Martha (Elizabeth Taylor) and George (Richard Burton) have never had a perfect marriage by any means. They probably never will. However, one night they return home from a party only to start fighting. Again. But Martha has envited over two young "kids" from the party: a naive young couple, Nick (George Segal) and Honey (Sandy Dennis).
At first, when Nick and Honey arrive they don't know what is going on. But, as the night wears on, they realize that Martha and George can't stand each other.
George and Martha say terrible, horrible things to each other. The cut each other pretty deep, but that can be blamed partly on the liters of booze they have each consumed. From this we know that George and Martha despise each other.
After many drinks, becoming very drunk, a brawl in a restaurant, and sleeping in the car all night, George and Martha don't want to fight in front of the young couple anymore. So they start to reconcile... or do they?
Plot: 
Virginia Woolf has a simple plot; guests come over and watch two people fight all night. It's very simple, yet the underlying meanings and subtle hints are everywhere. Very well done.
Visual Effects:
Excelent use of black and white cinematography. Not too many "special" effects shots anyway.
Sound:
Sound is clear, clean, crisp. Above average.
Character Development:
As the film progresses, we learn a lot about our main characters, why they do what they do, why they say what the say.
At first it looks as though George and Martha will never change the way they feel about each other (or the way thay feel about Honey & Nick) but they do, and that is a big part of the movie.
In Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, change is everything.
Atmosphere:
There are only four people in the whole entire film (besides an uncredited waiter), which makes it hard to find a favourite character and root for them. This isn't a film where people "root" for someone anyway.
It is a dark film, and one should view it as such, or know this fact going in to watch it.
Realism:
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? shows domestic violence in all it's unglyness quite clearly. It's a very good example of what many couples actually go through.
On one hand you have the young, innocent, nieve Nick and Honey; on the other hand you have the feuding George and Martha. A stark contrast, and both couples are very well sperated to the viewer. You can't get much more realistic.
Warren’s Rating:
Movies it was nominated with for Best Picture:
Alfie, (1966);
*A Man for all Seasons, (1966); The Russians are Comming, the Russians are Comming, (1966); The Sand Pebbles, (1966); Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, (1966)
8.00/10 Is the movie worth your time to watch?
16-08-03
Age at win: 35
Nominated for: Best Actress in a Leading Role, Martha, Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Nomination: 5/5 (acting), 5/6 (total); Win: 2nd (Won Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, 1993)
Elizabeth Taylor was superb in Virginia Woolf. She played "Martha," a women who frequently fights with her husband and heavily drinks. Being that there are only four people in the film (and an uncredited cameo by a waiter), "Liz" takes more of the screen time (along with then husband, the late Richard Burton) than the two supporting characters Nick (George Segal) and Honey (Sandy Dennis).
The way she makes like she is drunk is something else, and the fighting between her and her husband, well... what can you say about the incomprable Elizabeth Taylor?
Elizabeth Taylor has always been a "great" actress. Since she first appeared in There's One Born Every Minute (1942), people knew she would be sensational. And she is. Although time, age, and cronic back problems have slowed her tremendously, her screen brilliance stands the test of time. In any picture you may see her in, be it The Flintstones (1994), Cleopatra (1963), or BUterfield (1960), you know she is going to knock your socks off, and in this film, she does... big time!
16-08-03
Age at win: 29
Nominated for: Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Honey, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Nomination: 1/1 (acting), 1/1 (total); Win: Only
Sandy Dennis plays Honey, a nieve, innocent young girl married to Nick, who is much the same. Together, Nick and Honey are invited to Martha and Georges house for a visti after attending a party, where they must them.
Sandy played a girl unawear of many of life's little problems, and she did this well, but Sandy's performance was substandard; there wan't enough "meat" in the character to justify the Oscar. The accolades should have gone to Richard Burton who (for this one, more than others), deserved the Oscar.
16-08-03
Elizabeth Taylor
DOB: February 27, 1932
Elizabeth Taylor's performance
Sandy Dennis
DOB: april 27, 1937; DOD: March 2, 1992
Sandy Dennis' performance
