Shakespeare in Love (1998)

Director:

John Madden

Writers (WGA):

Marc Norman (written by) and
Tom Stoppard (written by)

Release Date:

8 January 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

...A Comedy About the Greatest Love Story Almost Never Told...

Plot:

A young Shakespeare, out of ideas and short of cash, meets his ideal woman and is inspired to write one of his most famous plays.

Plot Keywords:

Assumed Identity | Costume Drama | Star Crossed Lovers | No Opening Credits | Elizabeth I

Awards:

Won 7 Oscars. Another 43 wins & 60 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Mon. May 26	2:00 AM	CW
Mon. May 26	3:30 AM	WGNSAT

Cast

Geoffrey Rush	...	Philip Henslowe
Tom Wilkinson	...	Hugh Fennyman
Steve O'Donnell	...	Lambert (as Steven O'Donnell)
Tim McMullan	...	Frees
Joseph Fiennes	...	Will Shakespeare
Steven Beard	...	Makepeace - the Preacher
Antony Sher	...	Dr. Moth
Patrick Barlow	...	Will Kempe
Martin Clunes	...	Richard Burbage
Sandra Reinton	...	Rosaline
Simon Callow	...	Tilney - Master of the Revels
Judi Dench	...	Queen Elizabeth
Bridget McConnell	...	Lady in Waiting
Georgie Glen	...	Lady in Waiting
Nicholas Boulton	...	Henry Condell

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality.

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Iceland:L | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Philippines:PG-13 | USA:R (certificate #36421) | Brazil:14 | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Denmark:7 | Finland:K-12/9 | France:U | Germany:6 (bw) | Hong Kong:IIB | Hungary:14 | Ireland:15 | Italy:T | Netherlands:AL | New Zealand:M | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | Singapore:R(A) (original rating) | South Korea:18 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Barnes, London, England, UK

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Producer Edward Zwick was initially supposed to direct the film when Universal was involved; when Miramax finally went ahead with the project, Zwick was already working on The Siege (1998/I) and was unavailable. However, his production company - Bedford Falls - remained involved.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Will and Viola are in bed together the morning after their first tryst, just as Will falls off the bed you can see that he is wearing a pair of black shorts.

Quotes:

William Shakespeare: I'm done with theater. The playhouse is for dreamers. Look what the dream brought us.
Viola De Lesseps: It was we ourselves did that. And for my life to come, I would not have it otherwise.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Fear of Clowns (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

The Play & the Marriage

An Abundance of Riches

A romantic comedy does not get much better than Shakespeare in Love. Here is a movie that captures the feel of England 400 years ago. It is romantic yet light. It is funny but is complex enough to provide enjoyment for fans of literature.

The sets of England 400 years ago, the costumes and the character's makeup including their bad dental work were just right. You could almost smell those streets. The hero, Shakespeare, is excellently played by Joseph Fiennes. He is sympathetic but never pathetic. As for Gwyneth Paltrow, she shows her range from boyishness to radiance. This is the first film I have seen her in where I believed she could become a great actress. There is also a great supporting cast, especially Judi Dench, who all have good melodramatic and comic instincts.

The film never plods. The screenplay is rich with romance, emotion and action. The plot weaves several stories and themes. You can enjoy it as a simple love story with some action and basic suspense about producing a play or you can get much deeper into movie's complex tapestry of ideas and in jokes. But most importantly the film's mood is always light and is never overblown (unlike another recent movie about unfulfilled love, Great Expectations).

Deserving of its Oscar, this is simply a great film.