Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? (1966)

Every marriage has its games, but some couples play for keeps. Mike Nichols' "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," his directing debut, adapted by Ernest Lehman from Edward Albee's Broadway play, opens as history professor George (Richard Burton) and his hard-drinking wife, Martha (Elizabeth Taylor), stumble home in the small hours after a party thrown by Martha's father, the college president. Martha then informs George she's invited company - new biology instructor Nick (George Segal) and his fragile wife, Honey (Sandy Dennis). Once the young couple arrive and the drinks start flowing, the evening becomes a relentless barrage of cutting insults, cruel games and long-buried secrets. George and Martha draw their guests into games with names like "Humiliate the Host" and "Get the Guests," and the younger couple's own carefully hidden secrets are dragged into the open. As dawn approaches, a final revelation about George and Martha's life together leaves everyone shattered. Taylor gives the performance of her career, and Burton, her real-life husband, matches her blow for blow. The film's frank language helped bring an end to Hollywood's old Production Code. It earned 13 Academy Award nominations and won five, including Best Actress for Taylor and Best Supporting Actress for Dennis. You may need a stiff drink yourself by the end.