho's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
1962 play
by Edward Albee
Produced byErnest Lehman
Starring
CinematographyHaskell Wexler
Edited bySam O'Steen
Music byAlex North
Distributed byWarner Bros.
Release date
  • June 21, 1966 (1966-06-21)
Running time
132 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$7.5 million
Box office$33.7 million

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is a 1966 American drama film directed by Mike Nichols in his directorial debut. The screenplay by Ernest Lehman is an adaptation of Edward Albee's 1962 play of the same name. It stars Elizabeth Taylor as Martha, Richard Burton as George, George Segal as Nick, and Sandy Dennis as Honey. The film depicts a late-night gathering at the home of a college professor and his wife.

The film was nominated for 13 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Mike Nichols. It is one of only two films to be nominated in every eligible category at the Academy Awards (the other is Cimarron). All four main actors were nominated in their respective acting categories, the first time a film's entire credited cast was nominated.

The film won five Oscars: a second Academy Award for Best Actress for Taylor, Best Supporting Actress for Dennis, Best Cinematography, Best Black and White Art Direction and Best Costume Design.

In 2013, the film was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[2]

  1. ^ "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?". British Board of Film Classification. June 27, 1966. Archived from the original on September 26, 2013. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
  2. ^ Harris, Paul (December 17, 2013). "Pulp Fiction, Roger & Me, Mary Poppins Join National Film Registry". Variety. Retrieved February 2, 2022.