Shakespeare in Love

1998 • 2h 4m •

Romance History Comedy Drama

MOVIEVIBE Rating

★ 6.8/10

3,280 reviews

Your Rating

Young William Shakespeare is forced to stage his latest comedy, 'Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter', before it's even written. When lovely noblewoman Viola de Lesseps auditions for a role, they fall into forbidden love — and Shakespeare's play finds a new life (and title). As their relationship intensifies, the comedy soon transforms into tragedy.

"Love is the only inspiration."

Top Billed Cast

Joseph Fiennes

Will Shakespeare

Gwyneth Paltrow

Viola De Lesseps

Geoffrey Rush

Philip Henslowe

Tom Wilkinson

Hugh Fennyman

Judi Dench

Queen Elizabeth

Imelda Staunton

Nurse

Colin Firth

Lord Wessex

Ben Affleck

Ned Alleyn

Detailed Critic & Audience Reviews

G GenerationofSwine Verified TMDB Critic

2023-01-14

Does anyone remember this? I do, but only because its what turned me off of the Oscars. Haven't watched them since. It was the rude awakening that they were fixed, the quality of the film didn't matter as much as the bribes.

It beat Saving Private Ryan for best picture.

And then it beat Bulworth for best screen play.

That was sort of enough to turn my head. Both of them? Bulworth was far from best picture worthy, but best original screenplay seemed as much as a shoe in as Ryan for Best Picture.

And then it went on to win Best score over Mulan, A Bug's Life, and Prince of Egypt whic...

C CinemaSerf Verified TMDB Critic

2023-08-28

Set during the later reign of Engand's Queen Elizabeth, this joyful drama sees poor old William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) having a bit of a creative drought. Lacking ideas and cash, and being pursued by both Richard Burbage (Martin Clunes) and the wonderfully dead pan Geoffrey Rush as Philip Henslowe for work he's supposed to have already penned, things are looking a bit bleak. When Gwyneth Paltrow, an ardent theatre fan prohibited from taking to the stage by virtue of her sex, dresses as "Thomas Kent" and auditions for a part, he sees through the disguise quickly and his creative juices on...