1988 Spanish absurdist dark comedy film by Pedro Almodóvar
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Spanish: Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios) is a 1988 Spanish absurdist dark comedy film written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar, starring Carmen Maura, Antonio Banderas and Julieta Serrano. The plot follows actress Pepa, who, after her lover Iván leaves without explanation, sets out to find the reason, and comes across an array of eccentric characters, including Iván's son from a previous relationship and her best friend Candela, who has been held captive by a Shiite terrorist cell.
The film brought Almodóvar to widespread international attention: it was nominated for the 1988 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and won five Goya Awards including Best Film and Best Actress in a Leading Role for Maura. It premiered at the 45th Venice International Film Festival and was released in Spain on 25 March 1988 and in the United States on 11 November 1988.
Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown received widespread acclaim from critics and audiences alike, and is often considered one of Almodóvar's best films and one of greatest Spanish movies of all time. A stage musical opened on Broadway in 2010, adapted by Jeffrey Lane with songs by David Yazbek.
Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.