Shakespeare in Love Movie Review 1998

Lively romantic comedy about a frustrated Elizabethan playwright suffering from writer's block--who just happens to be William Shakespeare (Fiennes). Will owes a comedy to bankrupt theatre manager Henslowe (Rush) but just can't come up with a suitable story. His creative (and other) juices are sparked by wealthy beauty Viola De Lesseps (Paltrow), who so loves the theatre that she disguises herself as a boy in order to act. (Women are forbidden to be seen on the stage.) But their affair is bittersweet since Viola is about to be married. Ah well, at least Will comes up with "Romeo and Juliet." Terrific script, fine performances, spectacular costumes and cinematography, and you don't have to be a Shakespeare scholar to enjoy yourself.

Distribution

Buena Vista Home Entertainment, 500 S. Buena Vista St., Burbank, CA 91521-1120, Toll-free: 800-723-4763, URL: http://www.bvhe.com

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 122 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Romantic Comedy, Period Piece: 16th Century, Stagestruck, London, Otherwise Engaged, Royalty, British, Writers, Plays to Film: William Shakespeare, Top Grossing Films of 1999

Screenplay

Marc Norman, Tom Stoppard

Cast

Joseph Fiennes, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Affleck, Geoffrey Rush, Colin Firth, Judi Dench, Simon Callow, Tom Wilkinson, Imelda Staunton, Jim Carter, Rupert Everett, Martin Clunes, Anthony Sher, Joe Roberts

Cinematography

Richard Greatrex

Director

John Madden

Music

Stephen Warbeck

Producer

David Parfitt, Donna Gigliotti, Harvey Weinstein, Edward Zwick, Marc Norman, Bob Weinstein, Julie Goldstein, Bedford Falls, Miramax Films

Awards

Oscars 1998: Actress (Paltrow), Art Dir./Set Dec., Costume Des., Orig. Screenplay, Picture, Support. Actress (Dench), Orig. Mus./Comedy Score; British Acad. 1998: Film, Film Editing, Support. Actor (Rush), Support. Actress (Dench); Golden Globes 1999: Actress--Mus./Comedy (Paltrow), Film--Mus./Comedy, Screenplay; MTV Movie Awards 1999: Kiss (Joseph Fiennes/Gwyneth Paltrow); N.Y. Film Critics 1998: Screenplay; Natl. Soc. Film Critics 1998: Support. Actress (Dench); Screen Actors Guild 1998: Actress (Paltrow), Cast; Writers Guild 1998: Orig. Screenplay; Broadcast Film Critics 1998: Orig. Screenplay.