Academy Award for Best Picture

1998

Shakespeare in Love

Release dates

December 3, 1998

(US)

January 29, 1999 

(UK)

Starring

Gwyneth Paltrow

Joseph Fiennes

Geoffrey Rush

Colin Firth

Ben Affleck

Judi Dench

Shakespeare in Love is a 1998 British romantic comedy-drama film directed by John Madden, written by Marc Norman and playwright Tom Stoppard. The film depicts a love affair involving Viola de Lesseps (Gwyneth Paltrow) and playwright William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) while he was writing the play Romeo and Juliet. The story is fiction, though several of the characters are based on real people. In addition, many of the characters, lines, and plot devices are references to Shakespeare's plays.

Shakespeare in Love won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress (Gwyneth Paltrow), and Best Supporting Actress (Judi Dench).

A stage adaptation is currently in production, due to have its world premiere in London's West End in July 2014.