Shakespeare in Love (1998)

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.

Director:

John Madden

Writers:

Marc Norman, Tom Stoppard

Stars:

Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes, Geoffrey Rush

Won 7 Oscars. Another 57 wins & 87 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Geoffrey Rush	...	Philip Henslowe
Tom Wilkinson	...	Hugh Fennyman
Steven O'Donnell	...	Lambert
Tim McMullan	...	Frees (as Tim McMullen)
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 (as Bridget McConnel)
Georgie Glen	...	Lady in Waiting
Nicholas Boulton	...	Henry Condell

Storyline

Will Shakespeare is a known but struggling poet, playwright and actor who not only has sold his next play to both Philip Henslow and Richard Burbidge but now faces a far more difficult problem: he is bereft of ideas and has yet to begin writing. He is in search of his muse, the woman who will inspire him but all attempts fail him until he meets the beautiful Viola de Lesseps. She loves the theatre and would like nothing more than to take to the stage but is forbidden from doing so as only men can be actors. She is also a great admirer of Shakespeare's works. Dressing as a man and going by the name of Thomas Kent, she auditions and is ideal for a part in his next play. Shakespeare soon sees through her disguise and they begin a love affair, one they know cannot end happily for them as he is already married and she has been promised to the dour Lord Wessex. As the company rehearses his new play, Will and Viola's love is transferred to the written page leading to the masterpiece that is ...

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Plot Keywords:

william shakespeare character | paris character | elizabeth i character | lady capulet character | lady montague character | 

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Taglines:

Love is the only inspiration

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | History | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 January 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Shakespeare apasionado

Filming Locations:

Barnes, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$224,012, 13 December 1998, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$100,317,794

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$289,317,794

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Miramax, The Bedford Falls Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the final scene, Will tells Viola "You will never age for me, nor fade, nor die." He is paraphrasing Sonnet 18: "Thy eternal summer shall not fade, nor lose possession of that fair thou owest. Nor shall death brag thou wand'rest in his shade, when in eternal lines to time thou growest."

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Goofs

Philip Henslowe (Geoffrey Rush) is depicted as being constantly in debt, yet the opposite is true - money lending was one of his professions. The filmmakers knew this.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Philip Henslowe: [screams in pain]
Hugh Fennyman: Henslowe! Do you know what happens to a man who doesn't pay his debts? His boots catch fire!
Philip Henslowe: [screams]
Hugh Fennyman: Why do you howl when it is I who am bitten?

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Connections

Referenced in Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World (1998)

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Soundtracks

The Play & the Marriage
(uncredited)
Written by Stephen Warbeck
Performed by Catherine Bott
Conducted by Nick Ingman

User Reviews

Impressive spin on Shakespeare, with a contemporary feel

Tom Stoppard, who penned Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, knows a thing or two about the modern deconstruction and reconstruction of Shakespeare's work -- and it shows in the bright and vivid Shakespeare in Love, which Stoppard co-wrote with Marc Norman. Applying many of the same conventions favored by Shakespeare in his own work (including primarily the confusion over mistaken identity and gender) the screenwriters begin with the "what if" premise and run with it, speculating with wicked delight on the Bard's rivalry with Christopher Marlowe, his use of overheard phrases finding their way into his plays, and best of all, the possible sources of his inspiration. Will's muse is Violet, played wonderfully by Gwyneth Paltrow, who shows off in this film her finest acting to date and credibly pulls off the tricky task of being both an object of poetic inspiration and a genuine, down-to-earth human being.