Shakespeare in Love
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
John Madden
Geoffrey Rush
Tom Wilkinson
Steven O'donnell
Rupert Farley
Georgie Glen
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
It is the summer of 1593, and the rising young star of London's theatre scene, Will Shakespeare, faces a scourge like no other: a paralyzing bout of writer's block. While the great Elizabethan age of entertainment unfolds around him, Will is without inspiration on material. What Will needs is a muse--and in an extraordinary moment in which life imitates art, he finds and falls for a woman who draws him into his own dramatic adventure of star-crossed love. It all begins when Lady Viola, desperate to become an actor at a time when women were forbidden from such depravity, disguises herself as a man to audition for Will's play. But the guise slips away as their passion ignites. Now Will's quill again begins to flow, this time turning love into words, as Viola becomes his real-life Juliet and Romeo finds his reason to exist. Yet all is not well in Will's world. For even as the parchment begins to pile up, he's plagued by the fact that Lady Viola must marry the insufferable Lord Wessex.
Cast
Geoffrey Rush
Tom Wilkinson
Steven O'donnell
Rupert Farley
Georgie Glen
Adam Barker
Gregor Truter
John Ramm
Martin Clunes
Jill Baker
Mark Saban
Paul Bigley
Simon Callow
Nicholas Boulton
Richard Gold
Daniel Brocklebank
Hywel Simons
Bridget Mcconnel
Martin Neeley
Robin Davies
Jim Carter
Imelda Staunton
Joe Roberts
Patrick Barlow
Nicholas Le Prevost
Rebecca Charles
Patricia Potter
Timothy Kightley
Judi Dench
Alan Cody
Ben Affleck
Mark Williams
Roger Morlidge
Steven Beard
Rachel Clarke
Lucy Speed
Jason Round
Desmond Mcnamara
Sandra Reinton
Colin Firth
David Curtiz
Harry Gostelow
Rupert Everett
Joseph Fiennes
Simon Day
Roger Frost
Antony Sher
Gwyneth Paltrow
Amber Glossop
Tim Mcmullan
Barnaby Kay
Bob Barrett
Crew
John Addison
Brian Agar
Steve Alder
Harry Alley
Joseph Alley
Les Andrews
Jane Annakin
Collette Appleby
Kirsty Argyle
Kim Armitage
Brigitte Arnold
Chris Arnold
Mick Audsley
Michael Bailey
Tracy Ann Baines
Clare Banet
Kerry Barden
Liz Barran
Jean Barrett
Keith Batten
Frances Bennett
Becky Bentham
Barbara Berkery
Bert Berry
Michael Biesty
Tony Bird
Stuart Blinco
Paula Boram
Catherine Bott
Steven Bovingdon
Sue Bradbear
Henry Braham
Raymond Branch
Veronica Brebner
Irena Brignull
Stuart Brisdon
Linda Bruce
Tabitha Burrill
Adam Campbell
Christine Campbell
John G Campbell
Trevor Carey
Trevor Carey
Denis Carrigan
Darryl Carter
Julina Carter
Melanie Carter
John Casey
Joe Cassar
Ruth Caswell
Colin Chapman
Ross Chapman
Martin Childs
Claire Christine
Cleone Clarke
Cleone Clarke
Jane Clarke
Ian Coffey
Wendy Cole
Marc Cooper
Clive Copland
Chris Corke
John Cornelius
Steve Costello
Jimmy Coutts
Gill Crawford
Mike Crawley
Sue Crawshaw
Mark Cronelly
David Cronnelly
Jason Curtis
Matthew D'angibau
Julie Dartnell
Martin Day
Max Dennison
Jeff Derby
Chris Dibble
Heather Dickens
Robert Diebelius
Meighan Dobson
Nicholas Duboulay
Gill Ducker
Tina Earnshaw
Howard Eaves
David Edwards
Alfie Emmins
Andy Evans
Fred Evans
Glyn Evans
Warren Evans
Karen Ferguson
Carlos Fidel
Raymond Flindall
Phil Foley
Rob Fowle
Mark Fox-potten
John Franklin
Emma Fryer
Ian Fryer
Len Furssedonn
Tom Gabbutt
David Gamble
John Gamble
Pat Garrett
Kay Georgiou
Giovanni Giacotto
Donna Gigliotti
Stephen Gilmour
Peter Glossop
Anthony Goddard
Lee Goddard
Martin Goddard
Mark Goldeman
Julie Goldstein
Lee Gooch
Michael Gooch
Dan Grace
Peter Graffham
Paul Grahame
John Grant
Matt Gray
Richard Greatrex
Andrew Green
Ian Green
Dr. Stephen Greenblatt
Pauline Griffiths
Jane Grinshaw
Georg Grohmann
Brian Groves
Michelle Guish
Jon Gumpert
Frederick Gunning
David Gwyther
Annie Hadley
Philippa Hall
Jonathan Haren
Ralph Harrison
Christine Hathway
Jenny Hawkins
Darren Hayward
Toby Hefferman
Rebecca Heller
Frank Henry
Paul Herbert
Marshall Herskovitz
Kate Higham
Andrew Hobbs
William Hobbs
Billy Hopkins
Robin Huffer
Andrew Hunt
Antony Hunt
Danny Hunter
Nick Ingman
Nick Ingman
Paul Jackson
Russell Jackson
Catherine Jardine
Deborah Jarvis
Andrew Jeffrey
Ilenka Jelowicki
Paul Jennings
Erik Jordan
Debbie Kaye
Gaby Kester
Joe Kowalewski
Bradley Larner
Linda Lashley
Jane Law
Steven Lawrence
Robert Laycock
Barry Leonti
Dominic Lester
Nicholas Lloyd
Olivia Lloyd
John Logigian
Phil Lonergan
Tom Lowen
Lee Lighting Ltd
Jim Magill
Kay Manasseh
Helen Manley
Anthony Mansey
Christopher Mansey
Debbie Marchant
Danny Margetts
Ray Marston
Tori Martin
Wayne Martin
Andrew Mash
Ian Maskell
Ruth Mccornish
Jon Mccrory
Vincent Mcgahon
Chris Mcgurk
Hugh Mckenzie
John Mcsweeney
Sue Meyer
Rick Mietkowski
Ronald Miles
Film Details
Technical Specs
Award Wins
Best Actress
Set Decoration
Best Costume Design
Best Music, Original or Comedy Series
Best Picture
Best Supporting Actress
Best Writing, Screenplay
Best Writing, Screenplay
Best Actress
Best Motion Picture
Best Screenplay Motion Pict
Award Nominations
Best Cinematography
Best Director
Best Film Editing
Best Makeup
Best Sound
Best Supporting Actor
Best Director Motion Pictur
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Articles
Shakespeare in Love
The idea for Shakespeare in Love first came to writer Marc Norman in 1988, and over the next decade, Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman, Winona Ryder, Helen Hunt, Daniel Day-Lewis, Kenneth Branagh and Jodie Foster were rumored to be considered for the leading roles, which went to Paltrow and Fiennes.
John Madden directed the film from a script by Norman and Tom Stoppard, with a cast that included Ben Affleck (who took the role to be near his then girlfriend, Paltrow), Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, and Simon Callow. Shakespeare in Love was a co-production of Universal Pictures, Bedford Falls Productions, and Miramax Films. Miramax, headed by brothers Bob and Harvey Weinstein were on a roll - they had recently produced the successful Mrs. Brown (1997) and The English Patient (1996). With a budget of only $25 million, Shakespeare in Love went into production in March 1998 at Shepperton Studios just outside of London, and at various locations around England, including Broughton Castle in Oxfordshire, Holkham Hall and Estate in Norfolk, and the legendary Eton College.
Shakespeare in Love was a hit on its release in December 1998, bringing in $100 million at the box office in the United States and another $189 million overseas. The critics loved it, including Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times who wrote that its modern humor mixed with the Elizabethan era "makes the movie play like a contest between Masterpiece Theatre and Mel Brooks. [...]Is this a movie or an anthology? I didn't care. I was carried along by the wit, the energy and a surprising sweetness. The movie serves as a reminder that Will Shakespeare was once a young playwright on the make, that theater in all times is as much business as show, and that Romeo and Juliet must have been written by a man in intimate communication with his libido."
The film was nominated for thirteen Academy Awards and won seven, including Best Picture, Best Actress for Paltrow, Best Supporting Actress for Judi Dench as Queen Elizabeth I (despite only being on screen for six minutes), Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen for Norman and Stoppard, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration for Martin Childs and Jill Quertier, Best Costume Design for Sandy Powell, and Best Original Musical or Comedy Score for Stephen Warbeck.
The film may be over but the story lives on. Although many films have been adapted from plays, the trend is moving in the opposite direction, with films making their way to the stage. Shakespeare in Love is currently playing at the Noel Coward Theatre in London.
By Lorraine LoBianco
SOURCES:
The Internet Movie Database
http://www.miramax.com/movie/shakespeare-in-love/
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/shakespeare-in-love-1998
http://shakespeareinlove.com/
Shakespeare in Love
Quotes
Trivia
Miscellaneous Notes
John Madden was nominated for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in 1998 by the Directors Guild of America.
Nominated for the 1998 American Cinema Editors Award for Best Edited Feature Film.
Nominated for the 1999 David di Donatello Award for Best Foreign Film.
Winner of the 1998 award for Best Screenplay (Stoppard and Norman) from the New York Film Critics Circle.
Winner of the 1998 award for Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen from the Writers Guild of America.
Winner of the 1998 Golden Satellite Award for Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy from the International Press Academy.
Winner of the Silver Bear for Outstanding Single Achievement (Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard for screenplay) at the 1999 Berlin Film Festival.
Winner of two 1998 awards, including Best Screenplay and Most Promising Actor (Joseph Fiennes) from the Chicago Film Critics Association. Nominated for a further two awards including, Best Picture, and Best Actress (Gwyneth Paltrow).
Winner of two 1998 Broadcast Film Critics Association awards, including Best Original Screenplay (Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard) and Breakthrough Performer (Joseph Fiennes). Nominated for the Best Picture Award.
Expanded Release in United States December 25, 1998
Released in United States February 1999
Released in United States on Video August 10, 1999
Released in United States Winter December 11, 1998
Wide Release in United States January 8, 1999
Shown at Berlin International Film Festival (in competition) February 10-21, 1999.
Project was previously in development at Universal Pictures with Bedford Falls principle Marshall Herskovitz attached to produce and Ed Zwick attached to direct. Rights were assigned to Miramax and, as a result, Herskovitz and Zwick filed a $10 million lawsuit against Universal and Miramax. A settlement has been reached with Zwick and Bedford Falls Company retaining their producing credits.
Began shooting March 2, 1998.
Completed shooting June 10, 1998.
Daniel Day-Lewis was once attached to play William Shakespeare.
Julia Roberts was once attached to play opposite Daniel Day-Lewis.
Universal Pictures and Miramax have formed a co-venture to finance this film with Miramax retaining domestic rights and Universal (UIP) taking international rights.
Wide Release in United States January 8, 1999
Released in United States February 1999 (Shown at Berlin International Film Festival (in competition) February 10-21, 1999.)
Released in United States on Video August 10, 1999
Released in United States Winter December 11, 1998 (NY, LA)
Expanded Release in United States December 25, 1998