Shakespeare in Love: 1998
Directed by John Madden
Written by Tom Stoppard and Marc Norman
Starring:
Joseph Fiennes: William Shakespeare
Gwyneth Paltrow: Viola de Lesseps
Geoffrey Rush: Philip Henslowe
Judi Dench: Queen Elizabeth I
Colin Firth: Lord Wessex
Ben Affleck: Ned Alleyn
Rupert Everett: Christopher Marlowe (uncredited)
Oscar Awards:
Best Actress (Gwyneth Paltrow)
Best Art Direction
Best Costume Design
Best Music
Best Picture
Best Supporting Actress (Judi Dench)
Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (Marc Norman, Tom Stoppard)
Maligned by some, celebrated by others, this pseudo-history of Shakespeare's early years gives to the Bard exactly what he gave to others--a brilliantly creative rewrite with lots of poetic license. Will, a struggling playwrite in Elizabethan London, falls in love with a young noblewoman named Viola. From there, it retells Romeo and Juliet, with a bit of mistaken identity, intrigue, and cross-dressing humor, all of which are directly lifted from Shakespeare's plays. The language sticks to the Elizabethan era, without feeling overwritten or fake.
For any fan of Stoppard, this is a must-see. There are plenty of in-jokes for lovers of Shakespeare, and gives an interesting twist on the murder of Christopher Marlowe.
"The consumptives plot against me--'Will Shakespeare has a new play; let's go cough through it!'"