Shakespeare In Love
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Disney / Buena Vista  (1998) 123 mins R

7.4 (67,928 votes)
A comedy about the greatest love story almost never told.

Triumphant winner of 7 Academy Awards - including Best Picture - this witty, sexy smash features Oscar-winning Best Actress Gwyneth Paltrow and an amazing cast that includes Academy Award winners Judi Dench, Geoffrey Rush and Ben Affleck! When Will Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) needs passionate inspiration to break a bad case of writer's block, a secret romance with the beautiful Lady Viola (Paltrow) starts the words flowing like never before! There are just two things he'll have to learn about his new love: not only is she promised to marry someone else, she's successfully impersonating a man in order to play the lead in Will's latest production! A truly can't-miss motion picture event with outstanding critical acclaim to match its impressive collection of major awards- everyone will love this funny behind-t...

Play
Cast and Crew
Geoffrey Rush  ......  Philip Henslowe
Tom Wilkinson  ......  Hugh Fennyman
Steven O'Donnell  ......  Lambert
Tim McMullan  ......  Frees
Joseph Fiennes  ......  Will Shakespeare
Steven Beard  ......  Makepeace - the Preacher
Director  .....  John Madden
Producer  .....  Donna Gigliotti; Marc Norman; Edward Zwick
Writer  .....  Marc Norman; Tom Stoppard
Notes
Goofs:
Audio/visual unsynchronized: The sound of the tambourine, played by Shakespeare with the musicians at the dance where he meets Viola, continues after he has stopped playing. (more)

Trivia:
Judi Dench was so taken with the full sized replica set of the Rose Theatre that Miramax gave it to her to take home when filming ended. Variety reported in early 1999 that she was looking for a site and a financial backer so it could be used as a working theater. (more)

Filming Locations:
Barnes, London, England, UK (more)

Quotes:
Philip Henslowe: [after William Shakespeare has finished explaining the tragic ending to Romeo and Juliet] Well, that'll have 'em rolling in the aisles. (more)

Awards:
Won 7 Oscars. Another 43 wins & 60 nominations (more)