Nothing is ever what it seems in Big Daddy`s house. The rich old man believes he`s in perfect health but the reality is he`s dying of cancer. And then there`s Brick (Paul Newman) Big Daddy`s favorite son whose drunken abusiveness threatens not only his inheritance but also his marriage to the sensous Maggie (Elizabeth Taylor). So when Big Daddy finally learns the truth about his illness and discovers the shocking secret behind Brick`s mysterious behavior he is forced to give his self-pitying son the toughest advice he can: "I`ve got the guts to die boyhave you got the guts to live?"